Pickings from Pike’s Past: 25 YEARS AGO: LATE SUMMER HEAT WAVE STRIKES PIKE COUNTY
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150 Years Ago
Sept. 9, 1875
The weather yesterday was as hot as there is any use for, the thermometer getting over 90. It is still dry and the roads quite dusty.
The seats at the Pittsfield Methodist Church are being repainted, but the church will be ready for use Sunday.
The Methodist Church in El Dara, after being repaired and made as good as new, was dedicated last Sunday and will in future be used by both churches—the Northern and the Southern Methodists.
The dust in the Griggsville area will persist in rising up and depositing alike upon silk and broadcloth, jeans and calico.
The Griggsville schools commenced September 1 with an attendance of 425. The principal is A. C. Cotton. He is assisted by nine lady teachers.
125 Years Ago
Sept. 12, 1900
Galveston, Texas was almost swept off the map by a disastrous storm which left an estimated 5000 dead. The highest portion of the city was four to five feet under water. There is an immediate need of food, clothing and household goods of all kinds. Monday evening the tail of the great southern storm made itself felt hereabouts.
The Rebekahs of Pittsfield are celebrating their 50th anniversary.
The public schools in Pittsfield opened with a large enrollment of resident pupils and more tuition scholars than usual.
Hubbel and Eads, newspaper men of Clarksville, have launched a bright new Democrat paper in South Pike under the name of the Pleasant Hill Sentinel.
School began in Nebo this morning and the urchins know their business for the next seven months.
We cannot remember the time when the sidewalks in the village of Milton were in anywhere near as good a shape as they are at present. The good work is still progressing under the general supervision of J. W. Boren and the personal direction of S. P. Clemmons.
100 Years Ago
Sept. 9, 1925
The arrival of the William Oliver shows and carnival was the fore-runner of the big American Legion fall celebration and circus. Today an afternoon or evening at the circus is an educational event as well as one of entertainment.
Other attractions scheduled were the Perry band, horse and mule show, free moving pictures, auto parade and doll parade. The featured spectacle was the dramatization of the Wagon Train by the American Legion and the finale staged with more than $7 worth of fireworks.
The county Board of Supervisors voted 16-7 in favor of appropriating $10,000 for the purchase of right-of-way for route 36 west from Pleasant Valley schoolhouse through Barry, to the Adams County line.
75 Years Ago
Sept. 6, 1950
The dangerous intersection at Atlas has taken another life as a woman from East St. Louis was thrown from her car after a collision with an automobile from Afton, Okla. The driver of the vehicle from Oklahoma said he did not see the stop sign at Atlas.
Rockport’s Major General Hobart R. Gay has lately experienced some of the bitterest fighting in his long military career as he is commanding the First Cavalry (mechanized) Division in the see-saw fighting in Korea. The Associated Press quoted Gay as saying, “What it amounts to is that we are attacking one enemy division and another enemy division is attacking us. Right now we don’t know who has who by the tail.”
Yesterday 922 students either began or resumed their studies at East and West buildings. Allen Metternich, superintendent of Pittsfield schools, says that fifth grade enrollment of 81 and high school freshman enrollment of 105 set new records this year.
An installation service for Ward S. Humphries, new Pittsfield Christian Church minister, will be held at the church Wednesday evening, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. R. L. Harp, Jr., chairman of the church board, will preside.
A new social security law signed by President Truman on August 28 will increase the amount of social security benefit checks for those now drawing, from 50 to 100 percent.
Forty-four men and 27 women gathered at Green Pond cemetery Saturday, Sept. 2 to straighten fallen and leaning stones and put them in concrete. A delicious meal was enjoyed by all in the evening. The first church at Green Pond was a log structure, which was replaced by the present building in 1866.
50 Years Ago
Sept. 10, 1975
Cindy Ruzich, 17-year-old daughter of Rev. and Mrs. John Ruzich, was named Queen of the Pittsfield Fall Festival.
“Out of Bounds,” Pittsfield’s newest lounge will open Thursday according to proprietor, Wayne Puckett. It is located south of the Bottle Shop on Monroe Street and is connected directly to the Bottle Shop, also owned and operated by Puckett. Puckett’s brother, Bob, will be in direct charge of the new facility. He is moving here from Chicago.
Funeral services for Volum Carl Vincent of Hull were held Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Hull. He had served on the board of directors of the State Bank of Hull for 21 years and was serving as president at the time of his death. He had served as supervisor of Cincinnati Township since 1953 and was chairman of the Board of Supervisors from 1963-1965.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker Zumwalt had a daughter, Tambra Jolene, born at Illini Hospital, Sept. 6.
Just three weeks after voting to sell city owned tennis courts as a construction site, the Barry City Council has taken action on its promise to replace the tennis courts at another location.
The 1975 queen of the Griggsville Apple Festival will be chosen from among 24 candidates—all sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school.
25 Years Ago
Sept. 6, 2000
A late summer heat wave has impacted the area the past two weeks, prompting early dismissal of school, cancellation of events and forcing area residents to take precautions against the scorching heat. Temperatures climbed into the 90s beginning Aug. 27,” said agronomist Glenn Raines of the Orr AgriCenter, “and they have been there every day since.” The heat has also been coupled with unusually high humidity.
It’s been 20 years in the talked-about stages, 10 years in the actual planning and at least three years of construction, but Sept. 16 the new bridge at Hannibal will open.
The Pittsfield Moose Lodge recently honored eight members who have been on the rolls for 50 years. Those honored were brothers Dean, Paul and Phil Niebur, and their cousin, Dick Niebur, Junior Brant, Jim Miles, Wayne Piper and Don Hannant.
10 Years Ago
Sept. 9, 2015
Samantha Clostermery was crowned Miss Pittsfield, 2015. Her court included First runner-up Kayla Vortman, Second runner-up Julia Turnbaugh, and Miss Photogenic Cheyenne Alred.
A 61-year-old Wisconsin man died Sunday afternoon, Sept. 6 in Spring Creek Township while driving an ATV. Also, over the Labor Day weekend a 19-year-old female was airlifted from an area near Pearl after an ATV accident early Sunday morning, Sept. 6.
Compiled by Michael Boren
