(Starts with 7th generation from John Belconger)

Enos' other 2 grandchildren, Frank and Pearl bought farms just across the Missouri state line in the Mendota area and lived there several years. Pearl was involved in 3 mining accidents, the last one crushing his legs and breaking his back (second time). He had a terrible time mending as infection entered the damaged bones and he very nearly died. Of course, his family lost everything as in those days workmen had little compensation. He lived to 67 years age but walked stooped the rest of his life and was not very mobile. Ruth cared for him at hospital in a long recovery and rest of family helped but there were 4 children, one crippled. The family was broken up and 2 older daughters sent to Chicago to work as domestics and the son, Troy was sent to CCC camp. Geneva, crippled, stayed with her mother when she was there and with probably Frank's family when Ruth was at Centerville  hospital caring for Pearl. She rode the CB&Q train back and forth between Centerville and Mendota.
 
The Lincoln township plat shows the location of Enos' grandsons William Frank Conger and Pearl Truman Conger farms. An interesting item here. As you look at the plat map it becomes obvious that the city of Mendota is different location from where it is shown on today's maps. It seems too far North. It appears there was not much of a town but they had a post office on the railroad as shown on the plat map.

Here is the Missouri Plat Map for Lincoln township with Enos' grandsons Frank and Pearl's farms outlined in green. Wallace/Jennie, Frank/Mary and Pearl/Ruth are buried in Friendship Cemetery.

There has always been a lot of talk about Mendota in the Conger family. Viewing the following 1897 plat explains a lot about the place. The whole area looks as if it belonged to the Mendota Coal and Mining Co. It must have been one of those huge "collective" operations like they have in Russia. You could put your finger on the map almost anywhere and then call it Mendota.

We were able to identify 3 mines, although they have them numbered up to the #4 mine which appeared to be at the northern location of "Mendota."  The location of the Post Office was as generally shown, at the north location. There appears to be several building in the area, along the track. This was probably the "Company Store" and even "Company Houses" for miners of the company. There are several sidings for coal cars, etc. The location of a church is given but there is no evidence of a school. Mine # 1 had some houses around it. Each mine may have had it's own little community.

Later studies of the plats revealed what was probably Mine #3 ..... IN IOWA! It's believed that the "Mendota Coal Co. (3)" just east of Wallace's farm was where the mine was located - on the north side of the state line/road in the Pleasant Township Plat (EEC 4/22/2016).

All in all, looks like a large concern. This partial section of the 1897 plat map shows what appears to be a pretty busy place (a partial section was used as it was enlarged making easier reading).   

 

The railroad, CB&Q, was shut down around 1950. The railroad went through Exline and on west to Cincinnati, Iowa then turned south and went through Mendota, Mo and on to Unionville, Mo area.

However, Unionville had an electric plant that was fired by coal so the road stayed intact from Unionville on south to allow shipment of the coal to the plant. The line was totally removed from Unionville, Mo back to Burlington, Iowa and that included Mendota just northeast of Unionville.

Since the Post Office was located on the railroad, sort of off-highway so to speak, it was moved to a location on the highway system and given same name .... Mendota. And there Mendota is until this day. Nothing there now but there is a cemetery located just south of the creek. The railroad's road bed is visible on Google maps yet today.

We now have access to satellite imagery and Google maps has a very nice program whereby you can look up almost any location you like and it is utterly amazing. Even though the above railroad was removed, the roadbed has largely not been disturbed and you can trace the path of roads long out of use.

Because of the way land was farmed it is easy to identify property lines, etc. The land was settled in ranges, townships, sections, normally 600 acres to a section. So a 1/4 section would have about 150 acres and so on. A quarter of a quarter section would be 37.5 acres and this seems to be the size of most of the developed plats. In those days, men worked in the mines in the winter so they only needed a few acres to raise a cow or two and some pigs and chickens. Women brought in cash income with the eggs and cream (separated from the fresh milk) they sold in town. Everyone had a big garden and canned fruit/vegetables for their tables. Nearly everyone had "caves" on their property to help preserve food (in the absence of electricity and refrigeration).

We have marked up 2 of the Google Maps having satellite image - see what you think of them ....... just use your computer to magnify, if you have to (hit keys ctrl+). It is necessary to provide maps of the latest roads, etc so that people can find these Conger points of interest on today's maps.

The first satellite image shows the Iowa area with Cincinnati, IA on the left and Exline, IA on the upper right. The second image shows southern Iowa and northern Missouri areas where the rest of the Wallace Congers settled. Due to the proximity of the Mendota Post Office to Wallace's Iowa farm, would he have used the Mendota address rather than the more distant Cincinnati?