Marshal George Horton Cady

The first time I visited Grand Tower was in 1991, I met the outgoing Mayor Charlie Burdick who shared the story about Marshal George Horton Cady he had recorded on a cassette tape that included the historical story about the Mississippi River Town known as the Great Grand Tower. I had come into the town to apply for the job as a police officer, then discovered I would be the only police officer and wear the badge of the Chief of Police. I had just completed serving 8 years in the US Marine Corps as a Military Police Sergeant and I was hired by the new Mayor, Art Ward to be the only cop in this town. I attended the police academy to be State Certified and began serving this historic river community until 1992. Charlie Burdick is now 91 years of age, he had retired as a River Barge Captain soon after we met and has preserved the history of the courage of Marshal Cady and Grand Tower in a museum, that is now sadly soon to close due to a lack of volunteers and community interest in the history. Hopefully this will change. What a story to be told and preserved. This town that began over 350 years ago when it was first discovered by the French explorers Marquette and Jolliet in 1673, then after the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806), the first white settler in Grand Tower was Captain William Boone, the nephew of the famous Daniel Boone. Marshal Cady made the ultimate sacrifice serving in the Civil War, then returning to Grand Tower to serve as the Town Marshal where he chose not to carry a gun in the performance of his duties, I would imagine that he had seen enough killing in the war. In his commitment to keep the river community safe, his life was taken...may his memory live on. May the rich history of this river community be preserved and the remnant of this community persevere.

Chief William C. White, III
Chief of Police (1991-1992)

February 2, 2023