25 Years Ago
March 6, 1986
The 1986 Ava Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors are Valerie Kempf, Jim Norman, Edwin Hailey, Vi Woods, Larry Dills, Ray Phillips, Kris Norman, John Dickison, Joe Corum and Ralph Calhoun.
Pat Knisell, supervisor of the shoulder pad department at Rawlings, was presented with the Team Effort Award last Saturday night in St. Louis by Rawlings President Robert Burrows. Knisell has been an employee of Rawlings for 39 years, and for the past 22 years has been associated with the Ava plant.
Farris Outlet has moved from the northeast corner of the Ava square to a more spacious building in Barnes Shopping Center just north of the Ava square.
Marvin and Arlee Murray of Thornfield will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday, March 16.
Senior members of the Ava High School boys’ basketball team were introduced at halftime of the Sparta game here on Feb. 21. The seniors are Toby Sallee, Brad Gott, Paul Boyd, Herbie Baxter and Bob Bruffett. The 1985-86 season ended for the Bears in the first round of the district tournament at Republic Tuesday night.
Shaun Donnelly, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Donnelly of rural Ava, recently received his varsity letter award at the U.S. Naval Academy. Shaun is a 1984 graduate of Ava High School and is in his second year at the Naval Academy.
BRIXEY –– Nuel and Vada Mackey attended a music party at Almartha Saturday. Noel and Eugene Gardner were among those who played.
FOX CREEK –– Mrs. Raymond Dobbs, enjoyed having Mrs. Retha Porter visit her Thursday afternoon.
STAR –– Phillip and Randy McFarlin report fishing was good the past week.
50 Years Ago
March 2, 1961
W.R. Trowbridge, president of the A & M Telephone Company, testified in a hearing before the State Public Service Commission last Friday that his company has plans for extending rural telephone service throughout the Ava rural area just as rapidly as feasible. Expanded service scheduled for the year 1981, he said, includes the installation of 200 new services in April, and an additional 200 in September.
What thieves won’t do! Monday night a 1950 Ford was stolen from the used car lot of the Sallee Motor Co. — apparently by some one who was not too much interested in his mode of transportation. The motor head was off the car, and it would not run under its own power. However, it did have four good tires. The car was owned by Milburn Phillips, a salesman for Sallee. It was believed to have been towed away between 9 and 10 p.m.
The name of Allen M. Rankin, a farmer living in the northeast corner of Douglas County, has been added to the national honor roll of the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association.
Mr. and Mrs. Basil Blakey of Kansas City announce the birth of a girl in Kansas City Hospital on Monday, Feb. 20. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and has been named Karen Elaine. The Blakeys have a son, Norman, who is two years old.
Rebekah Sunbeam Club had as hostess Tuesday night Mrs. Leota Gentry.
Observed posted on a tree by the side of Route BB in Ozark County near Hodgson’s Mill was this sign: “No Game Wardens Allowed.”
Groups of boys and girls exchanged aprons and overalls last week to learn how the other half lives. The Agriculture III boys took up cooking for a week under the instruction of Miss Imogene Agee, while the Home Economics girls gunned through a course on “hunter’s Safety,” taught by Wayne Powell, ag instructor, and Wildlife Agent Bob Cook.
Bruce Ousley is a new student enrolled in Mrs. Ellis’ fourth grade room. His father is Wayne Ousley, a state patrolman. His mother is the former Gaylene Cooper. Bruce has been attending school in Willow Springs.
Children in the second grade are having their eyes tested this week. Mothers assisting with the check are Mrs. Robert Kottmeier, Mrs. Cleo McGill, Mrs. Richard Dye, Mrs. Vance Moore and Mrs. Lawrence Plaster.
BROWN BRANCH –– Light rain, light snow, warm days, cooler days, have made up the week. Rain made the McClurg road just what everyone was expecting for the winter. The bread man was stuck in the mud there two hours. On trips to deliver feed the merchant, Lester Adams, brought back gravel to give some solidity to road and parking space.
Farmers Super Market – Yellow Bonnet Raisins, 2 lbs. 39¢; Purex bleach, 49¢ gal.; Van Camp Pork & Beans, 2 1/2 size, 19¢; Armour Star bacon, 2 lbs, 98¢; any brand coffee, lb. 69¢; sale prices good Friday and Saturday; no limit to what you buy.
75 Years Ago
March 5, 1936
Work started this week on Douglas County’s new courthouse. Laborers started Monday morning clearing the site of the new structure on the southeast corner of the square. Trees were cut down and taken off. Other debris was cleared. A tool house and office was constructed. Some delay was experienced Tuesday when teams were not available to start excavation. When completed the new structure will replace what is believed to be the only remaining frame courthouse in the state. The present courthouse was built forty-eight years ago.
Douglas County’s new courthouse will be situated over the site of the oldest dug well in Ava. Workmen clearing the site uncovered the old well, estimated at about twenty-five feet deep with an inside diameter of a little less than three feet. The walls are lined with rock. W.F. Reynolds recollected that the well was dug about 1878 or 1879 by William Thompkins, a miner, for Whit King. Mr. King, deputy sheriff, blacksmith, and later a merchant, lived in a two-story log house on the lot. The log house, Mr. Reynolds remembers, later housed two printing offices, one upstairs and one downstairs. The newspaper plants were in competition with each other and were in the building at the same time.
Business men are cooperating to bring to Ava for a free performance George New, Jr., and his puppets in a puppet play entitled “Mrs. Punch Buys at Home.” Business men are bringing Mr. New and his puppets here in the interest of the community.
A new addition to the Burdett Chevrolet company garage got under construction this week which will double the amount of the present floor space.
Fire believed to have been of incendiary origin covered forty acres of a farm belonging to H.C. McFarlin five and a half miles east of Ava Tuesday, destroying a stack of 200 new fence posts, a rail fence and threatening the McFarlin residence. Mr. McFarlin was in Ava when the fire was discovered by his son, Robert, 18. Young McFarlin was unable to keep the fire from spreading but succeeded in keeping it from reaching the house. The fire burnt to within thirty steps of the house. Mr. McFarlin said he was certain the fire had been set.
Stone to be used in the construction of the new Pondfork forest office to be built half a mile south of Ava on Highway 5 has been quarried the past week from a quarry two and a half miles west of town.
This latest invention in radio equipment enables the rural home to have equal advantages with those equipped with electric service. A De Luxe wincharger will not only keep your radio battery fully charged, but may be utilized to keep your battery in A-1 shape. These machines are available at the low price of $15.00 with any 6-volt Crosley radio battery set. Earl Osborn, authorized Crosley Radio Dealer, Ava, MO.
100 Years Ago
March 9, 1911
As introduced in the Senate the Allee bill, providing for bonds for $8,000,000 with which to construct a new capitol.
Music halls have increased very little in the last few years. Some have gone back to drama. Others have been run partly with drama. Others have gone over to picture entertainments. The picture houses have not immensely added to their own by new buildings.
W.D. Roberts has resigned as first assistant in the Douglas County Normal and Prof. Allen Rothwell, of Springfield Drury College has been employed to take his place. Mr. Rothwell is a young man of good habits and is highly recommended as a teacher.
MARRIAGE LICENSES –– William R. Sprague to Sadie Turner, both of Olathe; B.H. Fulton to Gertie Richards, both of Rome; S.L. Bird to Mary E. Collins, both of Hebron; Kenneth Campbell to Edna Rice, both of Rome.
Twelve times the price paid for the Louisiana purchase, or about $200,000,000, is the value placed on Missouri’s farm crops for 1910.
$85 per acre, irrigated farm, near Denver, one mile from R.R. Station, full water rights, good house, barn, corrals, all fenced. Liberal terms. C.W. Bone Land Co., 5th floor, 1st National Bank Building, Denver, Colo. Send for our list. Special bargains in irrigated lands.
We notice that Mansfield is taking some steps to try to secure electric lights. Mr. Freeman, who owns the mill at that city, is figuring on a dynamo and some wire, and the prospects for electric lights for Mansfield are exceedingly bright at present. We are glad to see our sister town waking up and getting some vinegar in her. We attribute a great deal of this new energy to the live editor who is now running the Press. The town with a dull, draggy, sleepy headed, good for nothing editor, will soon go to sleep and hair over with dog fennel and poor joe. God bless you, citizens and businessmen of Mansfield, support your paper and show your editor that you appreciate his efforts. He is the only real editor you have had since Finis Adams left there.
Dr. Hicks bought Porter Haydens place near Oswego.
Frank Davis has sold his interest in the Ava Grocer Co. to J.H. Hawkins and will retire from the grocery business. This business is now owned and operated by E.E. Simmons, Ira Davis and J.H. Hawkins.
The frog has put in his appearance which is an evidence of approaching spring.
C.G. Voigt has rented the Johnson building on the south side of the square, where the R.L. Story and Co. stock of general merchandise has been, and will put in an up to date lunch room and short order house, with a bakery, confectionery and ice cream parlor.
