Pickings from Pike’s Past 6.13.24

By Editor | June 10, 2024 |

75 YEARS AGO: PIKE COUNTY REPUBLICAN TO BEGIN PUBLISHING TWICE A WEEK

150 Years Ago

June 18, 1874

Strawberries out and cherries in. The apples are falling very badly and the crop will be a light one. The wheat crop bids fair to be the largest ever raised in this county.

Work will cease on the Sny levee about the first of July, many teams quitting now by reason of heat and sickness.

The band plays Monday and Friday nights. On Monday night the young men lit up the square with a large number of Chinese lanterns, making a pretty scene. That the boys ran their sticks through the lanterns was not the fault of those who hung them out.

125 Years Ago

June 20, 1899

Andrew Douglas of Milton was up yesterday and took home with him twine to bind 90 acres of wheat, some of which he says is very good.

Honeybees have been making their home in the loft of the Episcopal Church for several years past. Recently, while repairing the roof, workmen succeeded in capturing several swarms of bees and about 20 pounds of honey.

Elder Snively of the Christian Church is billed to orate in Pittsfield on the 4th of July and also for Virginia on the same day. The Elder is a good speaker and quite up to date, but just how he is going to manage to be at both at the same time we are not informed.

The fighting at Luzon in the Philippines is still very fierce, and our troops are having a hard time resisting the frequent attacks of the insurgents.

June 23, 1899

The weather remains very clear and hot, and a shower wouldn’t come amiss. Wheat harvesting is on and the corn crop, with work and growing weather, is improving very fast.

Eating to music is now a popular craze of the day in metropolitan hotels and restaurants.

Now off with the horse’s shoes and let his feet down on the ground.

100 Years Ago

June 18, 1924

A summer park is being constructed at Florence. Numerous tents with floors for the accommodation of campers are to be erected, and construction is now underway on a 60 X 60 dance pavilion by Jim Mitchell and partner. He plans to name it “Ocean to Ocean Park.”

The choir and orchestra of the Pittsfield Methodist Church are working tirelessly in preparation for the Mendelsohn concert next Sunday evening. The choir will sing some of the chorus numbers from “Elijah,” and the orchestra will render the greatest overture written by Mendelssohn, “Ruy Blas.” This special effort warrants a full congregation.

Following an attempt on the part of Ira Butler, Pleasant Hill police, to search three men suspected of having liquor, one of them, Forbe Clack, shot Butler with a .32 Colt automatic pistol about 2:30 last Friday afternoon. Bystanders interfered and Clack was arrested by Constable Jim Blake, but during the commotion the other two men got away.

Harry Foote of Nebo has purchased the restaurant owned by Francis Smith in that village. Immediate possession was given.

75 Years Ago

June 22, 1949

Beginning next week, the Pike County Republican will begin twice a week publication. It becomes the first semi-weekly newspaper in Pike County’s long newspaper history. The first edition will be printed Tuesday afternoon and the second edition will be printed Thursday afternoon. The Republican’s subscription price will remain unchanged at $2.50 a year. (Compiler’s note: We people are forgetful. The Pike County Democrat published twice weekly at least through most of the 1890s.)

It takes a lot of Bob Skinners and Frank Penstones and Ernest Gays and Loraine Wades and Eldon Sleights and Bill Buchanans and other public-spirited citizens to build a county fair. Griggsville’s long county fair history dates back 61 years to the summer of 1888. Those who started the fair are gone now, but others have taken their place.

With a bang and a hullabaloo from excited young patrons the new built-in deluxe popcorn and coke stand in the Clark Theater opened for business Saturday night.

A bounteous family picnic dinner was served at the Mr. and Mrs. Ivis Fields home near Nebo. Among the many who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Foreman Fields and daughters Patricia Anne, Joyce Kay, Martha Jane and son William Russell.

Commissioner R. L. Harp has granted Ed Lowry a building permit to erect a filling station and vehicle parking lot on West Washington Street on the lots directly west of the Cardinal Inn.

50 Years Ago

June 19, 1974

A delegation from the Pittsfield Jaycees—President Dan Chamberlain and Dick Peebles—was at Pittsfield’s last city council meeting to pay the second installment, $333.33, on the $1000 pledge for the development of Lowry Park on the south edge of town.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Johnson of W. W. Sanitation are now located in their new office on East Washington, formerly the site of Huffman’s Wrecker Service.

Hard on the heels of the news of only two weeks ago that Pittsfield gas rates to consumers would go up 16 percent July 1, the city council learned Tuesday night that Panhandle Eastern, the city’s gas supplier, is petitioning the Federal Power Commission for a rate increase to the city effective Aug. 1.

Mayor Williams reported that an estimated throng of about 2,000 people took advantage of the city’s invitation to drive the length of the new airport runway over the past weekend.

25 Years Ago

June 16, 1999

Harold and Karla Smith of 1340 Mortimer in Barry won first place in the overall division of that city’s Front Porch Days competition.

A program at Pittsfield High School has given many residents a chance to do something they normally don’t get to do: explore the world of internet and email without having to own a computer, as the computer lab is open for free on Monday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Linda Belford, a computer teacher at PHS has been on hand to help attendees in case they run into problems.

A storm ripped through Pittsfield Friday afternoon, flooding streets and destroying or severely damaging several trees. During the storm neither the fire department’s siren or pagers worked due to power outages.

10 Years Ago

June 18, 2014

Thursday evening, June 12, in a special session that lasted only 25 minutes, the Pike County Board voted to name Matt Goetten of Green County as State’s attorney until the November election. The appointment was necessary because of the resignation June 2 of State’s Attorney Carrie Boyd. Former Pike County State’s Attorney Brett Irving was the other potential Democrat to fill the vacancy, since Boyd won the position as a Democrat.

Wessley and Nathan Davis were chosen as Pike Press and Farm and Home Supply’s “Chip Off the Old Block” look-alike winners

Torrential rains flooded southern Pike County June 10. Rain totals ranged from 3.5 to 6 inches, with much damage to township roads.

Ray Martin Syrcle received his doctor jurisprudence degree from St. Louis University School of Law May 15. Syrcle is a son of Rex and Rhonda Syrcle of Pittsfield and the grandson of Kenneth and Linda Donohoo of Pittsfield.

• Compiled by Michael Boren.