125 Years Ago: 1901
Miller’s Confectionery, located west of the Nodaway Valley Bank, was open for business on the 4th of July. Customers would receive a free small flag with a purchase amounting to 5cents or more. The confectionery also had cold drinks and fireworks at their establishment.
Dr. Prettyman, a ‘nervous diseases’ specialist, came to town on July 4th to treat citizens of Maryville struggling with headaches, difficulty breathing, and other illnesses. He stayed at the Linville Hotel in town and offered treatment out of his room. Dr. Prettyman was known in the area and had previously offered treatment to the people of Gallatin, Maysville, Carrollton, and other nearby Missouri towns. He claimed to have cured hundreds of chronic cases in his time as a doctor.
Four cows were killed near Maryville due to an electric storm on July 1st. One of the animals was Mike Sturm’s on his farm three miles south of town. The others were in Dr. Dean’s pasture in southwest Maryville and belonged to Marion Ulmer, A.O. Spickerman, and Jesse Perdew. The cows were standing near fences when the fences were struck by lightning. The loss of each cow was around $50 each, since the cows were all of a high grade.
Mary (Terhune) Ware died at her home at the age of 80. She and her husband were some of the first white settlers in Nodaway County when they moved to the area in 1841. In 1846 they moved to Andrew County for better educational opportunities but returned to Nodaway County in 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War.
75 Years Ago: 1951
Lieutenant Governor James T. Blair Jr. spoke at Maryville’s 4th of July celebration. The speech was held at the athletic field of Northwest Missouri State College and included a band concert and an evening fireworks display.
Denver Dan, a professional piano accordionist, appeared in Maryville’s third summer band concert. The performance was held on the east side of the square. Dan was previously featured on radio station KFEQ in St. Joseph. He performed a variety of popular, western, and semi-classical pieces, including the polka. Maryville high school and grade school twirlers also performed in the program.
A flagpole donated by the American Legion post was dedicated for the 4th of July celebration in Hopkins. The celebration took place at Memorial Park. The flag dedication occurred at noon. In the afternoon, a baseball game took place between the Hopkins Yearlings and the St. Joseph Merchants. Rose Alice Hopple conducted a band for an evening concert, followed by a fireworks display.
Hildegarde Fried Dreps won first place in a state-wide poetry contest sponsored by the Missouri Federation of Women’s Clubs. Her poem was “The Heritage of Time.” Because of her win, she would be entered into the national contest, where she would compete against women from across the country. She was entered into the poetry contest as a member of Maryville’s Twentieth Century Club.
Subscription rates for the Maryville Daily Forum looked very different than they do today. Two weeks of deliveries by carrier cost 50 cents. To receive a paper by mail, the Daily Forum charged $5.50 per year, $3.00 for 6 months, or 70 cents monthly. To get the Maryville Daily Forum delivered outside of Missouri, it was $7.00 yearly, $4.00 for 6 months, and $1 monthly.
50 Years Ago: 1976
Northwest Missouri State University’s Speech and Theater Department put on the “Maryville Chautauqua” from June 30-July 1. This public event intended to put on various acts that emulated the Maryville Chautauqua that first occurred in 1906. The events this summer in 1976 were part of the American Bicentennial Celebrations. Students in David Shestak’s summer interpretive theater class gave old-time political speeches, a demonstration of Native American chanting, a “short and epic” silent film, and temperance songs and orations, among other performances.
Graham held their annual Independence Day celebration on July 4th. Events of the day included a church service, tours of the town, and a program including speakers, the singing of the national anthem, and a reading by Opal Talbott. A Bicentennial display was also constructed by students of Nodaway-Holt school in the Graham Community Building.
The application of the Norfolk & Western railway to close the Clarinda Street crossing in Burlington Junction was denied by the Missouri Public Service Commission. The commission said that closing the crossing would cause too great an inconvenience to the public.
Maryville held a celebration for “Uncle Sam Day” on July 2nd. This event served as an opportunity for people to get in the spirit of Independence Day. A special opening was given by the Skidmore and Nodaway County bicentennial committees. The public was able to view the Armed Forces Bicentennial Caravan as well as a children’s parade. The parade showcased a variety of important elements in America’s history: the Wright brother’s first flight, Uncle Sam, John Hancock, and folklore characters Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox.