125 Years Ago: 1901
There was a special election in Maryville to vote on the proposition of issuing bonds. The purpose of these bonds was to pay for paving, gravelling, macadamizing, guttering, curbing, or making other improvements to streets, alleyways, and avenues within Maryville city limits. The bond passed, and many locals were looking forward to the street improvements.
A six-room farmhouse of George Bellows, and occupied by the George Evans family, located three miles southeast of Maryville, was destroyed in a fire. The house and all of it contents were described as a “complete loss”. The fire began at around 10 or 10:30 at night, with the mother and children residing in the house being awakened by it. The loss between the house and the items inside totaled about $700-800 dollars. While this might not seem like much, it is roughly $26,000 to $30,000 in today’s value. The cause of the fire was unknown.
A traveling photographer put up a tent on the corner lot across the street from the Linville Hotel in Maryville and was available for people to stop by to get pictures made.
Maryville announced plans for the biggest street fair the region had ever seen in order to make Maryville the best town of its size in the state of Missouri. The local newspaper called for Maryville residents to make contributions toward the fair.
The Nodaway County circuit court passed a resolution complimenting Sam Browne of Hopkins for the three large portraits he completed of former judges Cyrus A. Anthony, Lafayette Dawson, and W.W. Ramsey, which were added to the circuit court room.
75 Years Ago: 1951
Nodaway Telephone Company manager John Tidd reported that 700 telephones went out of service one morning this week. This was due to a break in the cable on East Third Street and affected the telephones in that area. Phone service was restored to working condition by 11 a.m.
Walter P. Allen, Sergeant Instructor of the 129th Field Artillery battalion, Missouri National Guard in Maryville, was promoted to Warrant Officer, Junior Grade, gunnery instructor.He was reassigned before the local unit’s departure for summer training at Camp Ripley in Minnesota. Allen served with the 3rd Infantry Division during World War II.
Two Northwest Missouri State College students, Mallerd Maune and Roberta Steel, were released from St. Francis hospital after a 10 week stay. The hospitalization occurred because of a residence hall fire that occurred on April 28th due to an explosion. The two students were the last to be discharged following the accident.
Z. R. Alexander, vice-president of the Citizens State Bank in Maryville, was elected president of the Northwest Missouri Bankers Association. The association represented bankers and banks from five counties in Northwest Missouri.
The student union facilities at Northwest Missouri State College moved from the Bearcats’ Den to a room in the Administration building. This was done to create another classroom for the Air Force clerk-typist school, which had begun session a few days prior. The student union had been located in the Administration building until a new building for the center was completed. The recreation activities in the student union were planned by student Terry Noah and Sergeant Robert Craft and included dancing, checkers, cards, pool, and shuffleboard.
50 Years Ago: 1976
Ravenwood held an American Heritage festival, celebrating the history and heritage of the United States. This celebration included a queen contest, baby show, quilt and antique show, parade, variety show, and a spelling bee. Miss Terri Durbin of Ravenwood was crowned winner of the Queen contest. Members of the Literary Progressive Club sponsored a 140-item antique display, which included one of the first tricycles ever made. The Golden Age Club sponsored a “50 states display”, which included information about each state in the country.
The 6th grade class from Nodaway-Holt elementary school received a certificate of merit from President Gerald R. Ford. The class won this award for service to the community and the nation through environmental protection achievement.
Local students Ann Henry from Washington Middle School, Eva Smyser from Sheridan School, and Brenda Tompkins, South Nodaway School were awarded merit certificates for their entries in the Bicentennial Essay Contest. The contest was sponsored by the Friends of the Library at the University of Missouri and the State Historical Society of Missouri Library. The students wrote an essays about a less well-known person from the Revolutionary War.
Maitland resident Debbie Powell won the All-Around Cowgirl award at the Missouri State High School Championship Rodeo. She competed in the Breakaway Roping, Team Roping, and Goat Tying events to achieve her All-Around status. The competition saw a 40% increase in entries from the previous year, meaning Powell was victorious in a more competitive field than those before her. Debbie and Cindy Powell also won first place in Team Roping. Scott Clement of Skidmore, Ed Spire of Maryville, and Patty Talmadge of Parnell won additional awards and represented Nodaway County in a field of competitors from Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.