Looking Backward 5.15.2014
25 Years Ago
May 11, 1989
Grand Opening festivities will begin today at the newly remodeled and greatly enlarged Town & Country Supermarket in Ava. Store Manager Larry Johnson says the store has more than doubled in size, enlarging from 16,000 square feet to 32,500 square feet of floor space.
Music on the square will begin May 26. In keeping with tradition, the last Friday of each month will be devoted to gospel music.
Ava R-1 voters approved a 15-cent levy increase at the April 4 election to fund the construction a cafeteria to serve high school and middle school students.
Beem Chiropractic Center at 711 South Jefferson suffered heavy damage from smoke and water last Thursday evening when fire broke out inside the building. The fire appeared to have started around some equipment in the office portion on the south end of the building
Forty-six former members of “Butch” O’Hare’s fighter squadron (VF-6) met for three days in Mt. Prospect, Ill., near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Hershel Pahl, of Ava, flew with O’Hare during 1943 and went on to serve three tours of duty in the same squadron before the war’s end, and participated in the memorial observance last week.
Lionel A. Daugherty has been promoted to the rank of sergeant and will transfer from Gainesville to Willow Springs to replace Sgt. Emmerson as zone commander of Zone 1. Sgt. Daugherty was appointed to the Highway Patrol on Nov. 1, 1975 and has been assigned to Troop G since his appointment. He was promoted to the rank of corporal on July 1, 1987.
Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Poster Contest winners at Skyline R-2 School are: 1st place, Kevin Lambert; 2nd, Christa Heath; and 3rd place, Sean Sweeney. Contest winners at Ava R-1 are 1st place, Billy Bolte; 2nd place, Lora Pickens; and 3rd, Misty Howard. Contest winners at Plainview R-8 are: 1st place, Shelly Patterson; 2nd, Michael Harvill, and 3rd, Mark Wilson.
50 Years Ago
May 7, 1964
Miss Shirley Addy, AHS junior and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Addy of Ava, was recently chosen Key Club queen for 1964-65. Twenty-one girls were contestants for the complimentary position of the high school boys’ honor club. First runnerup was Miss Linda Lawler and second runnerup was Miss Jan Hart.
Mike Smith, vocational agriculture teacher in Ava High School during the last semester, has accepted a position in the Ash Grove schools and has informed Supt. O.T. Tallent he would not return here next year. Besides a second agriculture teacher, the only vacancies in the school system at present are for a speech teacher, and a basketball coach to replace Elmer Beard, who will move to Mountain Grove next year. Mrs. Ola Sue (Souder) Tate of Creve Coeur, Mo., a former music instructor here, has been employed as elementary music teacher to succeed Lashley Garnett. Mrs. Gladys Long, now teaching at Dora, was employed for the elementary school to replace Mrs. Geraldine Painter, who will be in the Springfield schools next term. The superintendent said eight to twelve applications for the basketball-coaching job have been received.
Effective Saturday, May 9, according to an order received by Ava Postmaster R.L. Ellis, the windows at the Ava Post Office will close its windows at 12 o’clock noon on Saturdays.
A “Face Lifting” is due for Hutch’s Country Inn. We will be closed Monday, May 11, through Sunday, May 17, for remodeling.
Mrs. Fannie Brightwell of Protem, the mother of Mrs. Carl Lewis of Ava, observed her 91st birthday Sunday, May 3, and she had eight of her children and their families at her home to help celebrate the special occasion.
An Ava couple, Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Gaulding, will observe their 67th wedding anniversary Saturday at their suburban home west of the city. The couple has one son, Claud Gaulding of Ava.
Great droves of dogs are roaming the country exciting and often chasing stock. Most of the dogs are strays. With the uprise of rabies this is dangerous to human life as well as property.
Mike Spurlock pitched two-hit ball as Ava beat Hartville, 8-0, in a high school baseball game here Monday night. Spurlock struck out 14 and walked four.
Students of the AHS mechanical drawing class made a short field trip Friday. The pupils have been studying architectural drawing, and Bill Cradic, instructor, pointed out that a field trip gives them an opportunity to observe floor plan layouts. The two houses under construction were in the Rainbow Ridge area.
William’s Super Markets – Seymour, Mansfield, Mtn. Grove, Houston, Ava –– ½ gallon Purex bleach, 29¢; Lay’s Potato Chips, 29¢; 28 oz. peanut butter, 79¢; 2-lb. package, bacon, 89¢; corn, 5¢ each.
75 Years Ago
May 11, 1939
Gasoline and a lighted match destroyed the automobile of Otto Nelson Monday night after the car started up the hill on Curry Avenue just south of the home of Dr. F.F. Schudy. Leo Nelson, a brother of Otto, was driving the car and had gone about twenty yards up the hill when the car slid into a ditch from the road which was muddy and slick from a recent rain. He got out, went to the rear of the car and struck a match to see how far in the ditch the car was. Flames leaped up as the match was lit. Nelson later said that the gas tank had been damaged when the car slid into the ditch and that escaping gasoline had caught fire.
Dangerous Dan’s Demons defeated Oral’s Alley Rats in a five-game tournament at the Joe Bacorn alleys Monday night. The two local teams competed after Mtn. Grove failed to appear for a scheduled match.
Ava and Almartha played an eleven-inning baseball game on the city park diamond here Sunday and, with the score tied 11 to 11, play was call on account of darkness. The “eleven” theme was carried out even in the gate receipts, which totaled $11. It was the first game of the season in Ava.
O.M. Swick announced this week that he has purchased the interest in the H. & S. Cleaners formerly owned by Ray Halbert. The two have been partners in the business since it was organized three years ago.
Lawrence Stamper of Ava, Route 3, living three miles southwest of Ava, and Miss Lillian Rowe, of the same community, were married April 27 at the courthouse here with Justice of the Peace J.E. Reeves officiating.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Livingston and children, Melba, Souder and Bobby, were Sunday dinner guests in the home of Mrs. W.T. Frost, and her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Charley Frost.
Thrasher’s Theatre –– Sunday, Monday, May 14,15 –– “Let Us Live” starring Maureen O’Sullivan, Henry Fonda, Ralph Bellamy, and Alan Barten. This is a story of one woman and her fight for her man that will brand itself into your memory forever. Also, a two-reel comedy of Charlie Chase.
Numerous reports are being received of hogs that are running on pasture dying very suddenly, says A.T. Goodding, county agent. The probabilities are these hogs are dying from cocklebur poisoning.
Drs. M.C. and J.L. Gentry announce a Tonsil Clinic at their offices from May 23 to 27. Please call or write for appointments.
ARNO –– Grandma Phillips was honored Sunday, her eighty-seventh birthday, with a basket dinner. There were about 180 persons present.
Ava High School’s 1939 DOCOMO – pictures of nearly 800 students, school organizations and activities, miscellaneous views and information, $1.50.
100 Years Ago
May 21, 1914
With the war in Mexico still raging between the people of that country and outrages being daily reported upon Americans within her borders. Sitting peacefully on the border and listening to the A.B.C. powers., we are to conclude that Huerta has not yet saluted the American flag. President Wilson has issued another “Ultimatum” to Huerta, Hureta did not even grunt.
A train robber in California recently testified that he had ‘turned bandit” because he could not get work, and his wife and children were in destitute circumstances and crying for bread. If the Judge would do the right thing, he would assess the fine against the Democratic Party and send the blamed thing to the penitentiary for 99 years.
NOTICE TO HUNTERS – You must have a license before hunting. There are reporters being appointed all over the state and you are liable to be brought before the Grand Jury at any term of Court, for a violation of game or fish law. W.L. Sorrell, D.D. Game Com.
The school board of the city of West Plains has decided to furnish free textbooks for the children of that district. The children of the Ava school district would appreciate a move of this kind by our school board and citizens.
The “Rural Credit system” bill which was to have been passed at this session of Congress has been “nipped in the bud” by President Wilson. He is not in favor of the bill and of course, it will not be passed. Oh! Brother Farmer, lay aside your politics and see what the Free Trade party is doing for you. When they get done with you, the patches on the bosom of your pants will be three deep.
The city has been doing some excellent work on the streets the past few days. They are getting the streets in pretty fair shape.
J.J. Kennedy is having a new concrete sidewalk put down in front of his residence.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur McDaniel are the proud parents of a fine baby boy, which made its arrival last Friday. All parties concerned are doing nicely.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Yount, a boy. Mr. Yount, who has been working in Kansas City, returned Sunday.
MULLIGAN GAP –– Mr. H. H. Perrigo is putting in a concrete spring house. We hope he will have good success.
125 Years Ago
May 16, 1889
Col. Watts, our Prosecuting Attorney, returned from Springfield today, while there he purchased a fine upright piano for his daughter.
Mr. M.C. Prine, of Campbell Township, is on top in the tobacco plant this year, he having set 3,000 plants on the 11th of this month.
The shocking scene at Ozark, the execution of the Bald Knobbers resulting as it did in a massacre, a description of which will be found in another column; can hardly result in a feeling of approbation from any quarter.
OZARK, Mo. –– The last net in the bloody drama of the Bald Knobbers is finished and the grim fate which occasionally evens things up in this world contrived to make the climate of today a tragedy well-nigh as horrible and sickening as the terrible butchery of the Green and Edens families, of which it was the legal sequence. Each of the three murderers expiated his crime with months of mental anguish and finally with from thirteen to fifteen minutes of excruciating physical agony. At 9:54 the trap was sprung and then followed one of the most horrible scenes that has ever been enacted even upon the gallows. The toes of all three men touched the ground. They were raised struggling and groaning from under the black caps, while the sheriff’s assistants attempted to shorten the ropes by knotting them above their heads. At the end of fourteen minutes, a heavy sigh of relief escaped from the spectators, about 1,000 who had gathered about the place.
The late Aaron White of Connecticut collected during his life five tons of pennies. It is suspected that this might have had something to do with the collapse in the copper market.
Many of the recognized authorities in civil as well as military circles say “The malarial disease is most dangerous in that the kidneys are most liable to break down.”
The King of Greece buys his clothes in London, while the queen sends to Paris for her costumes. What is the matter with the Athenian tailors?
Alexander Keil, a Canadian, was carried out into Lake Ontario on a cake of ice, but a fisherman pulled twelve miles to rescue him and was rewarded with 50 cents.
Marie Bedard, the French girl who claims to live without eating, is pronounced a fraud by Dr. Mary Walker, who watched her and caught her demolishing pancakes and potatoes.
Mrs. Becky Stevens keeps a saloon, and during the last five years, she has broken heads, arms, and legs for seven different men who wouldn’t walk out like gentlemen. A wagon-spoke is her favorite weapon.
The Sunday saloon closing law at Kansas City caused an exhibition of man’s craving for liquor recently. Poor and trembling bleary-eyed soaks were seen shivering on every corner.
