Pickings from Pike’s Past 12.1.21
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75 YEARS AGO: PITTSFIELD FACES COAL AND NATURAL GAS SHORTAGE
150 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1871
The Thermometer indicated four degrees below zero at 4 o’clock Monday morning, about as chilly as will be experienced this winter.
Judge Higbee called a special term of the Pike County Circuit Court. Cases to be heard include four indictments for selling liquor, one indictment for assault to commit murder, three indictments for murder, one for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to inflict bodily injury, and one arson trial.
125 Years Ago
Dec. 2, 1896
Thanksgiving Day, which was rather raw, gloomy and somewhat rainy, was followed by several days of extreme cold weather. The thermometer ranged from eight to ten degrees above zero on 27 and 28 November, which is very cold for the season.
Ice is 4.5 inches thick in the creek near Kinderhook. Skating opened up last week and many there be of boys and girls who have enjoyed the fun of it.
Fields store on the north side of the Pittsfield square, with its new paint, paper and electric lights, looms like a green spot in the desert.
The Pittsfield city telephone exchange, which began business Nov. 1, now has some 60 subscribers. Miss Gussie Shinn is the central operator.
100 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1921
The Pittsfield High School football team won 10 games and lost none last season, and had an 8 -1 record this year, losing only to Waverly. This season PHS scored 300 points to 61 for the opponents.
Miss Helen Schedel, city librarian, reports that people are reading more books than at any time during her term as librarian.
Miss Elizabeth Mayo, Pittsfield’s only woman attorney, is going to Springfield to receive her diploma. All who have passed the state examination In October are to be presented their diplomas in December.
The movement for lower heels on women’s shoes is making progress. A girl mincing along the street in high-heeled shoes looks like a cripple.
75 Years Ago
Dec. 4, 1946
Pittsfield High School is threatened with a coal shortage due to the coal strike. The board of education has cancelled some night meetings and extended Christmas vacation. The high school coal storage area is small, but the grades have a large coal storage space so they have enough coal to last them the rest of the school year.
Pittsfield’s 715 natural gas users are facing a probable shortage of gas for cooking and heating. A shortage of coal and gas presents a serious problem to the city. The three-inch gas line to the city from the main Panhandle Eastern line through south Pike is insufficient to supply gas demands.
Jimmy Gay, of Rockport, a rheumatic fever patient, was moved to the home of his grandmother, Mrs. L. O. Gay, Thursday where he remains for a few days for a change. Although he will be confined to his bed.
Almost all of the REA members of the Time community have gone and helped guard the REA plant north of Milton. Eight go each night.
Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Staggs, Pittsfield (Beulah Akin) had a daughter, Evelyn Ann, born at Illini Hospital Nov. 30.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 8, 1971
The annual Pittsfield High School father-son football banquet was held at Voshall gymnasium last week. Co-Captains Jay Carlton and John Ghrist tied in the squad voting for Most Valuable Player. Brent Gaffney was voted the Most Improved, and Don Snyder was chosen Offensive Player of the year. Speakers included Coaches Don Pollard, Fred Erickson, Bill Ferguson, Jack Turner, Athletic Director Glenn Smith, Principal Don Mellon and Mrs. Donna Smith. A. W. Schimmel, Jr. was toastmaster.
Pittsfield’s stores will start staying open until 9 p.m., starting Friday and continuing every night thereafter until Dec. 23.
The Brass Lion on the north side of the Pittsfield square is holding its grand opening Dec. 10 and 11. Come register for great prizes. Mrs. Ivan Knapp is the owner.
A student from Northeast Missouri State College is visiting with Mike and Mark Wade, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wade, in Pittsfield. He says that Red China is “a very terrible place….they don’t want peace….their goal is world conquest.”
More than 650 pounds of ham and fish were served to 734 members and guests of the Mississippi Valley Production Credit Association last Saturday evening. The PTA served the meal under the joint co-chairmanship of Mrs. Robert Capps and Mrs. Donald Snyder.
25 Years Ago
Dec. 4, 1996
Allan Seiler was elected chairman of the Pike County Board Monday at an organizational meeting. Scott Syrcle was elected vice-chairman. The other current board members are Rick Orr, John Sheppard, Harry Wright, Paul Borrowman, Tom Dell, Bob Dieker and Earl Hull.
Circuit Clerk Ben Johnson is complaining about dust in his office in the courthouse. The cause is the construction of the new elevator. Mike Black, of Black Construction, said he will construct a dust barrier after the hole is made through the floor for the elevator.
The Adams/Pike Regional Office of Education and a team of local educators are writing a grant proposal to provide an alternative school for disruptive students in Pike County.
The Pittsfield Saukees, Unity Mustangs and the host Quincy Notre Dame Raiders all ended the QND tournament with identical records. Jonas Petty was the only Saukee named to the All-Tournament team.
The Pittsfield Lady Saukees scored 105 points Monday night, breaking a school record in a game against Winchester. “Lagemann was hot,” said Saukee coach Matt Elledge, as Angie Lagemann scored 28 points, in only the second time a Lady Saukee team had topped the 100-point mark. The 1990-1991 Lady Saukees defeated Unity 101 to 52.
10 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 2011
The bones found along the Mississippi River in Pike County in September have been found to belong to “at least five individuals, and are pre-agricultural.” This makes it very likely that the bones are related to some native American tribal group.
Harry Kingery donated a mountain dulcimer to the Pike County Courthouse Nov. 28. The dulcimer was made from the red elm tree that stood on the courthouse lawn for nearly a century. The dulcimer was played by Kingery as part of the July 10, 1994 ceremony, commemorating the first century of the Pike County Courthouse.
■ Compiled by Michael Boren
