125 Years Ago: 1901
James Nelson, a laborer about 45 years of age, was buried in a local coal mine on a farm near Skidmore. The accident was caused by the slate roof of the mine caving in on him. A companion attempted to get him out but was unable to do so. Four men dug for three hours to recover him.
In festive news, “A Forged Certificate,” a Comedy and Drama in four acts, was performed at the Opera House, and a masquerade party was held in Maryville. The masquerade quickly became the talk of the town with even the preachers mentioning the party in their weekly sermons.
The Maryville Board of Trade closed one day this week in honor of President Lincoln’s birthday. They joined the New York board in this recognition.
Just before they adjourned, the county court appointed N. H. Key to succeed himself as superintendent of the county's poor farm. No record of the vote of the judges was made in the minute book, but it was known that Key was the choice of the head judge. Public protests followed Key’s reappointment.
The trial of the case against Peter Journey resulted in an acquittal in the Maryville courtroom. This was the second trial against Journey, as the first had resulted in a hung jury. He was accused of appropriating the proceeds from a social event held at the Lone Valley school house. The social was intended to raise money for a library for the school, and over $32 was raised, but the money quickly went missing. Journey was accused of the theft because he was found in possession of a $5 bill believe to be part of the money from the social event.
75 Years Ago: 1951
Police Judge Ray Eckles declined to fine 12 Maryville motorists who received parking tickets. When the motorists appeared in police court, the judge commended Ballenger, the patrolman, on his enforcement of the ordinance. However, he declined to fine the motorists after learning that they were attending a band concert at Maryville High School.
Bob Broyles was elected president of the Nodaway Sportsman’s Club at the annual business meeting of the organization. The event was held in the circuit courtroom.
The Maryville fire department was called to the intersection of Third and Vine Streets when smoke was seen coming from the cab of a truck owned by the Holland Furnace Company of St. Joseph. Firemen found that the smoke was caused by a burning glove on the floor of the cab.
Nodaway County Boy Scout leaders began their annual financial drive. They set a goal to raise $3,000 for all of their activities in 1951.
The newspaper reported that a total of 28 accidents had been reported in Nodaway County in the past month.
A capacity crowd was on hand at the Peace and Harmony School for the Maryville Chamber of Commerce retail committee’s Good Will Tour. The tour had already visited several schools across the county.
A minor fire in the north wall of the Fairgrounds sale barn was extinguished by firemen. The fire started from an overheated chimney outside the building, and a small portion of the wallboard inside had to be torn away before the fire was put out. Two hundred people were in the building at the time of the fire, and luckily not a single person was injured.
50 Years Ago: 1976
A two-story, wood frame, unoccupied house owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Neff burned to the ground in Burlington Junction. Located in the northeast part of town, the house was already enveloped in flames by the time the fire was discovered.
The Graham Community Betterment group sponsored their annual Whole Hog Sausage and Pancake Day at the Graham Lions Building.
Dr. Charles F. Mullett, emeritus professor of history at the University of Missouri, presented an address at Northwest Missouri State University for the American bicentennial. His talk was entitled “The Revolution Principals: Their Widespread Appeal in 1776.”
A proposal to purchase a citizens' band radio base for the public safety department was unanimously approved by the Maryville City Council.
Lori Shell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Shell of Wilcox, was the Missouri state champion in the 10--11-year-old bracket of the Missouri Elks Association Hoop Shoot Championship.
The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a break-in in the office of Dr. M. L. Ford in Elmo. The burglar took files and $383 in cash and checks as well as prescription drugs but was unable to open the safe.
An environmental impact appraisal for Elmo’s sewer project was filed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region VII office in Kansas City.
The first-ever meeting of the class of 1980 was held on the Northwest Missouri State University campus for the “Class of ___” project. The new event was directed by the university’s Student Senate and was intended to give future students a view of what life would be like after graduation.