| Robert McClure Snyder came from humble beginnings, one of seven children born to John and Sarah (Pence) Snyder in Columbus, Ind., in 1852. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were millers by trade, owning mills and grocery stores in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri. As a young man, Snyder moved to St. Louis in 1876 and worked in the wholesale grocery business. In 1880, he moved to Kansas City, where he again became involved in the wholesale grocery business, later branching into real estate speculation, banking and utilities. In 1904, he purchased Ha Ha Tonka Lake and Spring in Camden County and immediately began constructing roads and making extensive improvements. He once said, "Here I will spend my leisure, secure from the worries of business and the excitement of city life. I will fish and loaf and explore the caves of these hills, with no fear of intrusion."
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