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THE CHARITON COLLECTOR

NORTHEAST MISSOURI HISTORY AND FOLKLORE
Spring 1989
$2.95

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EDITOR'S COMMENTS

In 1979, Mrs. Carol Trowbridge began teaching a class entitled Local History at Kirksville Senior 
High School. Instead of learning from a textbook, the class curriculum was based on developing 
an oral history library, patterned after the publication Foxfire.

Then, in the summer of 1980, Mrs. Trowbridge and a few students of the class took that year's 
work and edited it to produce a magazine, The Chariton Collector. This edition was released 
in December of 1980. In April of 1981, a second edition was published encompassing another 
year's work. Starting in the 1981-1982 school year, two editions were published, one in the 
winter and one in the spring.

As stated in the first issue, the class' mission was
1. To preserve a heritage: To develop an oral history library consisting of taped interviews with 
local residents. Since much history is passed on by word of mouth, it was our intention to capture 
the stories that might otherwise have been lost. We have also built a photographic library of 
personalities and historical sites in Northeast Missouri.
2. To become contributors to history as well as learners: Students were able to use all their 
skills and talents in creating this magazine.
3. To foster better relations between the students and their community.

Now, 10 years after work began on the first edition of The Chariton Collector, the work on the 
last edition is now finished. Our school district has been forced to make budget cuts, causing 
the cancellation of our class. However, even though we are saddened by its conclusion, we 
feel we have fulfilled the goals of the first Missouri History Class and have attempted to 
establish a basis for the understanding of our history.

The class changed its name from Local History to Local and State History in 1983, and then 
in 1986 to Missouri History. In 1982, Mrs. Trowbridge left the class and Mrs. Mary Grossnickle 
began instructing. The Chariton Collector was first published by the Journal Printing Company 
until their closing. Simpson Printing began publishing the magazine with the winter 1984 edition.

The oral history library now holds over 100 cassette tapes. More than 150 stories have been 
researched, written, and published in a total of 18 issues. Last year alone over 350 photographs 
were taken and catalogued in our files. Scrapbooks of Kirksville's history, taken from the Kirksville 
Daily Express, have been kept since 1982. Since its beginning, the magazine has enjoyed a 
circulation of 1,250 with eight editions sold out completely. Over 100 class members have 
experienced the production of a publication, interacted with the community, and, most importantly, 
contributed to the preservation of our heritage.

The success of our magazine would not have been possible without the help and support of you, the 
community. By either granting a staff member an interview, loaning materials for publication, helping 
us locate information, or simply purchasing the magazine, you have contributed to our understanding 
of our culture. In the back of this edition is a subject and title index for the 18 issues of The 
Chariton Collector. We hope you find this helpful in your search for the past in order to 
understand the present until The Chariton Collector can one day again explore our heritage.

Thank You,
Brian Riley, editor


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THE CHARITON COLLECTOR
Kirksville Senior High School
Kirksville, Missouri 
Spring 1989 
Vol. 9, No. 2, Issue 18

The Chariton Collector is published by the Missouri State History class of Kirksville Senior High 
School. This special class has attempted to preserve the history and local folklore of Northeast 
Missouri. Copyright 1989.

COVER PICTURE
Shelly Hoffman took this picture of Floyd Creek in March of 1989 during one of the warmer, 
spring afternoons.

CONTENTS

The Barnyard Barber . . . . . 2
Justin Benna

Artifacts of Stone . . . . . 6
Tonja Green

From Dreams to Reality . . . . . 9
Mike Whitney and John Hill

For Their Homelands . . . . . 13
Kimberly Baker

Beyond the Midway . . . . . 15
Tonya Eichor and Shelly Hoffman

Scenes from the Past . . . . . 20

In Remembrance of the "Ice King" . . . . . 22
Susan Cooper

Cut 'em Up and Ship 'em Out . . . . . 25
Clint Myers

Elaine's Dining Room . . . . . 29
Angela Briggs

Spreading the Word . . . . . 32
Bryan Thompson

Cumulative Index . . . . . 38

SENIOR EDITOR
Brian Riley

JUNIOR EDITORS
Bryan Thompson
Mike Whitney

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Angela Briggs

[photo caption] Local citizens raced their horses between the heats of harness racing at the NEMO 
Fair. Spectators watched from box seats under the old, covered grandstand. The fair is featured in 
Shelly Hoffman and Tonya Eichor's story on pages 15-19. (Slide courtesy of Mrs. Judy Kittle, 
reproduced as a print by Paul Wohlfeil)


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THE Barnyard BARBER

By Justin Benna

"Wrestle a 300-pound ewe until it sits on the ground, then take a barber's razor and shear all the 
wool so it stays fluffy. Do it for 10 or 12 hours a day, however long it takes to shear a flock. Do 
it in temperatures so cold your hands ache, and do it in temperatures so hot your eyes burn with 
sweat. Do it bent at the waist. And try to do it so well that you can be proud of your work." Besides 
these physical demands, described in the Des Moines Register, there are additional qualities upon 
which most all sheep shearers would agree. One of them is a fondness for sheep, and enough patience 
to put up with them. Another is desire; sheep shearing is something a person must want to do.

Professional sheep shearing is not new to Northeast Missouri. Nearly 70 percent of Missouri's sheep 
are located in our part of the state and keep the handful of shearers who live here plenty busy.

Ivan Kaden of rural Coatsville, Missouri, has been shearing for 22 years. He sheared his first sheep 
when he was a senior in high school at a Sunbeam sponsored short-course on sheep shearing held at the 
University of Missouri in Columbia, where

[photo caption] With 70 percent of Missouri's sheep population located in the northeast portion of 
our state, sheep have played an important role in the development of our agricultural industry.

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many others learn the trade. Following his two-day training session, he went home and sheared his 
own flock of sheep, which was his FFA project. He sheared a couple of flocks for his neighbors that 
spring. After graduating from college, Mr. Kaden met with some professionals and began shearing 
with them as an apprentice. He took a liking to their work and has made a living shearing 
professionally for the past 15 years.

While shearing in Wyoming, Mr. Kaden met his wife Marge, who admits she did not really know what a 
sheep shearer was. However, a few days after they met she witnessed a shearer in action. "I thought 
it was a nasty, dirty, stinky job," she said.

Besides Wyoming, Mr. Kaden has also sheared in Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, and Minnesota. More 
recently, however, his work has mainly been concentrated in western Illinois, southern Iowa, and 
here in northern Missouri. In these territories, he has shorn nearly 20,000 sheep each year.

Mr. Kaden uses the Australian method of shearing. The first step in this style is to set the sheep 
on its rump and begin clipping its belly. After the belly has been sheared, the wool between the 
sheep's legs is clipped. The wool found on the belly and between the legs is of marginal quality, 
so it can actually be separated from the other wool. Next he shears the left hip. Afterwards, he 
starts at the neck of the sheep going up and around, then over the top of the head. He then lays 
the sheep down and shears the left side. Once the wool from the left side has been removed, he 
shears one stroke over the sheep's backbone and down what shearers call the "last side," which is 
actually the whole right side. Unlike the left side which is sheared parallel with the sheep's 
body, the last side is sheared diagonally.

Another style of shearing which is used, but not as readily as the Australian method, is the Mexican 
style. In using the Mexican style a shearer ties all four legs of the sheep together with a piece 
of twine before shearing. Although this makes the shearing process less physically demanding for 
the shearer, more stress is placed upon the sheep.

The whole process takes approximately two minutes, depending upon the size and disposition of the 
sheep. After the animal has been shorn, someone sacks the fleece into a wool bag for storage. The 
weight of a fleece varies greatly among sheep. In the wool breeds, those raised for the purpose of 
producing wool, an average fleece for a mature ewe is about 12 pounds. However, in the meat breeds, 
those raised for the purpose of producing meats, the average fleece will weigh 5 to 8 pounds.

Most professionals use a machine shearer that is driven by a motor, propelling a hose that has a 
small cable in it. A hand piece, which looks like a barber's clipper, only larger, is plugged into 
this hose.

Back in the 1920s, all sheep were shorn with a scissor-type shearer referred to as a "blade." There 
are some places in the world where sheep are still shorn this way. The most likely place for blade 
shearing is where sheep are raised in high altitudes. Producers in these regions wait until warm 
weather to shear, and they do not have access to power. The advantages of the machine shearer make 
power-driven equipment more popular.

As far as advantages and disadvantages are concerned, the most likely reason someone would shear 
with a blade would be that a considerable amount of protection is left on the sheep,

[photo caption] The first wool Ivan Kaden clips when shearing using the Australian method is the 
belly wool. Within a couple of minutes, Mr. Kaden finishes shearing by clipping the wool from the 
"last side," the entire right side of the sheep.

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as a shearer cannot shear as close to the skin as with a machine shearer. Many more sheep can be 
shorn per day with power-driven equipment, and the sheep can be shorn in cold weather. When the 
weather gets hot, the sheep sweat and the wool separates somewhat from the body, so there is not 
as much fiber to cut. In cold weather, the wool is intact. To shear in cold weather with a blade 
would be extremely difficult.

A shearer's income is based upon a charge per-head. The charges can vary considerably depending on 
the size of the flock to be shorn. A shearer might charge $2 to $3 a head for a small flock of 10 to 
15. This high cost would be due to the travel involved. On the other hand, a shearer might receive as 
little as $1 per head for a job on a feed lot with 5,000 to 10,000 head of lambs.

In a feed lot situation, most shearers would have a goal of shearing 150 head in an eight-hour day. 
When a shearer is working smaller jobs and traveling in between, a goal is usually set at about 80 
head per day.

Because Mr. Kaden spends a great deal of time traveling, his family has responsibilities. Mrs. Kaden 
stated, "They (their boys) all have to do chores before they go to school in the morning which means 
they have to get up at about six. Scott is the oldest; he's kind of the chief of the whole crew; he 
has to make sure everything gets done before they leave the barn." The Kaden family has a flock of 
125 ewes, and the boys are responsible for the feeding, watering, and lambing of their ewes in the 
wintertime.

One of the favorite events of a shearer's family is watching dad in shearing contests. Mrs. Kaden 
relates, "It's kind of like going to a World Series ball game and your husband's one of the players 
on the ball team. We get awful nervous." Mr. Kaden has participated in numerous contests throughout 
the United States for 15 years. He will admit it took at least 12 years before he won any. He has 
participated in the contest held at the Iowa State Fair, at the Missouri State Contest, in numerous 
county fairs in Iowa, at the Los Angeles County Fair in California, and at the National Sheep 
Shearing Contest in Denver. His most successes have been at the Missouri State Contest, which is 
held in Queen City, where he has won three times.

The shearing contests are judged in six categories. A possible 100 points can be awarded on each of 
the four sheep shorn. Time is worth a possible 20 points. Appearance of the shorn sheep is worth 10 
points. Absence of cuts on the sheep is worth 15 points. Manner of handling the sheep is worth 15 
points. Condition of the fleece after the sheep is shorn is worth 20 points. And absence of second 
cuts in the wool, keeping the fiber in its full natural length, is worth 20 points.

Shearing is becoming a lost art. Most young people are not attracted to the profession because the 
income is unsteady and unpredictable, the hours are often irregular, and the working conditions are 
often disagreeable. Plus, the work is physically demanding. The Kaden's oldest son Scott does not 
think he will enter a career involving sheep because, "I've been around them so much I'm kind of 
tired of them." Their youngest son Ryan

[photo caption] After a sheep receives its "hair cut," its wool is sacked into bags for storage. 
Each bag holds approximately 180 pounds of wool. 

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says he does not think he would want to be a professional sheep shearer because "it seems boring." 
However, he did say that it would be interesting to go different places and meet people. The Kaden's 
feel their middle son Clayton might aspire to a career in shearing. Mrs. Kaden tells, "He's been 
known to practice on our cats."

Although the number of professional shearers is declining, there will always be a need for them as 
the wool of a sheep continually grows. Those who are cut out for the job will love it. Mr. Kaden 
explains why he loves his work: "You can see when you've completed a task. When your job is finished, 
you have the satisfaction of seeing a finished product. You start out with a woolly bunch of sheep 
and when you're done you have a white, clean-looking, fresh sheared bunch of sheep out on green 
grass, and for me, the fact you can see your finished product is very, very satisfying. You can 
see your accomplishment!"

[photo caption] Because time is an important factor in shearing contests, electric shears are used 
in competition. (Photo courtesy of the Lancaster Excelsior)

[photo caption] Besides a purple champion banner, the winner of the Missouri State Shearing Contest 
receives a cash award plus a plane ticket to Denver where he will compete in the National Sheep 
Shearing Contest. Mr. Kaden won the competition in 1986.

[photo caption] The Missouri State Shearing Contest has three separate divisions for 
professional/amateurs, old-timers (60 and over) and celebrities. The winners of the open division 
of the 1988 contest are front row, left to right: Jeff Bassett, Keith Hemlic, Jonathon Scott, Wade 
Shaw, and Hipolito Sanchez. Back row: Dan Ackerman, Max Hubbart, Jeff Swaim, Ivan Kaden, and Fred 
DuVall. (Photo courtesy of the Lancaster Excelsior)

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Artifacts of Stone

Most of the places, events, and people read about in historical magazines have to be envisioned in 
one's mind through detailed descriptions or through the use of old photographs. Contrary to this, 
Kirksville has a site that dates back further than most artifacts in the area and is still 
available to view: the petroglyphs.

Petroglyphs are stone carvings made by pecking, scraping, or grinding the surface with stone or 
bone instruments. The figures are intaglio, or below the surface. These carvings are found on most 
continents, but the most numerous are west of the Rocky Mountains because of the numerous cliffs 
available. Flat surfaces are used, such as stone outcrops, ledges, bluff faces, or cave walls.

The first scientific study of petroglyphs was done in 1886, and in 1942 there were 42 sites recorded 
in Missouri. People hold many beliefs as to the origin of these artifacts. In more southern areas 
of the United States, it is said that they were markers for the buried treasurers of the early 
Spanish. Some believe that the Aztecs wandered north and created them. Others believe that the 
petroglyphs are somehow related to the "lost continents" of Atlantis and Mu. It is also said that 
the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and other Old World peoples reached 
America long ago.

According to the 1936 Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, there 
could basically be two reasons for petroglyphs being made. One may be "random fancies created in 
leisurely moments." Two, some carvings may truly have historic or symbolic significance. If an event 
is being recorded, the symbols are placed so that they have a definite relation. Some examples are 
hunting scenes, dances, ceremonies, or records of visits. When it comes to symbolic or religious 
petroglyphs, there are many symbols in a small area that have no direct relation. These could be 
offerings to spirits to compensate for the removal of an object or to supply water, food, or tools. 
The symbolic or religious petroglyphs are also sacrificial, meaning a devotion to a spirit in a 
sacred place.

Knowing this general information gives one an overview and helps one to possibly understand the 
artifacts in this area a little better. The site in Northeast Missouri was found in the fall of 
1955 by Mr. Arthur Bailey, a Kirksville resident who was also a member of the Missouri Archeological 
Society. The site is located on the hill northwest of the present-day swimming beach at Thousand 
Hills State Park. Mr. Bailey sought the society's president, Jesse Wrench, who came to view the 
site and authenticate it in March of 1956. Mr. Wrench wrote a letter to Mr. Swain, editor of the 
Kirksville Daily Express, stating how surprised he was that people's initials were carved between 
the symbols and that the area was used by campers to build fires for cooking food. He pleaded with 
Mr. Swain, the townsmen, and the Thousand Hills Park Board to preserve the site before any more 
destruction could occur. It is believed to be an ancient ceremonial ground and the first carvings 
date back to between A.D. 400 and 900, but different styles suggest more than one generation of artists.

Dr. Michael Davis, a professor of anthropology at NMSU, says, "Local oral history around here is 
that before they put the dam in to make that lake, that there were lots more petroglyphs showing, 
and they're now underwater, a majority of them as well as some rather large archeological sites. 
Probably a living area."

It seems that these symbols are not written messages or a language, but actually a guide or memory 
aid for a ceremony. There were supposedly different societies and organizations in the tribe and 
the men had to correctly perform these ceremonies for membership. The Indians of the area were 
associated with the Woodland Tradition. They are thought to have been hunter/cultivators because 
there are many animal representations, tracks, and footprints. It is hard to say exactly what each 
represented animal is. Miss Maureen McHale, the naturalist at

[photo caption] Arthur Bailey, pictured left, found the petroglyphs in the fall of 1955. He is 
shown with Don Mulford, Superintendent of Thousand Hill Park, in March of 1956. This picture was 
taken shortly after the site was authenticated by the Archeological Society of Missouri.

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Thousand Hills, believes, "The problem that we have here is trying to learn not only what kinds of 
animals were native to the area long ago, but which ones were most likely important to the people 
who made the carvings. Possibly at that time, before the 1800s, we had more open prairie areas 
interspersed with forests. Coyotes were really common to the prairies. That carving over there may 
have been one," as she points to an animal carving that could easily be a dog, coyote, wolf, or any 
other animal along that line. There could also have been some farming and crop storage done because 
there are many fertility symbols. That could also explain how the Indians found free time to carve 
the petroglyphs.

Many symbols are present at this site. According to the manuscript written by a naturalist, Stephen 
Schneider, the squares could be the floor plan of houses or hunting camps. Fertility of animal, 
plant, and human life are represented by oval objects. There are also bird tracks, footprints, 
long snake-like symbols, and animals with different shaped bodies. The arrows could possibly be the 
directional guides for the ceremonies.

One special symbol, fairly widespread among all Indians, is the thunderbird. This mythical animal 
symbolizes rain. Its flapping wings represent thunder and its blinking eyes represent lightning. An 
anthropologist who visited our site believes that the thunderbird stands for masculinity, signifying 
the site for the men's ceremonies. "Well, we say thunderbirds and that might be right, but it could 
also indicate an eagle or a hawk. And it could represent a patron, kind of a guardian spirit." 
Dr. Davis explained that this symbol could deal with the guardian spirit complex, Indians had to 
find their own guardian spirit. They usually did this by fasting or going without sleep. "It's 
possible that that's the place where people went to seek their guardian spirit or to seek some kind 
of insights to their problems," said Dr. Davis.

Shortly before the coming of the white man, the Indians started following a new religious cult that 
originated in the southeast United States and spread up the Mississippi River.

MACE AND BI-LOBED ARROW THUNDERBIRDS

[illustration description] Shortly after the coming of white settlers, Indians started following a 
cult that developed in the southeastern portion of the U. S. These symbols are associated with this 
southern cult. (Diagrams courtesy of Pickier Memorial Library)

[illustration description] This sketch diagrams the symbols carved at the petroglyph site. Notice 
the many thunderbirds, oval fertility symbols, and animals wth horns or tails. (Diagram courtesy 
of Pickier Memorial Library)

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Letters From the People

Missouri Archaeological Society 
15 Switzler Hall 
Coltimbia, Missouri
March 12, 1956 
Mr. E. E. Swain, Editor 
Daily Express and News
Kirksville, Missouri 

Dear Mr. Swain:

Yesterday at the request of Mr. A. T. Bailey, one of your fellow townsmen, I visited the Park of 
the Thousand Hills. I failed to see more than a dozen of the hills, but I did see something which 
impressed me very much in more than one way.

On the knoll opposite the new bathing pavilion I was greatly surprised to find an example of those 
Indian petroglyphs which have up till now made Washington State Park unique. These evidences of 
one of the later Indian cultures, apparently that which immediately preceded the coming of the 
white men, are not very frequent in the northern part of the stato. Consequently, it is of 
considerable importance that they be preserved so that our children and their children will have 
a chance to see them.

Unfortunately, these specimens are due for extinction in a relatively brief time, even though they 
have already existed probably for several hundred years. Between the fires which have been built in 
them to cook wieners or marshmallows and the urge of those with an inferiority complex to carve 
their initials on them, they are already partially destroyed and within a few years will be 
completely unrecognizable.

Knowing your interest in things historic, I take the liberty to call this to your attention and 
urge that you and your fellow townsmen earnestly request the Park Board to take steps to preserve 
these irreplaceable remains.

Sincerely,

JESSE E. WRENCH, 
President.

Maces and bi-lobed arrows, symbols associated with this southern cult, are present at our site. They 
represent authority and prestige.

Every petroglyphic symbol has variations of meaning. For example, a simple triangle has been known 
to represent an arrow point, mountain, or horse. It is impossible to interpret one symbol having 
the same meaning at more than one place. Only the author himself would truly know.

This site was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1970. Throughout the years, there 
has been a chain link fence around the site and also a structure with just a roof to try to keep 
the petroglyphs more intact, but those have recently been replaced by a totally enclosed, 
gazebo-shaped, cedar building. It is locked when not in use to keep any further vandalism from 
occurring. This shelter also protects the carvings from the normal weathering of wind and rain. The 
building is open for programs at scheduled times during the summer months, or by arrangement with 
the park naturalist during the rest of the year. By preserving the petroglyphs for future 
generations, maybe someday they can be interpreted correctly and we can learn more about Native 
Americans and the past.

[photo caption] Arthur Bailey, left, and Don Mulford, right, take a closer look at some of the 
thunder birds. The symbols were chalked so they could be seen more clearly. Thunderbirds seem to 
be the first and most easily noticed symbols by those who view the site.

By Tonja Green

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From Dreams To Reality

Spring Lake, located approximately 12 miles southwest of Kirksville, was constructed in the late 
forties by area businessmen. The Elm Creek was dammed to form the lake that today provides an easily 
accessible summer retreat to over 100 members.

The original idea for this lake was conceived in the summer of 1946 by Dr. Chester Attebery, 
Dr. Stedman Denslow, Ralph Shain, and Edgar Bigsby. This was not the first time that interest had 
been shown in a lake for Kirksville. Earlier attempts had failed because of the large amount of work 
that had to be done besides just the actual building of the lake. These four men felt strongly that 
the community needed a large body of water for recreation as well as relaxation and took it upon 
themselves to organize and promote the effort. Mrs. Luella Attebery remembers, "There were no water 
sports facilities around here at that time. That was before Forest Lake was built and before there 
was a swimming pool, so there was a real need for water sports and fishing, that sort of thing." 
The idea "was presented through the coffee shop, as most things in Kirksville are," recalls early 
member Ralph Shain. Dr. Attebery would also approach local service groups and spread the idea.

Dr. Attebery, in the first formal public announcement of the group, told the Rotary Club in 1947 the 
men's plans to build a 100-acre lake on 670 acres of land. As of that date in September, 1947, 55 
people had joined the informal organization and over $32,000 had been pledged. An estimate on the 
project was somewhere around $61,000: $13,000 for 550 acres of land and $48,000 for the dam. A small 
section of land was purchased from the Adair County Court. The other 120 acres the group acquired 
was not for sale, but it was put under a 99-year lease. To cover these expenses a $500 "donation" 
was paid by each prospective member, who was allowed a building lot 75 feet wide by 150 feet deep. 
If a person paid $1,000 he was entitled to a lot and a half or two standard lots.

With the project well underway, the men formed a corporation on September 24, 1947. Spring Lake, 
Inc. set up a board to oversee its activities. The first board consisted of Dr. Attebery, president; 
Edgar Bigsby, secretary; Charles Updyke, finance chairman; Ralph Shain, treasurer; Ray Gardner, 
Charles Truitt, Frank Neal, Joe Burdman, Chester Furnish, Kenneth Jacobs, and Walter Beard, Sr., 
members. Since the project was similar to the efforts of the Missouri Conservation Commission in that 
it would provide cover for wildlife and halt erosion and since it was locally funded, the board 
requested the assistance of the Commission. A provision in the by-laws that stated no one could 
profit from the lake and the lack of water in Northeast Missouri led the Commission to fully support 
the project.

[photo caption] This photo, taken prior to 1947, shows the topography of the area near Yarrow. The 
proposed lake is outlined in white.

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With the state's approval in hand, the men began to study maps and walk over land, looking for the 
best possible location. The Missouri Corps of Engineer s helped in the selection of the site. The 
possible sites were considered on the basis of the ability to be flooded, the willingness of the 
owners to sell, the cost of the land and construction, and the size of the watershed. The spot chosen 
was 12 miles southwest of Kirksville and one and one-half miles northeast of Yarrow. This area was 
seen as the most feasible because of the availability of low cost land, possibility of good fishing, 
possibility of cover and water for all kinds of wildlife, sites for cabins, and a beautiful scenic 
setting of timberland. The major disadvantage of this area was that the large watershed did not 
allow for ideal fish propagation and contributed to the high cost of construction. The group took 
options on the land and on October 17, 1947, the land was purchased. The majority of the 670 acres 
purchased was from A. E. Prather, Nobel White, Pearl MacDuffie, John Lockhart, and Ace Barton 
Lockhart.

Construction of the actual body of water began in 1948 with the removal of timber and brush. Harrison 
Boley was respon-sible for getting this timber out of the lake bottom. Many members of the 
corporation were also involved. The men accomplished this lengthy task by mid-summer through the 
use of axes and chain saws. Mr. Shain recalls, "This ran into quite a project. One time we were 
sitting on a pile of logs and there was a discussion on whether we should go ahead or quit. I 
remember that Walter Beard, Sr., said that he didn't want to hear any more quitting, that we were 
going ahead and build a lake. That was the last thought of anybody quitting and getting out." The 
men realized that if this effort fell by the wayside, it would be a long time before anybody tried 
again. With the creek bottom clear, it was now time for the corporation to look for bids on the 
construction of the lake and dam.

J. W. Shikles & Company, an engineering firm from St. Joseph, were the consulting engineers on the 
project. They along with engineers from the Missouri Conservation Commission, mapped out the shape 
the lake would take, calculated the amount of work, drew the specifications of the dam, and listed 
the materials needed for the project. The Shikles Company also oversaw all work done on the dam.

In July of 1948, proposal blanks, listing specifications for the construction of a dam, a spillway, 
and an access road, were made available to the public. Sealed bids were received until the beginning 
of August. Bids were received from Brookfield, Kansas City, and St. Joseph, but it was the Barker 
Young Construction Company of Macon that was contracted to do the work.

Construction began on August 23, 1948. The dam was approximately 365 feet high and 1,000 feet long. 
When the dam was completed, a road could be extended to the north side of the lake. The road was not 
completed at this time, but rather when it was needed to reach a lot located farther around the lake. 
Charles Truitt was the head of the committee that laid out the roads. Later, when the road extended 
to its present length, the board decided that the road should not reach completely around the lake 
to form a circle with Route N. This was due to the fact that the members did not want joyriders and 
Sunday drivers driving through the area and disturbing the tranquil atmosphere.

When it came time to assign the lots, a drawing was held.

The people who had purchased a $1,000 lot had the first choice. The rest of the people drew numbers 
to see in what or der they would choose. There was no one particular area that was chosen first. 
Different people had different ideas of what they wanted and which lot they wanted. When the layout 
of the lots was drawn, a second tier had been included. Once there was water in the lake, a lake front 
lot cost $625, while second tier lots remained the original $500. This upper tier was located on the 
opposite side of the road at various places around the lake. Only two of these lots were ever sold 
because the lake had already paid for itself and there was a desire to limit the number of members.

[photo caption] These pictures were taken in 1961 while the leak in the lake's dam was being repaired. 
The lake was drained to allow bulldozers onto the dry bottom to do the necessary dirt work. The empty 
lake exposed many tree stumps and gave members the chance to remove debris that could interfer with 
successful fishing.

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Once the lake had filled with water, the state fisheries stocked the lake with bass, channel cat, 
crappie, and bluegill. This was done under the condition that the corporation would encourage all 
members to purchase fishing licenses and require all guests to do so also. Grass carp were added 
later to combat the moss and algae problem.

Even though no cabins were built while the dam was being constructed, the members still utilized 
the area. "We would have picnics and barbeques during the summer," recalls Mrs. Attebery, "and when 
there was enough water, the men would go fishing."

Upon completion of the dam, cabins began to appear on various lots. In 1949, the Leo Blodgett family 
was the first to complete a cabin. Arnold Blodgett recalls there being no roads, "We had to park at 
the beach and boat across. Even when the roads were built, we couldn't always use them because 
sometimes they were impassable." Being the first owners of a cabin, the Blodgetts were very proud. 
"Dad even kept a guest book of everyone who came that first summer. They signed it, dated it, and 
wrote what they did."

A total of 27 cabins had been built by the winter of 1951. Some of the other early residences included 
the families of C. L. Attebery, J. S. Denslow, Edgar Bigsby, Ralph Shain, Ralph Sees, Walter Beard, 
and Tom Eichorn. Mr. Eichorn bought the old farmhouse that was on the creek bottom and had it moved 
to his lot. This building is now incorporated in the Martha Gooch residence.

In the spring of 1952, a leak developed in the southeast corner of the dam. Studies were run and 
it was concluded that small holes in the clay deposits were responsible for the leakage. The leak 
was repaired by pumping intrusion grout into the gap between the cap rock and the bedrock. It was 
not known if the leak was stopped, but people thought that the south bank joining the dam had been 
saved.

In 1960 the leak started again. This time a full-fledged repair was planned by the corporation. In 
order to do this, the lake had to be drained, allowing the engineers to fix the leak from the 
inside out. The lake was drained by cutting slots in the dam.

[photo caption] Legend has it that this tree, located at the entrance to Spring Lake, is an Indian 
thong tree. The tree, which is thought to have pointed towards a trail, has become so dear to the 
members of Spring Lake that much effort was spent in saving it from chemical poisoning last summer.

Tamped clay, concrete, and grouting were placed in the crack once it had been revealed, approximately 
15 to 20 feet below the surface. Repairing the leak took close to a month and, with the melting of 
the winter snows, the lake was ready to re-open the next spring. It was thought that the leak could 
have been prevented, had the proper tubes been placed in the dam when it was built, but a lack of 
funds had prevented this from occurring.

[photo caption] Of the 54 cabins on Spring Lake in 1955, this was one of the first to be built. It 
was constructed by Dr. Hugh A. Schuetz in 1951. This cabin which was built on the north side of the 
lake, now belongs to David Blickhan.

[photo caption] This cabin, one of the largest on the lake today, was built by Ray P. Gardner in 
the early 1950s. Shown here in 1955, it was the first to be constructed on three levels.

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In the early '50s the corporation received an anonymous $1,000 donation to build a beach-swim area. 
Before this, the corporation planned to build and maintain a beach area by a "family fee" that was 
charged to the members, not exceeding $5. Today, the swimming beach is open only to members and 
their guests.

Many improvements, including rural water, electricity, and telephones were made through the years. 
It was decided in the early 1980s that the life expectancy of the lake would decline unless the silt 
that had drained into the lake was removed. An extensive project was put into motion, and the 
corporation rented machinery to dredge the lake. This project took the majority of the summer of 
1982 with hired men, some of whom were members of Spring Lake, taking turns running the dredge 20 
hours a day. Thousands of cubic yards of silt were extracted and pumped into silt reservoirs and 
Sugar Creek. As a result of this effort, the life of the lake was lengthened by more than 20 years.

The lake has seen much more activity on the water over the last few years partly due to the fact 
that the dredging widened the coves and made the lake cleaner and deeper. The board also moved the 
horsepower limit to 60 horsepower which made water skiing easier. Each year the members hold two 
clean-up days/picnics, and on the Fourth of July they also gather for a brilliant fireworks display.

Through the years the lake has provided many people with a year-round home, as well as summer 
enjoyment. Although Spring Lake has been modernized by speedboats, water skiers, satellite dishes, 
and luxurious homes, the area still retains it original intent as a family-oriented recreation 
facility. "It really has been very nice," said Mrs. Attebery. "Those of us that have known it for 
a long time are real proud of it."

By Mike Whitney and John Hill

[photo caption] During the summer of 1968, the 20th year of the lake's existence, boats could be 
seen gliding across the water with motors limited to 18 horsepower. The original by-laws stated 
that motors could not exceed 3 horsepower and today that limit is 60.

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FOR THEIR HOMELANDS

In the early 1830s, troubles stemming from the Black Hawk War were appearing near Kirksville. As a 
result two stockades were built: Fort Matson, which was built on the land across from the present-day 
Madison Church and Cemetery, and Fort Clark, which stood on Camp Collett east of Novinger. A force 
of around 500 Indians from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and northern Missouri began to threaten new 
settlements in this area. Sauk chief, Black Hawk, led the unsuccessful battles, which became the 
last Indian war in this part of the country.

Chief Black Hawk was born in 1767. Known in his native tongue as Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, he 
became a minor chief of his tribe in 1788 at the age of 21. From this time forward, he struggled 
with the westward movement of the white man. A few days after the last battle of the war, Black Hawk 
was captured and taken as a hostage to Washington, D.C., to meet President Andrew Jackson. Black Hawk 
died on October 31, 1838, on the Sauk Reservation near Des Moines, Iowa.

The dispute named for the Sauk chief was over land located near Rock Island, Illinois, on which the 
Sauk and Fox Indians had lived for years. In 1804, a contract was signed by Keokuk, self-designated 
chief of the tribe, in which the Indians sold their homelands for $500 a year for 10 years. In 
return the Indians could live on the now government land until it was sold to white settlers moving 
into the area.

Although given monetary compensation, many of the tribal members did not accept this agreement. Black 
Hawk was one of them. He declared that the chiefs who signed the document were intoxicated and the 
liquor was provided by the whites involved in the deal. According to Westward Expansion, a textbook 
by Ray Billington, Black Hawk's "hatred of Americans transcended his good judgment" when he and his 
followers continued to live on the land.

Westward Expansion continues to state that authorities in Illinois decided that the "peaceful natives 
endangered the frontier." Governor Reynolds of Illinois sent the state militia to drive the Indians 
off the land and out of the state. Seeing the danger for his tribe, Black Hawk called a truce. A new 
treaty was created, stating that the Indians would cross the Mississippi River from Rock Island. 
They also promised to never re-cross back into Illinois.

[photo caption] This bronze plaque, donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution, is mounted 
on the boulder designating the approximate area where Fort Matson was located. In the background is 
Fort Madison Cemetery. (Photo courtesy of Dr. David D. March)

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After spending a horrible winter in Iowa in which they had little food or shelter, Black Hawk made 
a decision to return to the land he had surrendered. Breaking the treaty, he led approximately 
1,000 tribesmen, including many women and children, across the Mississippi near the mouth of the 
Rock River in 1832. He planned on peacefully returning to his former lands and planting crops 
with his people. As Black Hawk crossed near a fort on the Rock River, his group was shot at by 
soldiers who saw this as an aggressive movement. Black Hawk and his people continued to move in 
hopes of returning to their homelands; however, it was no longer by peaceful means.

The last confrontation of the war was at the Bad Axe River in Wisconsin. Black Hawk's band of Fox 
and Sauk Indians were trying to cross the river. A group of around 1,300 vengeful Americans 
trapped them against the steamship Warrior. Westward Expansion reported only 150 men, women, and 
children that started the trip to the Rock River Valley three months before were alive after the 
Bad Axe Massacre: "It was one of the bloodiest tragedies in the sad history of American-Indian 
relations."

The Black Hawk War was short-lived, lasting throughout the summer of 1832. Before the conflict 
ended, two frontier forts were established in Adair County in preparation for the impending Indian 
uprising.

One of the forts, Fort Clark, was located at what has been called Camp Collett, the Gordon Collett 
farm south of Highway 6 and east of Novinger. It stood on high ground overlooking the Chariton 
River from the east. Inside the fort, there were three blockhouses that served as quarters for the 
military detachment that patrolled the area and for worried settlers that lived nearby. The fort 
stood idle for many years but later, the Collett family used the remaining structure as a stable 
for their horses. A bronze plaque donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution can now be 
seen in the area where the fort stood. It is mounted on a huge boulder furnished by Ira Collett 
in 1925.

The other fort built in this time period for the purpose of local protection was Fort Matson. Named 
after its commanding officer, it is found two miles east of an unmarked gravel road off U.S. 63, 
one mile north of Sublette. Currently, the Madison Church and Cemetery is across the road from 
where the fort stood Captain Richard Matson came to Adair County in 1832 from Ralls County. The 
fort consisted of a stockade, a brush shed for horses and a separate log building used for general 
storage as well as for storing the company's magazine gun. A palisade, a high fence of stakes used 
for defense, surrounded a blockhouse. The company stayed the winter before returning to their homes 
or other military duties. According to Marlow Ediger, who owns the 45 acres on which the fort was 
built, "It seems to me like maybe, the fort could have been there where that hill is located," the 
hill across from the church. Like Fort Clark, the land is marked with a bronze plaque on a large 
boulder donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Although the Indians were not successful in their campaign, the Black Hawk War was the last Indian 
uprising in this area. 

[photo caption] This large boulder, located near Novinger on the Gordon Collett farm, marks the 
approximate site of Fort Clark. The plaque was donated in 1925 and Ira Collett had it mounted on 
the large boulder shown. (Photo courtesy of Dr. David D. March)

By Kimberly Baker

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Beyond the Midway

Beautiful queen contestants! Exciting livestock shows! Thrilling carnival rides! Home economics 
masterpieces created by local hands! Each of these is a piece of the patchwork known today as the 
Northeast Missouri District Fair.

The Adair County Agricultural and Mechanical Association sponsored the first Adair County Fair in 
1866. Held on land a quarter-mile southwest of Kirksville on present-day Boundary Street, this 
first fair featured a soldiers' reunion where the 1862 Civil War Battle of Kirksville was re-enacted. 
Annual fairs were held there until 1882 or 1883. In 1889, the Adair County Fair Association was 
organized. This organization sponsored fairs each fall until 1896.

In 1934, the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce held a one-day Harvest Festival on the Kirksville 
square. Because of the success of this festival, the location of the fair moved to Stickler's 
Softball Park east of the city, and it became a two-day

[photo caption] Owned by the NEMO Fair Association, this sale bam was located where the Town Pump 
in Pamida's parking lot is today. It was the site of many 4-H and FFA livestock sales and weekly 
community sales. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Donna Stribling)

[illustration caption] Art work courtesy of Steve Wheeler

By Tonya Eichor and Shelly Hoffman

event. Re-named the Adair County Harvest Festival, this fair was held until 1946. According to the 
Kirksville Daily Express, the Northeast Missouri Fair Association was organized when "a group of 
forward thinking people, headed by Joe Burdman" was able to acquire a 100-acre tract of land north 
of the city limits. Fair stock was sold to finance the organization and to purchase the grounds. 
Johnny Pack, a member of the Trailrider's

[photo caption] Owned by the NEMO Fair Association, this sale barn was located where the Town Pump 
in Pamida's parking lot is today. It was the site of many 4-H and FFA livestock sales and weekly 
community sales. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Donna Stribling)

[photo caption] Standing in front of the old, covered grandstand overlooking the half-mile track, 
these 4-H'ers are enjoying the "Gay Nineties" day at the 1961 fair. (Photo courtesy of Fairview 
4-H Club)

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Association and supporter of the fair, stated, "In 1947, we all bought shares for the opening of 
the fair to help promote the fair and it's just started from there." The first association was 
established with 13 board members. Eight of the members were farmers and five were Kirksville 
townspeople. Some of the first board members included Sherman Eitel, Joe Burdman, Howard Rolston, 
and Ray Updyke. Years later, Mexico, Missouri, decided that it could not support the district fair 
anymore, and Kirksville became the site of the event. The district includes counties as far south as 
St. Charles and as far west as Putnam County. To the north and east are the state borders. Other 
than a change in name to the Northeast Missouri District Fair, the same fair association exists today, 
and fairs are still held in the same location, although the area of the fairgrounds has been reduced 
to 50 acres through sales to the Gibson Corporation, the University of Missouri Adair County Extension 
Center, and a housing development. With money from these sales, the water lines were laid in 1954, 
the sewer lines were added in 1962, and the existing grandstand was built in 1964. Before the water 
lines were laid, wells on the grounds furnished water for fair attenders.

In 1947, the first Northeast Missouri Fair was held. Despite the fact that the first fairs lasted 
only four days, its estimated attendance was 40,000 people. Events included livestock shows, horse 
and harness horse racing, professional entertainment, a carnival, exhibits, and Fair Band performances.

For many years, a parade marked the grand opening of the fair. Led by 50 or more mounted Trailriders, 
the Fair Band played from their vast repertoire of marches.

Under the direction of the late Homer Clough, the Fair Band played before grandstand events each 
night. The band members were volunteers from the community. Jack Weber, a long-time Kirksville High 
School band instructor, stated, "When the Fair Band broke up, they gave all their instruments and 
equipment to the high school. We still have some of it." After this group disbanded, the Northeast 
Missouri State College band continued to perform at the fair with Tom Duden as the director. After 
he left this position in 1979, the band no longer performed at the fair.

One time-honored tradition of the NEMO Fair is the queen

[photo caption] Despite the fact that the number of contestants has dwindled between the years 1968 
to 1988, the contest to crown "The Fairest of the Fair" signals that the opening day has arrived.

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contest. "The Fairest of the Fair" has attracted as many as 20 to 30 entrants from Adair County, 
including students from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College. Approximately one month before 
the contest, all of the contestants were introduced to the public at the Kennedy Theatre. A silent 
committee composed of various community members selected approximately five of the entrants for the 
final competition. These finalists were judged by the people at the fair on beauty, poise, 
personality, and talent. The contestants were introduced at the grandstand events during the first 
two nights of the fair and all fair visitors were allowed to vote for the queen, who was crowned on 
the second night. Since 1983, the fair queen contestants must be a past or present member of 4-H or 
Future Farmers of America. The numbers of entrants has dropped to less than 10 in the past few years. 
Two or three judges choose the queen based on the same qualities those outlined at the early fairs 
with the exception of talent. In 1987, this competition was replaced by a speech.

Another fair tradition that has always been an important part is the livestock shows. In the past, 
there were many classes of livestock: open classes for every breed of livestock, as well as 4-H and 
FFA classes. Today, the open classes are much smaller. Before 1957, when the present-day barns were 
built, exhibitors tied their animals under large tents. At judging time, the cattle exhibitors parked 
their vehicles to form a show ring west of the tents. The cattle were shown there until the big pole 
barn was built. The hogs and sheep, which were kept in pens under the tents, were shown in an arena 
in the middle of their tent. Today, the cattle are shown in the 4-H and FFA Rotary barn, and the 
sheep and swine are shown in the #2 Rotary barn.

Sales of the 4-H and FFA animals are also tradition bound. Sheep and swine have always been sold 
during the fair. Today, they are sold in one of the Rotary barns following a Chamber of Commerce 
lamb and pork dinner for the buyers and the community. "The group that comes up and cooks for the 
Chamber really has a good time and enjoys it. We've got the same core group up there every year. 
They really enjoy being up there, and they know everybody," said Bill Baiotto, past president of 
the fair association. In the past, the sheep and swine sale took place in the sale barn located on 
the property. The steer sale took place a month later after the fair at this sale barn, which was 
also used for community livestock sales every week until the grounds with the barn were sold to the 
Gibson Corporation in 1970. Since that time, the cattle are sold at the Kirksville Livestock Market 
in September.

Attendance was high as crowds packed the grandstand to watch horse and harness racing, and pony 
shows. The local men of the Kirksville area brought their farm horses and raced each other between 
heats of the harness racing. When the fair began, harness racing was supported by the community. 
Businesses closed early in the afternoon on days of harness racing, giving the employees time to 
attend the races. The harness races were held at 1:30 p.m. at the old, covered grandstand. When the 
present-day grandstand was built in 1964, the harness races were moved to 5:30 p.m. because the new 
grandstand was not covered, and the people did not want to sit in the sun. Professional racers came 
from many towns in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri to compete in the races. Approximately 12 horse and 
buggies competed in each heat, and the winners of the races received cash prizes, C.R. Updyke was a 
major supporter of the harness racing. With his death, harness racing slowly died out.

The pony shows also brought a large crowd to the fair. The pony shows were Society Horse Shows and 
were run by an independent organization, Kathy Cleaver, a former contestant, said, "This was a major 
horse show area. I had a pony that I showed that was undefeated in the Missouri and Iowa circuit." 
The equine events utilized the half-mile track, starting gate, judges, and timers.

[photo caption] The construction of these barns in 1957 was financed by the Kirksville Rotary Club. 
Labor was supplied by members of the club and local 4-H'ers.

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[photo caption] Fair board and Trailraider members in 1950 were front row, left to right: Dean 
Davison, Johnny Pack, Vivian Carry, W O Mackie, Nelson Daniels, Summer Davis, and Bill Findling. 
Middle row: Boyd Brown, Homer Collop, Frank Eitel, Earl Rogers, Marilyn Cowinger, Martha Dykster, 
Norvell Allen, and John Miller. Back row: Raymond Conner, Sherman Eitel, Myron Propst, Harry 
Salsberry, Paul Sellers, and Grover Morris.

Two stables were built during 1946 and 1947 on the north end of the fairgrounds to house the horses 
during the fair. Although horses and harness racing have not been a part of the fair since 1982, the 
stables are still used by KCOM and NMSU students who bring their horses to Kirksville.

In the late 1950s, stock car races and demolition derbies entertained crowds and bolstered 
attendance. As a result, a quarter-mile track was built within the half-mile track. Although both 
events have been an attraction of recent fairs, they are diminishing in popularity.

One of the long-running grandstand events was the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show. This show included car 
jumping ramps, driving around on two wheels, and performing other stunts. With rising insurance 
costs, this event became unprofitable and was discontinued.

The carnival was, and still is, a main attraction at the fair. The carnival once covered an area 
from Route P to the north end of the commercial quonset hut. According to the Kirksville Daily 
Express, "The carnival, usually a good spread of tents by itself, was almost lost in the blooming 
canvas city." Today the carnival sets up on a smaller area from Easter's Food Store to the north 
end of the commercial quonset hut.

West of the grandstand is a low, seemingly innocuous building. The home economics building houses 
works of art for every household. The building is filled with items from 4-H and open show exhibits. 
Awards are given to the top entries in floriculture, foods, clothing, crafts, electricity, 
woodworking, and horticulture.

[photo caption] The Green Grove 4-H Club built this entry for the float competition at Youth Day 
during the 1961 fair. (Slide courtesy of Mrs. Judy Kittle, reproduced as a print by Paul Wohlfeil)

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[photo caption] Although harness races are no longer held at the fair, the horse stables are still 
in use. NMSU and KCOM students, and others rent stalls from the NEMO Fair Association to house 
their horses and mules.

Other features at the fair have been a Red Cross tent manned by a doctor and nurse along with 
assistants from the Kirksville Senior High School. A rest center was provided for all fair attenders 
who were hot or who just wanted to rest. Firefighters were on hand with their equipment in case of 
emergency. Today none of these facilities or services are in existence.

A night for many of the 4-H and FFA members was spending the night at the fair. The boys slept in 
the vehicles or outside while the girls stayed in the barn lofts with their parents. According to 
Bob Jackson, long-time fair attender, water fights were one of his most memorable moments as a young 
4-H member staying all night at the fair. Many 4-H and FFA members still enjoy having water fights 
today.

Another fun activity for the 4-H'ers has been Youth Day. Following a Grand March of 4-H members and 
club floats, all 4-H clubs participated in such events as obstacle courses, water relays, watermelon 
eating contests, whistling after eating crackers, and egg tosses. The winners of the events 
received ribbons.

For many years a Grand Parade was held at the end of the fair and all the showmen brought their 
animals to the half-mile track in front of the grandstand. At this time, the winners of the shows 
were presented with trophies. Swine were not taken in front of the grandstand since they were hard 
to control.

Recently, to commemorate two past presidents of the NEMO Fair Board, the Elmer Williams Adair County 
Youth Award and the Roy E. Jackson Memorial District 4-H Award have been established as annual 
awards. These awards are given to 4-H and FFA members who have shown good sportsmanship throughout 
the fair. The Elmer Williams Award promotes courtesy, enthusiasm, and quality exhibits. The Roy E. 
Jackson Award promotes courtesy, enthusiasm, friendliness, and the ability to do the best with 
what is available. Each of these awards is presented at the conclusion of the fair.

There are many people who have enjoyed the fair as they were growing up. Harold Propst, a past fair 
board member, said, "It was a good thing for Kirksville." Mr. Baiotto stated, "I enjoy working at 
the fair. I don't know what the answer is to the whole project. We've got an expensive piece of 
ground and everybody says we ought to be doing anything but having a fair out there." Mr. Jackson 
believes, "Our society is just getting too mobile. It used to be that the only time I saw a friend 
from Novinger was at the fair. Now if I want to see someone, I just get in the car and go. But I 
think that the fair is going to come back around."

Whatever the problem, or whatever the solution, what the Kirksville Daily Express once called "the 
biggest community enterprise of the year" is no longer drawing the people it once had. Previously, 
the counties strongly supported the Northeast Missouri District Fair; however, this support has 
been continuously decreasing.

[photo caption] Stunts, such as cars flying through the air, awed spectators at the Joie Chitwood 
Thrill Show.

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Scenes from the Past

Originally the NMSU Red Barn, pictured above, was not red, but white. Built in the early 1900s, south 
of where Pershing Arena is now located, the barn, shown in the two bottom photos, was part of the 
agricultural curriculum at the school under the administration of Dean John R. Kirk. It was used as 
a dairy barn, where students actually processed and sold milk to Kirksville's residents. The barn's 
floor is made of a rubberized-type tile to make it easy to clean. Cattle stalls run along the west 
side of the building. The barn contains an open area for storing machinery, a tack room, and on 
the second floor, a large hay loft, shown in the top center photo.

Used only for storage, top right photo, the barn sat idle after the model dairy barn program was 
discontinued in the late 1920s due to depression budget cuts by Dean Eugene Fair. However, in 1971 
Dean Charles C. Campbell developed a plan to renovate the barn into an "antiquated, red barn 
theater" and art gallery. Although his dream never became a reality due to the expense of converting 
the building into a theater, it was painted red and the two and one-half acres around it were 
developed into a park.

In 1972 the barn returned to agricultural use for approximately one year by housing Hal's Prince, a 
Tennessee Walking Horse used experimentally by the university to train law enforcement majors and 
the honor guard in the use of a mounted patrol. Hal's Prince was also used at football games by the 
NMSU Safety and Security for directing traffic.

The Red Barn Arts League began holding an Arts and Crafts Festival annually in the Red Barn Park in 
1974 until the event was moved to the downtown area in 1977. The fate of the Barn was in jeopardy 
during the construction of the natatorium in 1975. The administration feared that the barn would 
not complement the new landscaping and would have to be torn down. However, a campaign by the Red 
Barn Arts League saved the barn although the interior, which the League wanted made into an "art 
center and a gallery," was not renovated due to the expense of installing utilities so that the 
barn could be used during the winter months.

Today, the park is a setting for summer programs such as band camps and art classes and the barn 
is used for storage. Although the Barn seems out of place, it remains a decorative, integral 
landmark for NMSU students and the citizens of Kirksville.

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Photos courtesy of Pickler Memorial Library

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In Remembrance Of The "Ice King"

James B. Bowcock, known as the "Ice King," was a legend in his own time and as one citizen put 
it, "an end of an era." As the only ice dealer in the Kirksville area for more than half a century, 
he is remembered for his jovial, witty personality and his friendliness to everyone. He is also 
remembered for his park, which still remains in the northwest part of Kirksville near Woodland 
Village Trailer Court, in which he planted a catalpa tree for each serviceman killed from Adair 
County during World War I.

James Baynes Bowcock was born the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bowcock from Randolph County on June 
12, 1867. He was born in a cabin west of Kirksville and received little education.

Mr. Bowcock loved to tell stories. In 1925 he considered writing a history of Kirksville. He 
discussed this with many of his friends downtown and jokingly, they encouraged him, Mr. Bowcock 
went to see Charles Link of the Journal Printing Company to inquire about printing the book for 
him. Mr. Link questioned Mr. Bowcock's ability to pay for the book as well as being able to sell 
it. Mayor Az Stookey and Banker Carl Magee agreed to sponsor this project up to $100. Mr. Magee 
allowed Mr. Bowcock the use of a bank stenographer and Jim dictated his story to her. The 24-page 
book was a mixture of his own recollections, characterizations, and philosophy. Mr. Bowcock sold his 
book for a dollar a copy. His sponsors were amazed that all the copies were quickly sold. Making a 
profit of approximately one hundred dollars, Mr. Bowcock inquired into a second printing but did 
not gain further support from his backers.

Mr. Bowcock's first wife was Lida Wimber whom he married on May 11, 1886. They had three children: 
May, Hyla, and Helen. In his book, A History of Kirksville, Mr. Bowcock wrote, "I raised three 
daughters, May Dollard, now living in Mare's Island where her husband is a physician for the 
government. Hyla, wife of Zara South who lives in Los Angeles, California and Helen, a nurse in 
Tucson, Arizona." After the death of his first wife, Mr. Bowcock married Mrs. Emma C. Beardsley in 
1914. After her death, he married Mrs. Stella Eitel, who survived him. Jim Bowcock lived at 516 East 
Illinois Street most of his life.

James Bowcock was liked by everyone, especially children. It was not unusual to see his horse-drawn 
buggy followed by children seeking a free piece of ice. According to the Kirksville Daily Express, 
Mr. Bowcock once recalled, "I used to take a 20 pound piece (of ice) and cut it into 20 pieces and 
give the kids. When I got down to one of the saloons I just took that 20 pounds of the 100 the saloon 
was supposed to get and charge them for it." Bob Rothchild of San Leondro, California, formerly of 
Kirksville, wrote a letter to the editor of the Kirksville Daily Express saying that James Bowcock 
was a "town character."

After being a drayman, Jim Bowcock worked in a creamery in the mid-1880s where he handled a 
considerable amount of ice which kept ice cream and butter fresh. Recognizing the need for an 
ice wagon in Kirksville, he got the idea to start his own ice business. According to the Kirksville 
Daily Express, Mr. Bowcock recalled, "One day it dawned on me, that if I could save up enough money 
to get started the ice business looked like a good opportunity." The old Porter ice house, as well 
as a pond owned by John L. Porter, was available for $350 annual rent and was located "near circus 
grounds," in the area

[photo caption] James B. Bowcock is shown here with his faithful companion, Rover, who followed him 
everywhere he went.

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near Elizabeth and Luther streets. He saved $120 and a friend loaned him the additional $230. He 
filled the house with ice, unconcerned about the previous attempts by four others who had gone 
broke. He eventually obtained a five-acre tract in the northwestern part of Kirksville, dug a pond, 
and constructed his own ice house.

The "Ice King" cut the ice from his newly dug pond as well as several other ponds around town. The 
owner of the pond usually received a commission of 10 to 15 cents a ton for his ice. Jim Bowcock and 
his employees used large saws to cut the ice into 18 by 18 inch squares. The thickness of the ice was 
determined by the winter, usually being the thickest by the first of February; it might be as much as 
24 inches, but usually only 12 to 18. Some winters the ice was only six inches thick. Mr. Bowcock's 
pond served for many years as a barometer of winter severity. He made daily reports on the thickness 
of the ice on it. This pond, although polluted by the salt run-off from streets, still exists. After 
the ice was cut, it was hauled out on the bank and then transported by sled or dray, a low cart or 
wagon without fixed sides used for carrying heavy loads, to Mr. Bowcock's ice house. The ice was kept 
cold by surrounding it with sawdust. Blocks of ice were placed throughout the building and then 
covered with three inches of sawdust. Ice was stacked on top of this, then covered with more sawdust, 
and this method was repeated until the building was filled. More sawdust was pushed around the sides 
to further insulate the ice against the warming sun.

Around the first of April the "Ice King" started delivering the ice to his customers. Some of his 
customers included stores, taverns, meat markets, and almost every merchant. Most of his business 
came from restaurants. Mr. Bowcock soon launched a successful business, and being the only delivering 
ice man in the area, dubbed himself the "Ice King." According to the Kirksville Daily Express, 
Mr. Bowcock once related, "The most money I ever made was when I had 4 or 5 saloons to supply with 
ice and 100 private homes. One year I made $1800. It was hot and dry and I had that big ice house 
full and I shot the price up to 50 cents a hundred." Jim Bowcock delivered his ice with horse and 
buggy throughout his entire career. Mr. Rothchild remembered seeing Jim Bowcock and faithful companion 
Rover riding the horse-drawn ice wagon under a striped umbrella. Mr. Bowcock once drove a Ford 
automobile but abandoned his car after driving it a few blocks and returned to his horse and buggy. 
According to Rudolph Tomich, who with his wife owns what was formerly Mr. Bowcock's land, remembers 
that Mr. Bowcock called his aged nag by the phrase "Nancy Hanks 22 years old," and he was also usually 
accompanied by his shaggy old dog Rover. Occasionally, according to Mrs. Margaret Tomich, whose parents 
had ice delivered by the "Ice King," his wife also accompanied him. Mr. Bowcock gave up his business 
in 1938.

What Jim Bowcock is remembered for today is his dedication of a park to the servicemen who lost their 
lives in World War I. Mr. Bowcock planted a grove of trees at his home shortly after the World War 
as a memorial to Adair County servicemen who gave their lives in the war and he took great pride in 
the park's development. Jim Bowcock planted a catalpa tree for each serviceman killed, about 35, and 
most of these trees still stand after more than 70 years. Mr. Bowcock wrote in his book, "On my 
five acres one mile northwest of the square, when Company C went to war I bought one hundred 
catalpa trees. I lost twenty. I told my wife I was going to have me a park. But my intentions when 
I put them out was to have a tree named for each boy that was killed. So thirty-five never came 
back, each boy has a brass tag and a copper wire stuck in the ground and his name on the tag. I 
have a picture eight inches by five inches with each boy's picture and the hospital in which he 
was treated. The frame that they are in is four feet by three feet, bolted on two parts, and boxed 
in with white pine and plated glass. There are two doors to open it. The thirty-five pictures cost 
the government $350,000.00, $10,000.00 for each boy." These artifacts no longer exist. Catalpa 
trees are said to be one of the most 

[photo caption] This large, granite rock with the initials "CO C" was part of the monument Jim 
Bowcock created for the men of Company C, those Adair Countians who had left to fight in 
World War I.

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beautiful, flowering trees with their lovely white blooms, but according to Mrs. Tomich, many of 
the trees have been damaged by catalpa worms. The park is located north of Walker Street near 
Woodland Village Trailer Court. Decades of neglect have made this park overgrown with brush. 
Various organizations have begun discussing the possibility of renovating Bowcock Park.

Jim Bowcock died September 22, 1940, at age 73 of a paralytic stroke, leaving us with his sweet 
memories. The "Ice King" is buried in Llewellyn Cemetery.

By Susan Cooper

[photo caption] Many people do not realize that the unkept grove of trees located near Woodland 
Village Trailer Park, in the northwest part of town, was dedicated to the Adair County soldiers 
who lost their lives in World War I.

[photo caption] Mr. Bowcock used to cut ice from this pond in the winter. For many years, he 
indicated the harshness of winter by the thickness of his ice.

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[photo caption] Billy Joe Gordon, Clifford Snyder, Alfred Sizemore, and J.D. Sizemore stand on the 
truck while Allen Myers oversees a bulldozer loading logs onto the truck.

CUT 'em UP and SHIP 'em OUT

By Clint Myers

"Maple and walnut is what we specialize in." These were two types of wood that the Myers Brothers 
Lumber Company sent to furniture manufacturers throughout the United States. Myers Brothers Lumber 
Company was put into operation by Ray and Allen Myers in the early 1940s, The sawmill, located on 
Route 11 West, prepared the rough-cut green lumber into slabs which were used mainly for making 
furniture The company went out of business in 1976.

The entrepreneurs of this business had worked in the lumber business all their lives Ray and Allen 
Myers entered into this type of business to carry on the tradition of their father, Leo Myers. The 
enormous competition in this market at that time was another factor. Furniture manufacturers wanted 
lumber and Myers Brothers had it to sell.

Myers Brothers Lumber Company began operation in Winterset, Iowa, in the early 1940s where they made 
gun stocks for the M-l rifle which was used during World War II. Then, in the late 1950s, they opened 
in Louisiana, Missouri, where they stayed until they felt that the best lumber was exhausted. In 
1965 they moved again, this time to Brashear. In 1971 the mill burned and Myers Brothers Lumber 
came to Kirksville.

The sawmill employed ten people throughout their business period. The sawmill hired the people that 
no one else would, for example the ex-convict and the person who could not read or write. Gary 
Myers remembered his dad Ray always saying, "We didn't care what their background was as long as 
they gave us a day's work, we would give them a day's pay." He added,

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"We need somebody with a strong back."

When the logs were being cut into slabs, the sawyer would many times find various items that had 
become part of the tree. For example, he found rocks that had been set in a knot hole or on a branch 
and the tree had grown around them. He also found nails, glass bottles, and once a raccoon trap was 
found in a tree. These were both interesting and dangerous to find because if the saw would hit 
the objects, the saw teeth would break and be thrown around the working area like sharp razors. 
Being in the lumber business was dangerous; accidents could and did happen. One employee was hit in 
the eye by a piece of flying wood from the saw and another man lost all of his fingers on one hand 
while oiling the edger.

Myers Brothers received approximately $150 per thousand feet of maple and $300 to $500 per thousand 
feet of walnut. A load of lumber at that time would go for about $3,000. People in the area could 
buy slab lumber for a dollar a pick-up load. One year they gave the state sawdust when the state 
ran out of salt to put on the slick roads. The company produced two million board feet per year for 
furniture manufacturers. The mill dealt mainly with the Delkar Brother s in Anderson, Kentucky; 
Singer Sewing Machine in Truman, Arkansas; and a company in Napanee, Indiana. Myers Brothers not 
only shipped lumber in the United States but sold to Japan and Germany. "The sawmill was a great 
asset to Kirksville and the state of Missouri, contributing $600,000 to $1 million a year into the 
town of Kirksville and the state," Allen Myers said. During the recession of the mid-1970s, three 
manufacturers filed bankruptcy. Unable to collect payments, the mill closed in 1976.

In order for the mill to be able to ship the lumber, they first had to make the logs into slabs. 
The logs were brought in by farmers and professional loggers from a 50-mile radius of Kirksville 
and were stored on the grounds, "the yard," as the brothers called it. The logs were measured and 
afterwards put on the carriage and sent down the line to the sawyer who cut the logs into slab 
lumber. The slabs were eight inches wide 

[photo caption] Slab lumber, cut by Myers Brothers Lumber Co., is on its way to the final destination, 
the furniture manufacturer.

[photo caption] C.H. Corum, Allen Myers, and Ray Myers of the Myers Brothers Lumber Company check 
the 56 to 60 miles of cottonwood and maple that floated down the Mississippi River to the mill at 
Louisiana, Missouri, in 1953.

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[photo caption] Logs waiting in "the yard" at the mill located on Highway 11 West. The mill went 
out of business in 1976.

and six to twelve feet long. The slabs would go to the edgerman who would smooth the rough edges. 
The slabs would then be lifted from the carriage, stacked, steel-banded, and loaded by forklift 
or highlift onto a truck. The equipment used to shape the logs into lumber slabs was a circle saw 
that had to be sharpened twice a day, the edger which smoothed the rough edges of the logs, and a 
forklift which placed the finished slabs on the truck. Allen Myers recalled, "When we started out 
we had to do it by hand, just a board at a time. It would take about two and a half hours to load 
a truck, but then later we got a highlift and loaded it in 20 minutes." 

Myers Brothers dealt with four main grades of lumber. The top grade logs were called veneer, which 
was the prime or select log. Next was the common log. The two lower grades were the number one 
common and the number two common, which was a "rough" log. The lumber from the mill went to the 
making of many items such as furniture, water skies, and gun stocks.

The lumber company had two buildings on the lot, a trailer for the office, and a metal machine shop 
that was used as the working place where all the machinery was kept. Now, there is no building or 
any other sign left as a reminder of the mill, only an empty lot with mounds of sawdust. After the 
mill closed in 1976, each partner went on his own way. Ray Myers continued to operate sawmills for 
different people and Allen Myers

[photo caption] Myers Brothers Lumber Company not only sold and shipped lumber in the United States 
but also to foreign countries. These logs were sold to a Japanese company in 1970.

[photo caption] Leo Myers with his son, Ray.

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bought and sold lumber for various lumber companies. Ray retired in 1988 and passed away that same 
year. Allen is still in the business and buys lumber on consignment. Today a load of lumber sells 
for about $5,000 to $7,000 and there are very few small sawmills left. Like the corner grocery 
store, their place has been taken by the large corporations.

[photo caption] Many stacks of soft maple sit in the yard until ready to be loaded onto a truck.

[photo caption] In 1956 Ray and Allen Myers posed in front of their mother's house in Kirksville. 
Ray retired from the lumber business in 1988 and passed away that same year. Allen still buys and 
sells lumber for a company in Texas.

[photo caption] Ray Myers with his driver Cliff Snyder.

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Elaine's DINING ROOM

Elaine Curtis became a working woman in 1952 after she was forced into employment due to unfortunate 
circumstances on the family farm. Mrs. Curtis worked as a waitress at Hartzell's Supper Club, 
located west on Northtown Road. After a few years she was hired as a waitress by Cleo Mendenhall, 
the owner of the Colonial Manor. Elaine Curtis became manager in 1954, the same year she was hired, 
due to the death of Mr. Mendenhall. Mrs. Curtis received a proposal from Raymond Newcum and W.O. 
Mackie that they would build the type of building she wanted if she would open a restaurant on the 
site. Mrs. Curtis accepted the offer.

In an advertisement in the September 15, 1957, edition of the Kirksville Daily Express, Mrs. Curtis 
gave a description of the dining room: "We want you to come see our beautiful New Dining Rooms, 
Modem Stainless Steel Kitchen and New Platinum Walnut Chrome and Ebony Furniture. Visitors are 
welcome to see our new building. No cooking in the new building until Monday. Meals will be served 
at Colonial Manor Dining Room on Sunday and we will start serving in our new dining room on Monday, 
Sept. 16. We will use similar Menu and our Price Policy for meals, coffee hour and after show snacks 
that have proved to be so popular in the past. We greatly appreciate the wonderful business that 
we have enjoyed. We thank you for the patronage which has exceeded our former facilities. You have 
helped us to grow so now we can offer you more comfort and better service. . . . The fine food you 
like will be served promptly in new attractive surroundings." The Kirksville Daily Express carried 
four pages of ads from sup-porters on that same day. A few of the supporters of the opening of 
Elaine's Dining Room and the Northland Shopping Center were Babcock Sales Co.; Beards; Adair Lumber 
Company; Shockey's Service Station; Adair County Sale Barn; Superway Food Store; Leo's Roller Rink; 
Jesse Peterson & Son Furniture; Hayden Concrete Products; Siegles Cities Service; Brown Construction 
Co.; Luther Longfield; Doc Haggard & Son Oil Co.; Shelton & Sons; Mackie & Williams Food Stores; 
Baker Sign Co.; T.H. & N. Electric Service; Wright's Tire & Appliance; and M-M Gas.

On September 15, 1957, the open house of the first unit in the Northland Shopping Center took place. 
Within the first few weeks, after-opening problems were being encountered. Mrs. Curtis said, "We had 
our Grand Opening on September 15, 1957, with all the usual problems of a new business; exhaust fans 
that didn't work and a broiler that caught on fire, but somehow we survived those first few weeks, in 
spite of ourselves, and the customers kept coming back." At this time there were few other places 
to eat in Kirksville.

The business became a family-owned and family-run

[photo caption] This was the sign that many people saw when they passed by the restaurant located 
north on Highway 63.

[photo caption] Elaine's, the first business to open in the Northland Shopping Center, held an open 
house on September 15, 1957.

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restaurant after her husband Paul Curtis sold the farm and moved to town to help his wife manage the 
restaurant, "We tried to run a family farm and a restaurant but found that it wasn't possible, so 
Paul sold the farm and we moved to town. The restaurant was then truly a 'family' owned and run 
business. On any given day you could see Paul in the kitchen cooking or out front cleaning tables. 
The kids were doing whatever they had to. They were typical kids who would rather have not worked but 
we kept them busy. They always thought we had spies all over town because we usually knew what they'd 
been up to before they came home. By the time the restaurant was gone, we had not only raised our four 
kids but also had them all married with 10 grandchildren. They realized that the people skills they 
learned from Elaine's were something that would help them the rest of their lives, There were many good 
people who worked for us over the years and I can't possibly mention them all but there are a few that 
I just have to mention. Some of the cooks were Jim and Lucille Miley, Graci Kenney, Buelah Simler, 
Bessie Wilson, Dorothy Garwood, and Maggie Sullivan. Some of the waitresses were Kay Richards, Glenda 
Shaver, Mary Riley, Brenda Sewell, Bonita Cassidy, and Ellena Western. Some of the bus boys were Rex 
Hardman, Fred Northrop, Rob and Jack Bragg, All of these people helped to make Elaine's what it was." 
Ellena Western, an employee of Mrs. Curtis' for 15 years said, "Elaine wouldn't ask for help to do 
anything that she wouldn't just get right in there and do herself."

Elaine's quickly grew into a gathering place with the family in mind. Mrs. Curtis said, "Elaine's 
Dining Room was one of the social centers in town. Everyone came to Elaine's after a football game, 
play, or any important event. It was the place to 'see and be seen.' Easter, Mother's Day, Homecoming 
or Graduation Days were always big days for Elaine's." She also said there were times when people 
were lined up outside for a half a block to get in on one of those days. "There wasn't even time to 
think on those days let alone realize how tired you were. You just had to keep going." Elaine's 
offered four dining rooms, two of which, the Hereford Room and the Angus Room, could seat up to 300 
people, Anne Kelly, waitress for Elaine's from 1958 until 1963, recalled what type of people would 
eat at the restaurant: "Elaine's was at that time the 'in' restaurant. Kiwanis, Lions, Sig Taus, Phi 
Sigs, college as well as local (people) because the student union wasn't there so Elaine's was about 
the only place you could have a big banquet in Kirksville."

Many customers ate the cinnamon rolls, one of the specialties at Elaine's. Mrs. Western remembers, 
"I loved to eat them, I think everybody else did too because at that time they could get two large 
rolls and all the coffee they wanted to drink for 25 cents. We set the coffee right on the table and 
they could drink as much as they wanted. The rolls were made in muffin tins and they would rise to the 
top and they had sugar, cinnamon, and pecans on them." Mrs. Curtis said, "There was something called 
'Coffee Hour ' that usually lasted from about 8:30 till 10:00. You could get two of Elaine's famous 
cinnamon rolls for 15 cents and all the coffee you could drink for 10 cents. It wasn't unusual on 
Tuesday nights, 'Greek Night,' to have 300 people there for Coffee Hour." Mrs. Kelly said that there 
were other popular items on the menu: "Her roquefort dress-

[photo caption] Elaine's main dining room was furnished with platinum, walnut, chrome, and ebony 
furniture.

[photo caption] Anne Kelly worked at Elaine's when it was located at the Shamrock Restaurant, which 
was under Mrs. Curtis' control for most of 1968. The menu shows the abbreviations used by the 
waitresses on their order forms.

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[photo caption] The Angus Room was one of the dining rooms at Elaine's which was decorated similar 
to the main dining room.

[photo caption] The main dining room was much larger in size than any of the other rooms. The walls 
were tan and the carpet was green. The drapes were mainly green with a floral print while the leather 
on the chair seats closely matched the table tops.

[photo caption] The Hereford Room was one of four dining rooms where banquets, receptions, business 
meetings, and reunions were held.

ing was because a lot of people liked it. It was a combination of a French dressing and bleu cheese 
dressing. It looked like French dressing but it tasted like bleu cheese. It was good and I think 
people liked her family-style meals. I think her sirloin strips were real popular."

A table that many referred to as the "round table" was placed in the restaurant after opening. 
Mrs. Western remembers waiting on the prominent business people of that time: "They had a round table 
up close to the kitchen door and every morning when I would come, the table would be full of 
businessmen. They came there so often that you would have to know what they wanted. All they would say 
was, 'Bring me my usual.' You had to remember what everybody ate and drank. I imagine 15 people would 
crowd around the table at one time."

Elaine's was open 363 days a year from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. Not even weather 
seemed to halt the restaurant from staying open. The event that sticks out most in Mrs. Curtis' mind 
was the snowstorm on April 9, 1973. "It was so bad they closed Highway 63. I kept the restaurant open 
all night for the people who were stranded. Paul was making trips back and forth on his horse to 
bring things from the house. He even took Marge and Charlie McCune home by horse! He took Marge first 
and then came back for Charlie. It was so bad he couldn't leave the horse outside so he stayed in 
the entryway while Paul was at the restaurant."

On September 24, 1978, 21 years and 9 days after the grand opening, Elaine's Dining Room was destroyed 
by fire. Bob Foss, one of the first firefighters to arrive on the scene, recalls being on duty that 
night: "On a Sunday morning the Fire Department received a call at 3:05 a.m. that Lucky Lanes was 
on fire. Me and Dave Hudnall took old engine number two from the north station where we were on 
duty. Upon arriving at the scene we noticed smoke and fire coming from the roof of the bowling alley. 
Twenty-five firefighters from the Kirksville Fire Department responded to the call. Fred Schwaner, 
a volunteer from the department, was on a ladder on the west side of the building when the roof caved 
in causing the wall to cave in also Fred was thrown from the ladder away from the fire, breaking his 
back in two places. We were there for about 16 hours." The fire was believed to have started in the 
attic of the bowling alley. Although the exact cause was not found, Elaine's was completely destroyed 
by 6 a.m., along with Lucky Lanes and the Untouchable Disco Bar.

Elaine and Paul Curtis now live in Claremore, Oklahoma, and Mrs. Curtis works in the medical office 
of Dr. Fred Northrop, her son-in-law. Although Elaine's Dining Room is no longer around, it still 
fondly lingers in the memories of those who supported it.

By Angela Briggs

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[photo caption] The Rev. Cooper aired his radio program, "Morning Meditations," for over 30 years 
on KIRX Radio.

[photo caption] The Rev. Archie Cooper preached at the Hazel Creek Free Will Baptist Church from 
1966-1974.

Spreading THE WORD

The Reverend Archie Cooper said that one of the greatest influences of his early ministry was a 
trip to the Billy Sunday Tabernacle at Winona Lake, Indiana. Here, the Rev. Cooper listened to 
"some of the biggest and best at that particular time." He said that this really gave him a good 
start on his ministry by exposing him to some of the most dynamic speakers of that period.

Archie Cooper was born at Mystic, Missouri, in Sullivan County, on July 10, 1907. His parents were 
Byron Isaac and Cleo Virginia Cooper, and he is the oldest of seven children, five boys and two 
girls, Archie attended the Green Grove School until he graduated from eighth grade and then farmed 
until 1938. Archie also worked at the Novinger Farmer's Exchange and occasionally at the Arnold 
Lumber Company. He was later employed by Kirksville Savings and Loan.

Archie Cooper was married on October 16, 1927, to Verdie May Summers. He had two daughters: Phyllis 
Beth, who died at age 8, and Betty Lou. Verdie Cooper died in 1945. The Rev. Cooper married Gladys 
Peterson, whose first husband died in World War II, on August 15, 1946. Gladys' two children, Charles 
and Patty, also became part of the Cooper family.

The Rev. Cooper felt the call to preach at an early age. He was saved under the Rev. Charley Mann, 
pastor of the Green Grove Church, who persuaded him to preach sermons there. In 1935, Archie Cooper 
was licensed into the Free Will Baptist denomination. The Rev. Cooper became a full-fledged pastor 
in 1937 when he was ordained into the Free Will Baptist denomination. He preached at several 
churches, including Baring, Stahl, Refuge, Sublette, and Mount Hope.

The Rev. Cooper is noted for the many funerals he has officiated and wedding ceremonies he has 
performed. According to his records, as of January 1, 1989, he has held nearly 2,500 funerals and 
over 800 weddings.

Weddings were usually held at the Cooper house. In the beginning, there was a wedding fee of $5. 
Unlike today, couples in that time would not make an appointment to be married, but would just walk 
right in and ask to be married. This led to many unusual and amusing incidents. Because weddings 
were held

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at the Cooper home, the children were usually around to watch the ceremony. Once, according to 
Gladys Cooper, the Rev. Cooper officiated a wedding while Charley, their son, lay on the floor 
behind the newlyweds coloring in a coloring book. When he was sent to his room upstairs, Charley 
made a periscope out of a paper tube and some mirrors and watched the wedding from a vent that 
went to the living room downstairs.

In 1947, the Rev, Cooper started one of the ministries he is probably most recognized for -- his 
radio broadcasts "Morning Meditations with Archie Cooper " was a 15-minute program on KIRX Radio 
at 6:15 on weekday mornings and 8:15 on Sunday mornings. This program became one of the 
longest-running radio programs on KIRX. It lasted about 35 years when it ended in 1982. According 
to Charlie Porter, a radio announcer at KIRX, the Rev. Cooper's program was also one of the first 
programs on KIRX.

The Rev. Cooper said that his radio ministry started out in a "strange and outstanding" way, Sam 
Burk, founder of KIRX, had just returned home from the Army and had his belongings stored at the 
Arnold Lumber Company. Archie Cooper happened to be working there when Mr. Burk retrieved his 
belongings and the two became acquaintances. A little while later, after Mr. Burk finished building 
the KIRX station, the Rev. Cooper met him again on the square. Mr. Burk asked the Rev. Cooper if 
he would like to begin a radio ministry. "Well, that was the farthest from my thoughts," says 
Archie Cooper, "I had not thought about it at all." However, a man named Johnny Adkins, the 
president of the Adair County Sunday School Convention, offered to pay for the first week on radio. 
At that time, each show cost $6.75 a day for a total of $40.50 for each six-day week. After the 
first week, several other people offered to underwrite the following weeks.

Mr. Porter recalled the Rev, Cooper's program, "Well, Archie was a really popular, real popular 
with just about every denomination of listener, Archie did a lot of poems and interesting stories, 
along with a short sermon each morning."

The Rev, Cooper's program started out at the KIRX studio. However, after a few years, Mr. Porter 
installed an amplifier in the Rev. Cooper's house so he could broadcast from his home. The amplifier 
was used for over 30 years of broadcasting. While maintaining his radio program, the Rev. Cooper 
managed to preach at several different churches using the circuit-riding method. For example, 
Mrs. Cooper said, "There was Sundays when preaching at this little church down at Linn County, he 
(the Rev. Cooper) would have a funeral off over toward Unionville in the afternoon. We'd go down 
to Mount Hope for Sunday School and preaching and then go on to the funeral and go back to church 
that night." The Rev. Cooper said that at times he would go as far as 65 miles to perform a service 
According to the Coopers, this was not uncommon. Although the Rev. Cooper preached to several 
different congregations each Sunday, he says that he tried not to use the same sermon twice. If 
at all possible, the Rev. Cooper would try to make a new sermon for each service.

[photo caption] These candid pictures were taken by Howard Townsend during a sermon that his 
father-in-law, the Rev. Cooper, gave while he served as minister of the Hazel Creek Free Will 
Baptist Church.

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Later in life, the Rev, Cooper preached many revivals in churches of all denominations. He held 
revivals at Methodist churches, the Novinger church, and, of course, nearly every Free Will Baptist 
church for miles around, including churches at Stahl, Connelsville, Hazel Creek, and the Baring 
Community Church. He is presently preaching at New Harmony, a rural Free Will Baptist church 
located west of Greentop.

Throughout his life, the Rev. Archie Cooper has been an influence on the lives of many. His 
ministries, radio programs, funeral services, and wedding services have given him a chance to touch 
the heart of several communities in a way that not many people can.

[photo caption] The Rev. Cooper during a baptismal service in 1948. The pond, belonging to Ivan 
Peterson and located east of Greentop, was used for many baptismal services.

[photo caption] Sam Burk, right, asked the Rev. Cooper if he would like to begin a radio ministry 
program. Little did the Rev. Cooper realize that it was to be one of the longest-running programs 
on KIRX. At the 1979 Northeast Missouri District Fair, Mr. Burk presented the Rev Cooper a plaque 
of appreciation for his many years of ministry.

By Bryan Thompson

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

THE BARNYARD BARBER

Fuson, Ken. "With 11,000 sheep farmers, Iowa keeps shearers busy." Des Moines Register, February 
5, 1989, Sec. W, pp. 1, 4.

Jurgenson, Elwood. Approved Practices in Sheep Production. Danville, IL: The Interstate Publishers, 
1973, pp. 1-18.

Kaden, Clayton, Ivan, Marge, and Scott. "Sheep Shearing." Interview at the home of David Bahr, 
February 19, 1989.

Kaden, Ryan. "Sheep Shearing." Interview at his home, March 14, 1989.

Kains, M. G. Five Acres and Independence. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1973, p. 114.

Norman, Mack, ed. Back to the Basics. New York: Readers Digest, 1981, pp. 190, 191.

"Sheep," McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Food, Agriculture and Nutrition, 1977, pp 556-562.

Simmons, Paula. Raising Sheep the Modern Way. Charlotte, VT: Garden Way Publishing, 1976, pp. 171-182.

ARTIFACTS OF STONE

Davis, Mike "Petroglyphs." Interview at NMSU A/H Building Room 111D, March 20, 1989.

Diesing, Eugene H. and Magre, Frank. "Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Missouri." Missouri Archeologist, 
March, 1942, pp. 9, 10.

Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville: Simpson 
Printing Co., 1976, pp. 31, 32.

McHale, Maureen. "Petroglyphs." Interview at Thousand Hills State Park, February 28, 1989.

"Rare Indian Carvings Found in Thousand Hills Park." Kirksville Daily Express, March 14, 1956, p. 2.

Schneider, Stephen. "The History of Thousand Hills State Park." Manuscript dated April 17, 1975.

Schneider, Stephen. "Petroglyphs." Pamphlet, no date.

Steward, Julian H. "Petroglyphs of the United States." Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the 
Smithsonian Institution 1936. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1937, pp. 405-413.

"Thousand Hills State Park." Pamphlet, no date.

Wrench, Jesse E. "Letters From The People." Kirksville Daily Express, March 14, 1956, p. 4.

FROM DREAMS TO REALITY

Attebery, Luella. "Spring Lake." Interview at her home, February 16, 1989.

Denslow, J.S. Letter to Mrs. James A. Shreve dated January 31, 1950.

Gooch, Martha. "Spring Lake." Interview at her home, February 21, 1989.

J.W. Shikles & Company. "Spring Lake Project Kirksville, Missouri, Estimate No 2," November 9, 1948.

Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville: Simpson 
Printing Co., 1976, p. 183.

"Lake Project Near Yarrow Well Advanced." Kirksville Daily Express, September 10, 1947, p. 5.

"Largest Cabin on Spring Lake Built by Jeweler." Kirksville Daily Express, May 3, 1955, p 6.

Prather, Bill and Margaret. "Spring Lake." Interview at their home, February 9, 1989.

Shain, Ralph. "Spring Lake" Interview at Shamrock Inn, February 22, 1989.

"Spring Lake Inc." Kirksville Daily Express, May 3, 1968, p. 6.

"Spring Lake Residents Ready for New Season." Kirksville Daily Express, April 24, 1955, p. 5.

Thompson, Bud and Cindy. "Spring Lake." Interview at their home, February 26, 1989.

Truitt, C.W. and Denslow, J.S. "A Statement to the Missouri Conservation Commission," no date.

Whitney, Larry. "Spring Lake." Interview at his home, February 24, 1989.

FOR THEIR HOMELANDS

Billington, Ray. Westward Expansion. New York: MacMillan Publishers, 1982, pp. 298-321.

"Black Hawk," Britannica Junior Encyclopaedia Volume 3, 1970, pp 219, 220.

"Black Hawk," The World Book Encyclopedia Volume 2, 1966, p 306.

Collett, Mary. "Fort Clark." Telephone conversation on January 4, 1989.

Ediger, Marlow. "Fort Matson." Interview at NMSU Violette Hall Room 257, February 23, 1989.

Howard, Goldena Roland. Ralls County History. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Co., 1980, 
pp. 48, 49. 

"Indian Wars," The World Book Encyclopedia Volume 10, 1966, p. 147.

Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville: Simpson 
Printing Co., 1976, pp 32-37.

Patterson, J.B., ed Autobiography of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She- Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk. Rock Island, IL: 
Rock Island Press, 1882, pp. 153, 155, 156.

35


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Selby, Paul O. Adair County's War Record. Kirksville: MacDougall-Lowe Post No. 20, 1942, p. 4.

Utley, Robert M. and Washburn, Wilcomb E. The American Heritage History of the Indian Wars. 
New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1977, pp. 146-151.

Violette, E.M. History of Adair County. Kirksville: Journal Printing Company, 1977, pp. 11-13.

BEYOND THE MIDWAY

"Adair County Fall Festival Ends Tonight." Kirksville Daily Express, September 13, 1946, p. 1.

"Air Force To Have Exhibit at Fair Here." Kirksville Daily Express, August 21, 1947, p. 4.

Anderson, Lyle. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Interview at Larry Gardner Accounting, 
January 18, 1989.

"Attendance at Fair Said Close to 40,000." Kirksville Daily Express, September 5, 1948, pp. 1, 4.

Baiotto, Bill. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Interview at his home, January 30, 1989.

"Beverly Nan Cragg Chosen Fair Queen." Kirksville Daily Express, September 2, 1948, pp. 1, 3.

Cleaver, Kathy. "Northeast Missouri Fair Horse Shows." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

"County Fair Association is Planned." Kirksville Daily Express, September 11, 1946, p. 1.

Duden, Judy. "Northeast Missouri Fair Band." Telephone conversation on April 6, 1989.

"Fair Association to be Discussed at Meeting." Kirksville Daily Express, September 9, 1946, p. 2.

"Fair Crowd at Festival Opening Today." Kirksville Daily Express, September 12, 1946, p. 1.

"Fair Ground Work Nears Completion." Kirksville Daily Express, August 22, 1947, p. 1.

"Fair in 4th Day; Will End Tonight." Kirksville Daily Express, September 3, 1948, pp. 1, 3.

"Five Harvest Queen Candidates Chosen." Kirksville Daily Express, August 7, 1947, p. 2.

Gooch, Martha. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

Harris, Judy. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

"Harvest Festival Postponed One Week." Kirksville Daily Express, August 21, 1946, p. 1.

"Harvest Queen Ad." Kirksville Daily Express, August 22, 1947, p. 3.

Jackson, Bob. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Interview at his home, February 22, 1989.

Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville: Simpson 
Printing Co., 1976, pp 126-129.

"Kirksville Band to Receive Queens at Kennedy Tonight." Kirksville Daily Express, August 6, 
1947, p. 2.

Krueger, Charles. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 23, 1989.

Leavitt, Margery. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Interview at her home, February 21, 1989.

Mock, Orin. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Conversation at the home of Tonya Eichor, 
March 5, 1989.

Nelson, Ruby. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Conversation at her home on March 23, 1989.

Newman, Louise. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Conversation at Kirksville Senior High School, 
February 22, 1989.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Ad." Kirksville Daily Express, August 20, 1947, p. 4.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Growing Event." Kirksville Daily Express, August 30, 1948, pp. 1, 2.

"NE. MO. Fair Holds First Show Today." Kirksville Daily Express, August 27, 1947, p. 1.

"Northeast Missouri Fair in Second Day." Kirksville Daily Express, September 1, 1948, pp 1, 3.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Opens Today." Kirksville Daily Express, August 31, 1948, pp. 1, 2.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Opens Tuesday." Kirksville Daily Express, August 29, 1949, p. 1.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Over." Kirksville Daily Express, September 5, 1948, p. 1.

"Northeast Missouri Fair Shows Profit for 1988." Kirksville Daily Express, December 13, 1988, p. 1.

"NE Missouri Fair Starts Dog and Pony Shows Today." Kirksville Daily Express, August 4, 1968, p. 1.

Pack, John. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Interview at Lovegreen Chrysler, February 20, 1989.

Propst, Harold. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 7, 1989.

"Resources Division to have Exhibit at Northeast Mo. Fair." Kirksville Daily Express, 
August 3, 1947, p. 5.

Rogers, Earl "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

Selby, P.O. "Bits of Adair County History." Kirksville Daily Express, July 5, 1962, pp. 3, 4.

"Sept. 2 to be 'Band Day' at Fair." Kirksville Daily Express, August 11, 1948, p. 5.

Stober, James. "Northeast Missouri District Fair." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

"13th Annual Adair County Festival Ends." Kirksville Daily Express, September 15, 1946, pp. 1, 4.

"To Select Candidates for Queen." Kirksville Daily Express, August 5, 1947, p. 5.

Violette, E.M. History of Adair County. Kirksville: Denslow History Company, 1911, pp. 309, 310.

Weber, Jack. "Northeast Missouri Fair Band." Telephone conversation on March 6, 1989.

36


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IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE ICE KING

Bowcock, J.B. A History of Kirksville. Kirksville: Journal Printing Company, 1925, pp. 6, 7.

"Hope Alive For Renovating Former Bowcock Park." Kirksville Daily Express, July 10, 1988, p. 1.

"Jim Bowcock." Kirksville Daily Express, July 14, 1988, p. 13.

"Jim Bowcock Eccentric Ice King Dies Here." Kirksville Daily Express, September 23, 1940, pp. 1, 2.

"One Kirksville War Memorial Lies Today As Jungled Remnant." Kirksville Daily Express, 
May 29, 1988, p. 1.

Rothchild, Bob. "Letter to the Editor." Kirksville Daily Ex-press, June 21, 1988, p. 5.

Selby, P.O. "Bits of Adair County History." Kirksville Daily Express, September 18, 1967, p. 7.

Tomich, Margaret and Rudolph. "The Ice King." Interview at their home, February 14, 1989.

CUT 'EM UP AND SHIP 'EM OUT

Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce. Kirksville, Missouri, City Directory. Loveland, CO: 
Johnson Publishing Co., 1983, p. 269.

"Lumber Industry," The Encyclopedia Americana Volume 17, 1962, pp. 835-839.

Myers, Allen. "Myers Brothers Lumber Company." Interview at his home, February 13, 1989.

Myers, Gary. "Myers Brothers Lumber Company." Interview at his home, February 20, 1989.

Myers, LaVon. "Myers Brothers Lumber Company." Interview at her home, February 10, 1989.

Rafferty, Milton D. Historical Atlas of Missouri. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982, p. 17.

ELAINE'S DINING ROOM

"Advertisements for Elaine's Dining Room." Kirksville Daily Express, September 15, 1957, pp 2-5.

City Directory Kirksville, Missouri 1972; 1973; 1975; 1977; 1978; 1979; and 1980. Loveland, CO: 
Johnson Publishing Company, 1972, p. 49; 1973, p. 29; 1975, p. 28; 1977, p. 26; 1978, p. 29; 
1979, p. 29; and 1980, p. 22.

"Continue Probe Of Kirksville Fire." Kirksville Daily Express, September 25, 1978, pp. 1, 2.

Curtis, Elaine. Letter sent to Angela Briggs dated March 8, 1989.

Foss, Bob. "Elaine's Dining Room." Interview at the Kirksville Fire Department, March 9, 1989.

Kelly, Anne. "Elaine's Dining Room." Interview at her home, February 21, 1989.

Kirksville Junior Chamber of Commerce. City Directory Kirksville, Missouri 1958. Kirksville: 
Journal Printing Co., 1958, p. 259.

Kirksville, Missouri Telephone Directory February 1959; 1960; 1961; 1962; 1963; and 1964. 1959, 
p. 44; 1960, p. 42; 1961, p 38; 1962, p. 41; 1963, p. 42; and 1964, p. 44.

Selby, P.O. A Chronology of Adair County Historical Items Gleaned from Kirksville Newspapers, 
Volume III 1945- 1962.

Western, Ellena. "Elaine's Dining Room." Interview at the Kirksville Senior High School, 
February 22, 1989.

SPREADING THE WORD

"Baptists," Academic American Encyclopedia Volume 3, 1981, pp. 73, 74.

Cooper, Archie. "The Rev. Archie Cooper." Interview at his home, December 29, 1988.

Dugan, George. "100,000 Fill Yankee Stadium to Hear Graham" from New York Times, July 21, 1957. 
Reprinted in Religion, Volume 5, Set 2, Great Contemporary Issues. New York: Arno Press, 1979, 
pp 177, 178.

Grasty, Charles H. "The Two Billy Sundays Preacher and Artist" from New York Times, April 22, 1917. 
Reprinted in Religion, Volume 5, Set 2, Great Contemporary Issues New York: Arno Press, 1979, 
pp. 17, 18.

Kirksville-Adair County Bicentennial Committee. A Book of Adair County History. Kirksville: Simpson 
Printing Co, 1976, pp. 86, 100, 221.

Landis, Benson Y. Religion in the United States. New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1965, pp. 90, 91.

Porter, Charlie. "The Rev. Archie Cooper." Interview at Kirksville Senior High School, 
February 23, 1989.

Rowland, Stanley. "As Billy Graham Sees His Role" from New York Times, April 21, 1957. Reprinted in 
Religion, Volume 5, Set 2, Great Contemporary Issues. New York: Arno Press, 1979, pp. 175, 176.

Selby, P.O. A Chronology of Adair County Items Gleaned from Kirksville Newspapers, Volumes II and 
III 1941- 1945, 1945-1962.

Selby, P.O. The Rural and Village Churches of Adair County. Kirksville: Journal Printing Company, 
1964, p. 19.

37


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THE CHARITON COLLECTOR CUMULATIVE INDEX

December 1980 to Spring 1989

Entries are arranged by the first letter of the first name.

ASO Athletic Teams . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 14-16
Adair County . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 16-18
Adair County Courthouse . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 8-11
Adair County Historical Society . . . . . Spr 1987, p. 32
Adair County Tail . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 2-4
Adair County's Own . . . . . Spr 1987, p. 32
Age Old Tradition, An . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 8-9
Alvin Neely . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 24-25
American Dream, The . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 8-9
Andrew T Still College Country Club -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 12-13
Archie Cooper, Rev . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 32-34
Artifacts Of Stone . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 6-8
Atlas House . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 19-22
Autograph Books  --  Scenes from the Past . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 12-13
Bank Built on Dreams, A . . . . . Spr 1986,	pp. 18-19
Bank of Kirksville . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 18-19
Barbed Wire Collections . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 22-24
Barn Dances . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 7-9
Barnyard Barber, The . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 2-5
Basket Weaving	. . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 18-19
Batter Up! . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 10-11
Battle of Kirksville, The . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 11-13
Beekeeping . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 8-9
Beyond the Midway . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 15-19
Biggest Little Store in Northeast Missouri . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 2-3
Billy Creek Coal Mine . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 2-4
Black Hawk War . . . . . Spr 1989, pp 13-14
Blees Academy . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 22-25
Bocce . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 6-7
Bransteter-Lloyd Shooting . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 8-9
Brick Factories  --  Scenes from the Past . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 16-17
Bridge Creek and the Panthers . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 10
Building with Style, The . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 6-7
Buy 'Em By the Sack . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 5-7
Cardy (Missouri) in its Hay Days! . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 4-6
Carousel Horses  . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 20-21
Centennial Anniversary, A . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 23-26
Chariton Liberty Tree, The . . . . . Dec 1982, p. 12
Charles Still Mansion . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 19-22
Charley (Hoppy) Fox . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 8-11
Chase Is On!, The  . . . . .	Dec 1980, p. 5
(Chester and Hurshel) Bell Electric Service Win 1986, pp. 19-21
Chips Today, The Old Fashioned Way! Spr 1985, pp. 14-16
Claud D. Davis, Dr. . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 12-14
College Where?, A . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 2-5
Cowboy Tommy (Thomas) . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 16-19
Coming of the Colletts, The . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 16-18
Common Touch, The . . . . . Win	1987, pp. 12-14
Connelsville (Missouri): The Coal Center That Never Came . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 26-28
Country Cooked Potato Chips . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 14-16
County Trivia . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 17-18
Cut 'em Up and Ship 'em Out . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 25-28
Cyclone of 1899	. . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 32-33
Dalton Jackson . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 24
David March . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 22-23
Day Baldwin Hall Burned, The . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 16-18
Dead men tell no tales, but Tombstones Tell the Story . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 20-21
Doc Savage. . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 27-29
Dockery Hotel . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 15-17
East Center Community Church . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 5-7
Effect of One Woman, The . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 2-5
Elaine's Dining Room . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 29-31
Elk's Lodge . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 14-17
Ella K. Ewing . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 19-21
Elliott Schoolhouse . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 18-19
Elmer Williams' Pony Farm . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 19-21
End of an Electrical Era . . . . . Win 1986,	pp. 19-21
End of an Era, The . . . . .	Spr 1986, pp. 23-25
Engine Company No 1 . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 8-11
Escape-Proof? . . . . . Spr	1987, pp. 2-4
Estille Edward Thomas . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 16-19
Eugene Casey -- Views of a Changed Land . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 8-9
Explosion at Novinger, Missouri -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 12-13
Family Affair, A . . . . .Spr 1987, pp. 21-22
Farm Machinery -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 12-13
Farming in the Great Depression . . . . . Spr 1986, p. 29
Figge's Bottle House . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 24
Fishin' in the 01' Chariton . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 2-4
Flaming Circle, The . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 15-17
Floyd Creek (Missouri) . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 2-4
Flying High . . . . . Win 1986, pp.	26-28
Follow the Green Line . . . . . Dec 1982, p. 13
Football -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 10-11
For Their Homelands . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 13-14
Forgotten Factory, The . . . . . Spr 1986, p. 13
Foreshadow of Death, The . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 22
Fox Hounds . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 8-9
Fox Hunting . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 5
Frank Truitt's Novinger (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 22-23
Fred Figge . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 24
Friedman-Shelby Shoe Factory . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 27-28
From Dreams to Reality	. . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 9-12
From Princess to Palace . . . . . Win . . . . . 1985, pp. 20-21
From Riches to Rags . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 15-17
From The Coal Mines To City Hall . . . . .  Apr 1983, pp. 10-1.3
Gangster Connections? . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 12-15
Gangster Mansion . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 12-15
Generations of Leather and Lace . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 27-28
George Scriven and John Rose . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 5-7
Ghosts in Northeast Missouri . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 23

38


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Gibbs, Missouri . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 23-26
Girl's All-Stars Softball Team . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 10-11
Golden Dream Come True, A . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 14-15
Graysville (Missouri) -- Anytown U.S.A.? . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 2-5
Grim Building . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 6-7
Hands of Time, The . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 24-25
Harold Baker . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 20-21
Have a Pepsi Day! . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 2-5
Hazel Creek Free Will Baptist Church . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 2-5
Hey, what'll ya give me? . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 30-32
Home at Baltimore and Normal . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 18-19
Home Not Forgotten, A	. . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 21-24
Horse King of the World . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 18-23
Hunting . . . . . Dec 1980	pp. 8-9
Ice King, The . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 22-24
Imbler Home . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 8-9
In Memory of the Silver Star Drive-In Theatre . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 10-12
In Memory of You, Grandpa! . . . . . Spr 1985, pp 8-11
In Remembrance of the Ice King . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 22-24
In Search of Kellwood . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 2-4
In the Days of High-Heeled Boots and Tobacco Spit . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 2-6
International Shoe Company . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 27-28
It all started with the Irish Immigrants . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 2-6
It Seems Like Yesterday . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 8-9
It's a Long Way to Tipperary (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 20-21
Ivie McGuire MacCarty. . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 16-17
J. M. Ivie . . . . . Spr 1986, p. 13
Jacob Maggard farmhouse -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 16-17
Jeanette Underhill. . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 6-7
Jesus is Coming	 . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 22
Jim Bowcock  . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 22-24
Joe Burdman, A Humanitarian . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 2-4
John R. Dodson	. . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 22-23
Jones Candy Kitchen . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 21-22
Joseph Baldwin	. . . . . Win 1986, pp. 22-25
Journal Printing Company . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 22-24
Just as the Clouds Passed O'er . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 32-33
KBA -- Thirty-five Years of Memories . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 8-11
KIRX Radio . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 6-7
Kellogg Home . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 2-4
Kennedy Theatre . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 24-26
Kenneth Gardner. . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 19-21
Kirksville Baseball Association . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 8-11
Kirksville Community Sale Barn . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 30-32
Kirksville Country Club -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 14-15
Kirksville Fire Department . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 8-11
Kirksville Lodge, No 464 B.P.O.E. . . . . . Spr 1986,	pp. 14-17
Kirksville Municipal Airport . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 26-28
Kirksville Senior High School in the 1950s . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 23-25
Kirksville Square in 1900 -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 12-13
Kirksville Through the Eyes of a Native . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 14-15
Kirksville's Own Toyland . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 14-15
Ku Klux Klan . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 15-17
Lamp That Went Out, The . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 22
Laughlin Bowl -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 12-13
Lester Dent . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 27-29
Let's Go To Pete's . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 22-24
Lewis Ogle . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 5
Lickskillet (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 14-15
Life As A Milliner . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 6-7
Life of Don Faurot, The	. . . . . Win 1986, pp. 7-11
Little Church That Could, The . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 5-7
Little Ponies Show Big!. . . . . Win 1984, pp. 19-21
Majorie Prewitt . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 18-19
Man of History, A . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 22-23
Man of many hats, John W. Tinsman, A . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 2-6
Manhattan (Restaurant), The . . . . . Spr 1984, p. 24
Maple Syrup . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 24-25
Marie Turner Harvey . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 2-5
Marion Francis Kennedy	 . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 6-7
Mary Immaculate: One of a Kind . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 2-7
Mary Jane Laughlin Denslow . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 14-18
Masonic Temple, The . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 17-18
Meeks Murders, The . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 2-5
Midland Camp No, 4 . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 20-21
Millard, Missouri . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 2-6
Missouri's Tall Daughter . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 19-21
More Than 90 Years of News . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 10-11
MorIan's Store . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 2-3
Muzzle-Loading in Missouri . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 10-12
Myers Bros. Lumber Co . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 25-28
NEMO District Fair . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 15-19
New Baden Springs: Magic or Myth . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 5-6
New Generation in Kirksville, A . . . . . Spr 1986, p. 26
North Against South Gifford (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 28-29
Northeast Missouri Folklore-Local Legends and Tales . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 22
Northeast Missouri Folklore-Local Legends and Tales . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 10
Nothing But the Best . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 18-19
"O" Teams, The	. . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 14-16
Oaklawn College . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 2-5
Old Post Office -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 6-10
On the Banks of Hazel Creek . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 26-29
One Cold November Morning . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 5-7
Opening Night . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 24-26
Orphan Trains . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 18-20
Osteopathic Medicine -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 12-13
Our Feathered Friends . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 20-23
Ownbey Lake . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 12-13
Palace Bakery, The . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 26-27
Panther Hunt, The . . . . . Dec 1981, p. 9
Passing of an Era, The . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 16-19
Paul Straight . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 11-14
Paul's History of the Yarrow Bridge and the C-B-Q Railroad . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 14
Paul's History of Yarrow (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1980, pp. 12-13

39


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Personal Politician . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 8-9
Pete Anesi . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 10-13
Pete's Candyland . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 22-24
Petroglyphs . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 6-8
Phradie Wells . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 10-13
Picturesque Landmark!, A . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 5-7
Pioneer In Education, A . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 22-25
Play It By Ear . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 24
Point of the Matter, The . . . . . Spr 1985, pp. 22-24
Porter School . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 2-5
Preserving a Heritage. . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 13-15
Presses Have Stopped, The . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 22-24
Princess Theater . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 20-21
Pure Air, Missouri . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 17-20
Quilts . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 13-15
Raisin' Cane . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 16-18
Ray Armstead . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 14-15
Red Barn -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 20-21
Riding Circuits to Writing Editorials: Glenn Frank . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 19-22
Rinehart News Agency . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 10-11
Ritz (Cafe), The . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 6-7
Round Barn built by Orie Smith . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 5-7
Route P . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 10
Ruby Green . . . . . Dec 1982, p. 13
St. Mary's Church (Adair) . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 2-6
Sally Mountain Show...It's A Family Affair, The . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 30-31
Sassafras Tea . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 14-15
Semi-Professional Baseball . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 16-19
Setting the Woods on Fire . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 8-9
Sheep Shearing . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 2-5
Showdown at Stahl . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 8-9
Sieren's Palace . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 20-21
Smokeshop, Gone But Not Forgotten, The . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 7-9
Srnoyer Family . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 26-28
Sorghum . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 16-18
Sperry, Missouri . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 2-4
Sperry's Own Dr. Kennedy. . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 6-7
Spreading the Word . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 32-34
Spring Lake . . . . . Spr 1989, pp. 9-12
Srnka House . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 10-11
Stahl, Missouri . . . . . Win 1987, pp. 8-9
Statue of Dr. A. T. Still -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 14-15
Still and Lasting Foundation, A . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 19-22
Still-Hildreth Sanitarium . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 22-25
Sublette Air Base . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 17-19
Syrup for the Tapping . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 24-25
Tea For Three . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 14-15
Thirty Year President, The . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 14-17
This Old Air Base Is Still Alive and Kickin'	. . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 17-19
Thousand Hills State Park . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 14-16
Tindall Beverage Company . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 2-5
Tombstones Tell the Story . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 20-21
Tradition Since Forgotten, A . . . . . Win 1984, pp. 7-9
Traditional Ways in Modern Days . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 2-5
Train of Promise . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 18-20
Travelers Hotel . . . . . Spr 1986, pp. 20-22
Troester's Clothing Store . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 20-21
Tucker Toys . . . . . Win 1988, pp. 14-15
Turkey Hunting . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 34-36
Uncle Ben's Place . . . . . Win 1986, pp. 12-13
Unforgotten Sport, The . . . . . Apr 1983, pp. 16-19
Vacancy: Historic Site Seeking Another Worthwhile Tenant . . . . . Apr 1982, pp. 22-25
W. O. Mackie . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 8-9
Walter Ryle . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 14-17
Wart Spookin' . . . . . Apr 1981, p. 7
Water Under the Bridge. . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 10-11
Water Witching . . . . . Spr 1987, pp. 30-31
Waves From the Past . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 6-7
We Would Just Like to Say Thank You . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 14-16
Weber's Mill . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 10-11
What A Classic! . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 8-11
White Cabin (Restaurant) . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 5-7
White Horse, The . . . . . Dec 1980, p. 10
Who was J R.? . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 22-23
Wildlife in Northeast Missouri . . . . . Spr 1984, pp. 20-23
William Preston Hall . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 18-23
William Thomas Baird . . . . . Win 1985, pp. 8-9
William Unger -- A Man Who Taught People How To See . . . . . Spr 1988, pp. 8-11
World's 10-Inch Genius, The . . . . . Apr 1981, pp. 16-17
Yarrow, Missouri -- Scenes from the Past . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 14-15
Yarrow Mill . . . . . Dec 1982, pp. 14-15
Youngstown (Missouri) . . . . . Dec 1981, pp. 7-8
Zephinah Atteberry's Home . . . . . Dec 1983, pp. 21-24

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