Pioneer Press Calamity Jane Days

Pioneer Press

Printed by Bethany Printing Co. August 2015

OF MERCER COUNTY

September 2015 Princeton, Mo.

Price: $1.00

Vol. 3 No.3

Pioneer Press dedicates this issue to Jennie Vertrees Calamity Jane Days

by Randi Ferguson, in 1945, from Princeton Paul Allen, Sarah Jane Jennie Vertrees, High School, in a class and David Charles. She honors Mercer daughter of Alvin Ray of 75, the largest stuis the grandmother of and Tina Mabel (Cous- dent body ever graduatfour young women, County scouting ins) Barnett, was born

March 13, 1928, east of Mill Grove, Mercer County, Missouri.

Hers was an old Mercer County family line, with the Barnett family coming into the county in the middle 1850s, homesteading, clearing land and making a home for family.

Jennie’s younger years were plagued with illness, almost dying at age two with cholera infantum. Her mother’s health was tenacious, and at age eight she laid the corn by in July, and on the weekends in the fall, she picked corn. Her brother, Charlie, and sister, Daisy, worked at educating her at home, and as a result she was moved forward one year during elementary at the Calvert rural school. She graduated

ing from there. Jennie is bilingual, speaking Spanish and German as well as English. Along her early life’s journey, she learned to read and write, and speak German. She has a keen interest in languages of any period in history and has done some work in Gothic, Chaucerian English and Middle High German.

During her tenure in Germany, she helped translate some old German text/writing into Modern English, as many records were destroyed during the war.

On October 21, 1945, she was married to George Eli Vertrees, who died in 1984. In 1949, she received her associate of arts degree from Trenton Junior College (now North Central Missouri College) and in 1955, her

Jennie Vertrees

BA and BSE degrees from Southwest Missouri State University.

Encouraged by George, she received, and accepted, a Fulbright Scholarship for graduate school in Germany, and in 1955-56, attended the Johannes Gutenberg Universidad in

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Mainz, Germany. She was one of 200 students chosen on this second group going to Europe in the exchange program. She received her degree in nursing from Denver, Colorado.

While living in Colorado, she and George adopted three children,

Angie, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth.

Jennie was a preacher’s wife, going where her husband was led to preach. She has worked as a bookkeeper, teacher and nurse, retiring in October 1995 from nursing. She was a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church, going to Bethel UM as a lay speaker in 1989, where she pastored for 18 years, leaving in 2007. During much of this time, she worked as a full time nurse and taught Sunday school at the Methodist Church in Princeton. She worked part time as a registered nurse at Pearl’s II Eden for Elders in Princeton, eventually fully retiring from there. A devout Christian, she continContinued page 2.

Jennie Vertrees

John Wright from our perspective

by Ed King and Harvey Wright (brother) Recently I (Ed) was asked by a friend, who was the most influential teacher during my years at Princeton High School. My immediate answer was John Wright.

I first knew Mr. Wright as Scout Master of Troop 105, Boy Scouts of America. I well remember my first camping trip.

Preparation for the camp out included making tents from muslin waterproofed with melted bars of paraffin, stiff but waterproof. He became my teacher and coach during the eighth grade and quickly earned my respect.

His hands on method of coaching helped me to earn positions on the PHS basketball and football teams.

We were

taught that teamwork was a major factor in winning in sports.

As an example our lightweight, but fast line working together was a major factor in winning two Grand River Conference Football Championships. What I learned about hard work and teamwork from John Wright was certainly a tremendous asset during my 30 year military career.

John Wright was a boy scout leader, teacher, coach, and hero to me during my boyhood years and is one of the greatest men I have known. John was 20 years and six months older than Harvey Junior Wright, the younger brother. Most of what I (Harvey) know about John his first 23 years I heard and read second hand.

John, was born 29 September 1908 the

John Sebastian Wright

first of seven children born to Harve and Nora Wright.

They were farmers all their life in Mercer County until they retired and moved into Princeton, Missouri, thus, John was a farm boy. At six years

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of age, John was helping put up hay and an unfortunate accident happened as he fell through a hay wagon and broke his right leg.

Healing did not go right as his leg never healed correctly, the tendons,

by Kelly Bertrand The Princeton Chamber of Commerce welcomes everyone to the 55th 2015 Calamity Jane Days celebra-

ing a theme. This year’s theme will honor boy scouts and girl scouts of America, focusing on those scouts from Mercer County. However,

Past uniform from the Princeton, Mo., Troop 105

tion. It starts on Friday, September 18th and is completed on Sunday, September 20th. Each year the Chamber of Commerce celebrates the event by highlight-

Submited photo

scout orgainations from other nearby counties will be welcomed too and the chamber extends an invitation to Continued page 18.

Calamity Jane Days

CALAMITY JANE DAYS

ligaments and muscles were so damaged they never allowed the leg to develop normally.

Thus his right leg was half the size of his left leg as an adult. This caused him to have to walk on his toes with that leg, a good three inches shorter than his left leg.

John never considered himself a cripple.

He worked on the farm, played sports and anything else other boys could do and most of the time, better. He was a good hunter (mostly quail and ducks), a good fisherman (mostly rivers) but made a few trips to Canada to fish.

He was good in sports and his best sport was baseball. John, his two brothers, a cousin, Bob Hodge, Sr. and several boys played a lot of baseball and later years Continued page 2.

John Wright

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Friday, September 18 The Tractor Cruise Chamber will be serving pulled pork dinner

at the Senior Center 5-6 PM

and more activites Homemade ice cream

Saturday, September 19 Rotary breakfast Nancy Shew walk Register for the baby show Baby show starts at Kids parade Antique apple cider demonstration Shoot out gang Pie and cookie contest MicOsay dancers Country Road Runners Parade starts at National Anthem Felisha Bertrand All school concert Melodrama Horse shoe & cornhole pitching contests Ambassadors Concert, Christian Church Shoot out KidPower Pedal Pull Childrens games Melodrama Mud Run $10 entry ( 12& under free) Texting contest Talent show

9:00 AM

7:00 am 7:30 am 8:30 am 9:00 am 10:00 am 10:00 am 10:30am 10:30 am 11:00 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:45 pm 2:00 pm 2:30 pm 2:30 pm 2:30 pm 3:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:00 pm 4:30 pm 5:00 pm

All day, live music on Band Stand,

blow ups for the kids, quilt show, vendors,

program honoring the Girl and Boys Scouts

(LAWN OF COURT HOUSE) 7:30 pm Teen dance (ON THE SQUARE) 9:00 pm

Sunday, September 20 Senior Center serving breakfast at 8:00 AM Car show registration is from 9-noon Tractor Pull free entry 2:00 pm and many more activities on Sunday

EVERYONE WELCOME

Page 10 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Airplanes in Mercer County

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Mercer County airplanes: Several local community members were pilots and used their airplanes for work.

by Carol and Paul Branam Mercer County is beautiful from the air.

“Green hills” is an appropriate description, but it’s inadequate to express the truly magnificent view of a live carpet of green and yellow and blue etc. that passes slowly below you as you fly at a couple of thousand feet above Mercer County.

Fred L Holt, who owned and flew a Cessna 172, said “if I decide to sell my farm, I’m going to show it to the prospective buyer from my airplane. It looks a lot better from up there.”

The air power of the U. S. military was dem-

onstrated to Mercer County at least twice.

Jack Mabe flew a B24 bomber low over Princeton in 1942. Orville L. Trainer flew a T33 Jet over Princeton in 1954.

(See TRAINS story) In the early 70s there was a flying club in Princeton. The members of the club were, Harold Webber, Jerrold Taylor, Marvin McKern, Everet Houck, Ron Dean, Clay Collings, Gary Snyder, Carl Wheeler, Glen Miller, Kent Bohr, J.H. Hunter, and Woodrow McHargue. Bob Overton owned and flew a Piper Cherokee for a number of years. Clem Saxton was a pilot. Bill Powell probably used his air-

PALE

We would like to thank the Authors and Supporters of the 2015 PIONEER PRESS

(Owner: Jeff Girdner)

plane for business more than any other Mercer Countian.

Bill was president of Mid-America Dairies from 1968 till 1981. He flew all over the United States conducting business for this very large business. Bill’s wife Joy told me that she frequently accompanied him, and they had flown to Los Angeles, to New York and frequently to Washington D.C. and Chicago. Bill loved to fly, and he accumulated over 5000 hours of flight time We have kept our airplane at the farm from 1966 until it was destroyed on the ground by a tornado in 2014.

What made all of this possible for pilots of Mercer County was the extraordinary experimentation and pioneering work at Kitty Hawk, NC of Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, OH, starting more than a century ago. For those interested in aviation, we recommend reading the 2015 ‘THE WRIGHT BROTHERS’ authored by David McCullough. It is 320 pages of extremely interesting reading and is published by Simon & Schuster, New York and can be reserved at the Mercer County Library.

A perspective: outstanding athletes, coaches, and teams of Mercer County

by Preston Cole, Editor, Princeton PostTelegraph During this writer’s time covering high school sports in Mercer County (December 1972-present), there have been many student-athletes win multiple state championships and/or receive all-state recognition multiple times. Also, some teams have placed in the top four of state competition, and coaches have received recognition from various halls of fame. Here’s a look at accomplishments by players and coaches on MSHSAA-sanctioned teams.

PRINCETON FOOTBALL Several Tigers have received all-state recognition at least twice, led by three-time allstaters Brock Donelson and Vance Purdun.

Earning all-state recognition twice are Nate Craft, Brett Cavanah, David Hart, Russell Slife, Clint Collings, Jeff Power, Jeff Siemer and Steve Renfro. Purdun ended his career in 2010 as Princeton’s single-game, season and career rushing leader.

Princeton teams finished second in the state in 1976, 1978 and 2003, and reached the semifinals in 2007 and 2008.

PRINCETON SOFTBALL Three Tigers have been two-time all-state selections - Jill Stanley, Crystal Robinson and Becca Franklin.

Princeton finished second in the state in 1991, and finished third in 1994.

PRINCETON GIRLS BASKETBALL Four Tigers can claim the distinction of being all-staters twice, led by Princeton’s career scoring, rebounding, assists and steals leader, Stacy Rockhold. The Tigers’ other two-time allstaters are Amy Krohn, Tina Gibson and Teresa Coon.

Also, coach Bill Goodin is a two-time coach-of-the-year recipient.

Tiger teams finished second in the state in 1991, and finished fourth in 1986.

PRINCETON BOYS BASKETBALL Adam Stanley is the Tigers’ only two-time all-stater. He ended his career in 1993 as Princeton’s career scoring leader, and was one of Missouri’s all-time top10 scorers at that time.

PRINCETON GIRLS TRACK Three Tigers have multiple state championships – Myrna Moore (three-time hurdles champion), An-

nie Powell (three-time high jump champion), and Jill Stanley (three high jump championships and one 400-meter championship).

PRINCETON BOYS TRACK Blake Goodin is Missouri’s all-time record holder for male individual state championships with 11 (three in the 800 meters, four each in the 1,600 and 3,200). He’s also a two time all-state performer in cross-country. He is currently a member of the Kansas State University cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams.

Blake’s father Bill is a two time individual champion (880 yards, 2 miles) and was part of a state champion mile relay team).

Tiger teams won state championships in 1975 and 1977; finished second in 1976; finished third in 2007 and 2009, and finished fourth in 2011.

MERCER GIRLS BASKETBALL Sierra Michaelis, who holds every positive Mercer school record imaginable, was a four-time, first-team all-state player during her career that ended in 2013. She is Missouri’s all-time leading freshman scorer, and is the state’s No. 2 all-time career scorer.

Michaelis’ teammate Courtney Owens was also a four-time allstater, twice first team.

Valerie Wilson was Mercer’s first all-stater in 1980, and was a twotime honoree. Other two-time all-staters include Sherry Wilson, Angie Wyatt, Hanah Stark.

And, there’s another multiple-time all-stater who is on the way to making all-state three or four times. Bailey Owens, Courtney’s sister who will be a junior this season, has already made all state twice.

The Cardinals finished third at state in 2013.

MERCER BOYS BASKETBALL Colton Hartley, who graduated in 2013, earned all state honors his final two seasons.

At the end of his career, he held most Mercer career records, ranked third for scoring by a freshman, and was among the top-10 career scorers.

MERCER GIRLS SOFTBALL The Cardinals finished second in the state in 1983.They’ve never had a first-team, all-state player.

HALL OF FAME COACHES *Shane Cavanah, football *Dave Cavanah, football *Jim Phillips, basketball *Dave Niemeyer, basketball *Jim King, track and field *Bill Goodin, basketball

Mercer’s beautiful Girdner Theater

by Larramie Moore and Galt Porter (MHS Students) Louis Girdner built, owned and operated the Girdner Theater in Mercer.

It was located on the south side of the square and west of the Bill Alley grocery store. It was a beautiful building and stood out when

it was lighted every Friday and Saturday evenings. Another theater, located on the east side of the square, was the

Titanic Theater.

In the Girdner Theater, admission for children was 10 cents and adults paid 20 cents. On

Other publications tell Mercer Co. of early Mercer County in terms, largely for FACTOID! glowing its then not-yet -exploited amounts of timber, grass, water and even limestone. I wonder what the first folks here would think now.

Friday nights, the Girdner Theater featured serials (continued pictures). On both Friday and Saturday nights, the theater was nearly always packed. What a sight that must have been! There was surely a lot of energy and movement on those nights! Times are definitely different nowadays as people travel much further than they used to for their entertainment.

In this computer/ electronic age, it’s difficult for us to imagine what it must have been like back in the ‘olden days’! However, folks back in those early times must have had a great time being citizens of Mercer County!

September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 11

The Hamilton family

by Justin Hamilton (MHS Student) Hamilton is a name that has long been synonymous with Mercer County. Over the years several Hamilton’s have lived in Mercer County most of which can trace their lineage back to one man— Archibald Hamilton.

Archibald Hamilton was born on January 29, 1766 in Mongolia County, West Virginia.

Archibald’s parents Henry and Elizabeth Hamilton came to America in 1742 from Ireland. After marrying Susannah Miler in 1792, Archibald spent many years building his family in Virginia.

In 1832 however Archibald and Susannah decided to move their family west. After living in Indiana for a few years, Archibald purchased his first portion of land in Mercer County in 1839. They established their homestead on the farm three miles west of Modena, just north of the Hamilton Cemetery.

Upon first settling in Mercer county, Archibald’s closest neighbor lived where Lake Paho is now located.

As neighbors were hard to come by at the time, Archibald had to voyage all the Way to Lexington, Missouri with his team of oxen and wagon to buy supplies. The family farm supplied most of the

sustenance for family homestead however Archibald still needed to supply many of their needs. In the spring he took furs that were trapped throughout the winter to sell or trade for supplies during the summer months. In the fall he would take bees wax to trade or sell for supplies the homestead needed for the winter.

In 1852, Archibald gave the land for the Hamilton Cemetery where, in the fall of 1855, he was eventually to rest. Following the passing of their father, Jacob and Archibald Jr. continued to operate the homestead and care for their mother Susannah who passed away in the spring of 1874.

Jacob used a portion of the land he inherited from his parents to establish the Hamilton School and in 1905 for the Hamilton Church.

By the time the third generation of Hamilton’s came to operate the homestead many things had changed.

Archibald Jr.’s son Mace was born in the summer of 1871, and he carried on the family homestead. In addition to trapping and farming like his grandfather and father, Mace owned a sawmill that provided lumber to many settlers of the Mercer, Grundy, and Harrison county area. Mace married Nora Power and had seven children who

lived in the Mercer County area for several years.

Most notable of Mace’s son’s was Joe Ervin who was born on August 2, 1899. Joe married Inez Bain and they had ten children.

Joe and Inez’s children in order of birth are: Joseph Randolph (Huck), Howard Eugene (Tom), Edith Rosemary, Nora Deleta, Vesta Nadine, Virginia Coleen, Albert Cloyde (Barney), Keneth Laverne (Scobe), Betty Joan, and Robert Lee. Inez lived on the farm that was homesteaded by Archibald and Susannah Hamilton until her passing in 1874.

Though 176 years have passed since Archibald and Susannah came to Mercer County, the homestead has never been out of the family name. Jerry Hamilton, son of Robert Lee and Jannet (Duncan) Hamilton, currently owns and operates part of his family farm on the land settled

by Archibald and Susannah in 1839. When asked about his long history Jerry said, “It has been an honor to be the next generation of my family to carry on the proud tradition of family-focused farming operation. I hope to leave the land in even better shape for future generations just as my grandfathers did for me.”

When did the first train come to Mercer Co. Princeton? Back in 1871. I think it would be safe to assume that the FACTOID! tracks arrived somewhat before the train. However, if the people who make movies are right, the train could have been right behind the tracks. Guess that’s one thing we’ll never know.

707 West Grant St., Princeton, MO 660-748-3205

A perspective: How religion affects society over time

by Reverend Gary Watkins, pastor, Princeton’s First Christian Church Modern technology and mass communications are developing so fast it is difficult to keep up with. Our ability to travel and be involved in recreational activities is also almost limitless. This has affected so many areas of life especially as it was once known.

Just a few generations back, the city square was packed on Saturday nights with so many making it to town to do their “trading.” I remember my grandparents bringing their eggs and cream to town on Saturday evenings, but it was more than just for the “trading.” The social aspect was very important, for many. It was the only interaction many had with their neighbors and friends. During this time the local churches also flourished with attendance, even if the offerings suffered, and families were dedicated to raising their children in church. Church served a dual role, that of spirituality, and also of social interaction.

Undoubtedly, the struggles and lack of comforts caused a greater reliance on their faith. Not only did faith in a God that provides, and restores and sustains congregations, but it was also a time when the moral code of society was taken from the sacred scriptures of the Holy Bible.

Today, we are in a completely different scenario. We don’t need “social outings,” we can be in contact with our neighbors, our family and friends in other

The First Christian Church stands as an appealing place for worship and prayer.

states, and/or countries by phone, Facebook, Skype, as well as several other methods. If we want to go somewhere we hop in a car and go without much thought. On about any given day, weekends especially, there are a multitude of options available.

With so much to do, so many places to go, more time to go and more disposable finances, the role of the church has taken a direct hit.

Many individuals who were raised in Sunday School and church have neglected to offer the same opportunity to their children, not because they no longer believe, but because they are just too busy with other things.

What effect has this had on society? The Ten Commandments have been banned from public places; prayer banned in public venues, the law of the land has lost all form of absolutes. Morality has been replaced with social acceptability.

How has the church adapted? Some have

TREADWELL CHIROPRACTIC 801 E Main Street - Princeton, MO 64673 (660) 748-4015

embraced the modern technology and are using it for the enhancement of worship. Some have adopted more youth centered activities. But the real struggle for the congregations is the competition for the parishioners’ time.

One thing that hasn’t changed, besides God, is during times of despair or tragedy, people seek God’s deliverance and comfort. All of the modern conveniences have made life easier,

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but for many it has been at the cost of their relationship with God. With so many churches in the area, there is certainly one that will appeal to you, but you will also find a warm and loving congregation ready to receive you into their fold.

Take time to give God a couple of hours every week, and you might just find it to be the best thing for yourself and your family.

Blessings in Christ!

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Page 12 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

The inventive Evoritt brothers

by Guy Earl Evoritt There are very few auto mechanics around who could have said that they had traveled by horseback to service automobiles, and even fewer who could have said that they built a competitive race car. Only my Dad and Uncle could have said that they designed and built the third variable pitch propeller ever to fly successfully in the United States. My Dad and Uncle Kelly, who were in business for nearly six decades,

could proudly say that they had done that.

Since the purchase of their family’s first car, a Reo, in 1913, the young Evoritt Brothers immediately set about discovering how the car’s engine functioned. With their natural ability and interest in the field of auto mechanics, Dad and Uncle Kelly’s father, my Grandfather Bob, soon enrolled them in Sweeney Automobile School in Kansas City, in 1918. They opened a garage in Princeton in

1-660-748-4273

Printed by Bethany Printing Co. August 2015

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Left to right: Pilots Earl Coolman and Bob Dryden, Kelly Evoritt and Guy Evoritt with the mounted Variable Pitch Propeller that the Evoritt brothers developed.

1921, along with their father who ran a wrecker. Granddad operated the wrecker almost until he died in his 90s.

Just two short years after the opening of the business, Dad and Uncle Kelly experimenting with their skills, constructed a race car which they eventually took on the circuit. The car was powered by two four cylinder Model T. Ford engines coupled to make a straight-eight engine. Though the car

had special racing parts added, its unique feature was its four-wheel brakes, a rarity in that day. The car called the ‘Evoritt Special’ was driven by Uncle Kelly from 1923 until 1926.

They won many races at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and several other tracks in the Mid-West. The car was wrecked and Uncle Kelly was injured. Keep in mind that this car had no roll bars or seat belts, only a bucket seat that

looked like a bucket. It was decided by all concerned, and especially Uncle Kelly’s wife, my Aunt Lillie, that racing was to risky, which was truly right.

In 1929 they started working on a variable pitch propeller. Propellers at that time only had one pitch, and it was decided that everyone was looking for a variable pitch propeller that would act as a transmission. After several years work, and

much experimenting, the variable pitch propeller became a reality.

The pitch could be adjusted easily from the pilot’s seat with wheels and cables. Now they needed a plane and pilot to try it out.

On preparing for the first test flight of the propeller on a plane Dad said they sweat blood realizing what would happen if one of the two blades would fly off. The remaining blade could pull the engine from the plane killing everyone on board. Dad mentioned it to the pilot, but he was not concerned. After the first trials were over the pilot started selling rides to the people of the town. More worries.

Two patents were approved. Because the propeller had to be tested by the Department of Aeronautics it was taken to Wright Patterson Field at Dayton, Ohio, and tested on a high powered electric testing platform. After passing the first test Dad and

Uncle Kelly were told that more testing would be required for it to be approved. They were told that the prop would be subjected to continuous higher speed over longer periods of time, and run until the prop would fly to pieces in order to find the weak spots. They said they might have to make as many as 10 new propellers. This was the last straw. All of the finances had come from family and interested friends in Princeton.

This was the end of the venture. The prototype was left at Wright Patterson Field for over a year where wealthy manufacturers were allowed to inspect it.

I never did hear Dad or Uncle Kelly express any bitterness. They would just say it was quite an experience, but, a very unprofitable undertaking. The prototype now resides at the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

GUY EVORITT, 1897 - 1985 KELLY EVORITT, 1900 - 1986

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September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 13 Section 2

Betty Ballew (Scott) George: Mercer County’s “Mrs. 4-H”

Printed by Bethany Printing Co. August 2015

by Vickie and Rick George (daughter and son) For many years, Betty George was 4-H to the youth of Mercer County. Beginning in the 1960s as a volunteer and serving for 20 years as the Youth Education Assistant for Mercer, Harrison and Davies counties, Betty mentored generations of area young people.

She absolutely loved working all the fairs, achievement days and most of all 4-H camps.

Although it was usually the hottest weeks of the summer she often spoke of all the fun and crazy times at camp with her partner-in-crime, Bob Teegarden. It seems everywhere she went there would be someone who knew Betty from 4-H. Many of today’s successful farmers and people in leadership positions throughout the county credit Betty with having had a positive impact on their lives.

She cared deeply for each and every one of her “4-H Kids,” taking pride in their accomplishments, providing support when they were discouraged, and giving advice and guidance as they developed their skills and talents.

Over the years Betty received numerous awards including Honor Mother of the Year Award from the Mother’s Psychology Club, the Outstanding Alumni Award from Princeton High School Alumni Association, and the

Mercer Co. FACTOID!

All this “stuff”about counties and towns started happening a long time ago.

Like in 1845, as far as Mercer County is concerned.

Princeton got started in 1846. In between, I guess, not a lot of business took place.

Green Hills Area Spirit Award. In recognition of her 4-H work she was named “Friend of 4-H” in Daviess, Harrison and Mercer Counties, the Outstanding Youth Education Assistant for the state of Missouri in 1972, and in 2008 she was proudly inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame.

Outside of her work in 4-H Betty was a driving force behind the restoration of the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church and took a leadership role in keeping the annual church homecoming alive for many years. After the church burned years ago, she and husband Herchal McCullough led efforts to raise money to build the pavilion that now sits on the site of the former church. It continues to be used for the annual reunions.

Betty also spearheaded efforts to restore the life-size portrait of her great grandfather, Richard B. Ballew (18221897), a local public servant and philanthropist. The portrait was painted in part by famed Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham and now hangs in the Mercer County Court House. Mr. Ballew was credited with bring-

ing the first stock of dry goods to Princeton, where he owned one of the state’s first department stores, and where he gave the order that no widows or orphans of Civil War Veterans were ever to be turned away.

He was also Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Court judge, and helped establish Princeton’s first bank. Many old-time Princeton residents will fondly recall sledding down “Dickie Ballew Hill” just south of the square (now South Broadway). The hill was so named because the Ballew home was located at its top.

Per his instructions, Ballew was originally buried in an unmarked grave in the Princeton Cemetery. Betty decided that since it had been over 100 years since his death, the statute of limitations had run out on those instructions.

Since she knew where the grave was, she had a monument erected that now marks the final resting place of this Mercer County pioneer.

Betty loved Calamity Jane Days and was a constant attendee and participant, mounting exhibits of her teapots, judging competitions and volunteering in

various capacities. She even took the spirit of Calamity Jane to Nebraska one year when she and Bob Teegarden accompanied a group of 4-H Junior Leaders who were participating in an exchange program there. A favorite family photograph shows Betty dressed as a cigarsmoking Calamity Jane posed against a backdrop of the Nebraska Sandhills.

Even in retirement Betty could not just sit back and enjoy her well-deserved rest. Instead she continued her work with 4-H by returning to volunteer status, judging fair exhibits and demonstrations across North Missouri.

She also continued to pursue her hobby of collecting Hall teapots and gave presentations on her collection at various locations.

It is difficult to describe Betty and her contributions to Mercer County in a few paragraphs. Though small of stature, she was a strong woman.

She not only survived some incredible personal tragedies (three-times widowed), she thrived with grace, humor and an undefeatable spirit.

She was a lady farmer, a caregiver to her

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Betty Ballew George

father-in-law, brother, sister and brother-inlaw. She was a loving grandmother and greatgrandmother to her biological grandchildren, step grandchildren and other “adopted grandchildren.” She never forgot to send a special card to friends and family for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. She literally influenced hundreds of North Missouri youth.

She was born during the Great Depression and was part of the Greatest Generation. Betty passed away on April 2nd of this year and she will be sorely missed.

She was a true Mercer County treasure.

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Mrs. 4-H, Betty Ballew George dressed as Calamity Jane.

A way back “when,” Mercer Co. Mercer County was FACTOID! noted as a producer of apples and molasses.

Those ancient Mercer Countians might not have had any of what we’d call modern conveniences, but they ate pretty well, it seems.

660-748-4486

Page 14 Section 2 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Half Rock, Missouri, Part I. Remembering Half Rock, Missouri, Part II. Hopper and Sons store the growing up years

by Mary ( born in Half lodge. The store was tertainment. Some of was one of four daughby Pauline Schooler A couple of stories have been passed down across the years about how Half Rock got its name. According to one, customers purchased their groceries by buying hundred pound sacks of coffee beans. The people ground their own coffee beans. There were often rocks found among the beans. According to another story, the farmers raised beans. The beans were stomped and dried, and got mixed with rocks in the process.

Half Rock was a small town, but very congenial and friendly. There were two churches, a Christian Church and a Baptist Church. Their members worked together well and as they got smaller they combined their services. They would hold combined services alternating the location each week. A men’s quartet sang at church services and funerals over the coun-

ty for many years. The members were Ray Cooper, Allen Hazen, Lon Golden and Alva Snapp. Later, Kenneth and Ronald McGowan, Bob Stinson and Bob Wilford were the singers when the older group retired.

In the early 30’s, there were several businesses. Fred Hopper had a grocery store (see article on this page) and was leader on the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) locally. This employed several men and helped the town. Ray Cooper ran a cream buying station that was very busy as most farmers had cows. Lawrence Ross ran a blacksmith shop, and Lyde Cooper ran the telephone central office in his home.

The Half Rock community was very social.

During the summer they watched movies projected on the outside of the Half Rock Store. During the winter months, couples played auction bridge

Rock in 1922) and son situated on the hill fac- the farmers were self- ters of Fred and Grace while their children Larry Pollard ing what is now County taught musicians so Hopper. After Fred’s replayed games. They The store that became Road JJ but was known on Saturday evening it tirement from Parkview enjoyed visiting around a community-meeting as Main Street then. was not uncommon for Drug Stores in Kansas potbellied stoves. place was known as The store was typi- a guitar, banjo, fiddle City he moved back to Half Rock always Hopper and Son. How- cal of general stores of or other instruments to Half Rock in 1956 and had a good baseball ever, others owned it their time in the goods appear in an impromp- went back to the store. team. Their games throughout its history. sold. There were gro- tu jam session. Many Carroll, Hazel and Fred against teams from The store’s beginning ceries, boots, gloves times the younger kids operated the store unneighboring towns is vague but Thompson and overalls. The store would clap their hands til 1967 and closed up played on Sunday after- Cooper owned it, then also sold gas, bulk oil, and dance sometimes after business dried noons and were always John Cooper eventu- kerosene and repaired receiving pennies or up. After the passing competitive. ally known as Hunt and tires. In the side room even nickels to spend of Fred and daughter Children from the Cooper General Store attached to the east side on candy and soda. Hazel, Carrol Clark, Half Rock area at- and after that by Nate of the store feed was On special occasions a known to everyone as tended Lyons School. Brittain General Store. stored for sale. There movie would be shown Bush, signed the buildMost years there were In addition to being a was a creamery across on the west side of the ing and property over between 30 and 40 general store it was also from the store. Farm- building. It was not un- to Bill and Mary Susan students. One teacher the post office. ers would bring their common for traveling Pollard. Mary Susan taught all eight grades In 1916 Thomas cream in to be tested salesmen making their was another daughter of the elementary Hopper and his son and sold. The last per- way through rural vil- of Fred and Grace Hopschool.

Fred acquired the store. son to own the cream- lages to bring and set per.

The Half Rock Cem- In 1919 the wood frame ery was Ray Cooper. up movie equipment In 1997 the building etery was located near building burned to the Eggs and poultry were for outdoor shows. In became the property of the Christian Church. ground. The store was brought in for trade or Half Rock locals would Kiera and Larry PolAn annual reunion and important to Half Rock sale. gather with their lawn lard. The roof was gone decoration of graves and the surrounding Business was usu- chairs or blankets to as well as the north was held on the second area. Thomas and Fred ally steady during the watch a movie being wall and the building Sunday of June. Every- with the help of com- week but Saturday was shown. A bed sheet was dangerous to be in one brought and shared munity volunteers and the big day for shop- tacked up on the store and around. In 2004 baskets of food. This the Odd Fellows Lodge ping, trading and so- wall became a movie the building was taken annual homecoming is #465 rebuilt Hopper cializing. Storytell- screen. down. Once a landstill held today as those and Son adding a sec- ing and gossip was the Carrol and Ha- mark, it still holds fond of us who have fond ond story where the ‘Facebook’ of their day zel Clark eventually memories for many memories of growing Odd Fellows had their but there was also en- owned the store. Hazel folks including us. up in Half Rock enjoy reminiscing.

The Barnes abandoned cemetery near Half Rock, Part III

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What does Russia and Mercer County have in common? Why, a “community,” let’s call it, named Moscow.

Actually, Mercer County had “Old Moscow,” but I doubt anyone would complain if you’d just call it Moscow. Another little town that didn’t make it.

The world would probably be a safer place if the big Moscow didn’t make any more waves than the Mercer County one did.

by Mary Stiles The Barnes Cemetery is located in Medicine Township on Route JJ. The road leading to the cemetery is marked by a sign reading “Barnes Cemetery, 1846-1928”. Kathy Hammond painted and was responsible for putting the sign up.

I lived in Medicine Township for many years and did not know there was a graveyard in that area until I saw the sign. I also was not aware of when the concerned citizens got together in 1983 and made plans to clean it up. My husband Bills’ grandmother’s maiden name was Mary Ata Barnes which

sparked my interest in cemetery in bad weaththe Barnes Cemetery. er impossible. The last Since then I have been recorded burial was there several times and that of Samuel Batson have taken other rela- in 1929. tives there.

The road leading to John V. Barnes and the cemetery and the wife Susanna settled in fence around the cemMedicine Township in etery were not main1844 and were the first tained so both the road recorded settlement and the cemetery bein that area of Mercer came part of a cow pasCounty. John V. Barnes ture for many years. donated the land for the John V. Barnes and cemetery in 1846. The wife Susanna were the first burial was their parents of six children. daughter, Susanna who Their fourth child John died April 26, 1846 at B. Barnes is Bill Stiles’ the age of six. There great grandfather. His is an earth depression daughter, Mary Eta on the southwest cor- Barnes married John ner of the cemetery that Michael and they were was once a stagecoach the parents of Nella Miroute. When the rail- chael who married Don roads were built in this Stiles. area they came through Shortly after Mary Harris and Spickard Eta married John Miand made the stage- chael her entire family coach route obsolete. moved to Oklahoma in This left the Barnes a covered wagon. This Cemetery in the middle was probably around of nowhere with only a 1895 so none of the lane through a cow pas- John B. Barnes famture leading to it. ily was buried in the To get to the Barnes Barnes Cemetery.

Cemetery from JJ, you In 1967 Ray and have to open and shut Mabel Barnett did a gate, cross a cattle a tabulation of the crossing and drive one- Barnes Cemetery and half mile through a cat- listed 267 burials. The tle pasture that is over 1985 cleanup found 15 run with trees and additional stones one brush. The road is in of which was Susanpoor condition and that na Barnes, wife of John makes driving to the V. Barnes. C. J. Ander-

son found the 122-yearold stone. It was six inches underground using a metal probe. Mrs. Blanche Blagg, a direct descendent of Susanna and John V. Barnes had their gravestones cleaned and reset.

Going to the Barnes Cemetery is like a step back in time. It is located in such a remote and lonely area. The graves are old and the inscriptions are hard to read.

Some of the graves are turned over and it was thought that vandals were responsible.

Harold Minshall who went to check on the grave of his great uncle George Owens thought the vandals were probably deer.

Eunice Ross owned the land leading to the cemetery.

She fenced off the road leading to the cemetery and did not want it reopened. It took two years and a court order to get permission to reopen the road. Eunice must have loved the area as she is buried in the thick timber near the entrance to the cemetery.

She also must have hated strangers passing through her land.

September 2015 Princeton, Mo.

Elmer Meinke builds first freeze-proof stock tank in Mercer County

by Karla Meinke Elmer Meinke came to Mercer County from Crete, NE in 1942. As a young man he accompanied his mother, father, brothers and sisters. One of those brothers was Pete Meinke, my husband, Kenny’s, father and so Elmer was Kenny’s uncle. During his life in Mercer County, he married Lorene Bohr and they had their first of six children in 1954. Also, he had an idea! “I thought there ought to be a way to forget about the labor and time involved in cutting ice to keep water open for my beef cow herd during cold winter weather,” he said. He found an answer with his invention of an insulated concrete stock tank using water supplied from a farm pond. The winter of 1952 the temperature dropped to as low as -9 degrees yet Elmer’s stock tank allowed the water to keep flowing.

Elmer’s tank was well insulated by using a double wall with a dead air space. It was supplied with an automatic float valve and trickle overflow pipe. Under normal

Submited newspaper clipping

Elmer Meinke stands by his freeze-proof stock tank he invented for his cattle

conditions, with 8 feet or more of water in the pond, the overflow pipe would run continuously. The overflow pipe had a 3/8” hole cut in the tank about one inch under the water level. This has a twofold purpose. It lowers the water level in the pond, so there remains an air pocket between the ice and water, which supplies oxygen for fish and gives further insulation for the water keeping it at a higher temperature. A hole this size in a 1/4-acre pond would lower the water level one foot through the winter if allowed to run continuously. A tank of this kind takes around 1 1/2 cubic yards of concrete, plus insulation material and a retain-

ing wall. According to Elmer, the cost at the time of construction was about $ 100. This is a permanent type water tank. It doesn’t need a pump, motor, tank heater, fuel, labor, or cutting ice in winter.

Elmer was a member of the local Balanced Farming Association and he put his freeze-proof stock tank to work on his farm in 1952. He had found a cheap source of supplying a constant supply of water without additional labor or expense.

With 100s of farm ponds in the county, a tank of this kind has been used to advantage in many applications as a dependable yearround source of water. And, the tank has an advantage in sum-

mer as well. Since it protects the water from direct sunlight, the water temperature stays cooler.

So lets fast-forward some 63 years. There are many new and easy ways to keep cattle herds in clean, safe water. Yet, if you look at the natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) website, you’ll see there is still a “Concrete Freeze-Proof cattle watering system that is little changed from the concept Elmer introduced. Meanwhile, Elmer and his family moved to Iowa to farm in the early 1960’s, his farming legacy continues today with his son Curtis and grandson Mitchel still farming in Iowa.

Moore Brothers prepare for a day’s work in the field

by Brenda and Steve Moore, (grandchildren of Freddie Moore) Freddie Moore, Harry Moore, Harlan Moore and Johnnie B Moore appear in the picture from left to right. The brothers were getting ready for a day’s work in the field. They were each

northwest of Princeton in the Pleasant Ridge area. The Moore brothers were very proud of their horses. Like many owners they gave them names. Freddie Moore named his horses Maude and Trim.

In the early 20th century horses were a very valuable assest on the farm and were essential

Submitted photo

Day’s work in the field: From left to right, Freddie Moore, Harry Moore, Harlan Moore and Johnnie B Moore get ready for a day of work.

equipped with a team of horses and a large hat for protection from the sun. The brothers were four of fourteen children whose parents were Norman Moore and Janie (Covey) Moore. The picture was taken on the Norman Moore farm

for the farm operation.

The brothers as well as most farmers required the use of their horses for cultivating, planting and harvesting crops.

At the end of the day the brothers believed that the most important thing was to properly care for their horses.

They made sure the horses had plenty of grain, hay, and clean water. They knew this would keep the horses strong and able to work the next day. When the Moore brothers were

married they each received a team of horses from their father as a wedding gift. This gesture motivated them to continue farming and to settle in a nearby community.

Page 15 Section 2

Farmer Ulysses S. Grant Booth

by Kierstin Davis and Brooke Duckworth ((MHS Students) Born February 28, 1865 just at the end of the Civil War, just before the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and at height of General Ulysses S. Grant’s national popularity. Ulysses S. Grant Booth was the seventh son of Thomas & Elizabeth Booth. His occupation included farming, and he enjoyed hunting and fish-

ing. He was known for his story telling abilities with his grandchildren.

Booth was married two times.

He and his wife Mary Ellen had nine children. These children’s names included Nora Adel, Emmett Leroy, Iva Estes, Bonnie Helen, Howard Romain, Walter Raymond, Myrtle Marie, Dorothy Pauline, and Clyde Austin. He had no children with his second wife, Louisa. Booth lived a long life and

Mercer Co. FACTOID!

died January 15, 1949, after a stroke. He is buried in the Cain Cemetery, Mercer County, MO. We chose this gentleman to research and write about because o his name. It caught our attention, especially because General Grant later became the U.S. President!

Since Booth had such a name like that we thought he had to be an interesting individual and worth your knowing about.

Mercer County was once involved in a war where no one was even hurt...

Page 16 Section 2 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Growing up country--in Eastern Mercer County

By Bill C. Brantley Had I known Bob Kauffman was going to ask me to write this, I would have kept better notes. My sister, Wanda, and I grew up on a farm in eastern Mercer County. Back then it was known as the “Brantley community” because it had been settled by Brantley ancestors who first moved here from Indiana in the 1850s. Besides my Dad, Wm. J. Brantley, there was his brother, Uncle Earl Brantley and others, including: Harley Brantley, Loren Brantley, and Brantley Miller.

There was also the Brantley Church, Brantley School, and the Brantley Cemetery--the only one of those that still exists.

For grades one through three, I attended the

one-room Brantley School, which was located a mile south of Dad and Mom’s farmstead. Big sister Wanda Brantley Goodin saw that I got there safely.

Back then, with no kindergarden--we started in first grade. The only thing I recall about that year was that my classmate Johnny Michael and I used to cry over who got to sit on the teacher’s lap.

Wanda and I either walked or rode horseback to school. But after three years, my folks decided I should go to school in Princeton. So I got to ride the bus with Wanda, and many other childhood friends from eastern Mercer County.

Socials at the Brantley Church sometimes included homemade ice cream. P.D. Miller had a five-gallon hand-

crank freezer--the size and difficulty in turning that still stick in my memory. But the results were well worth the muscle needed!

Dad was not much for farming with horses, so was an early adopter of tractor power. First tractor I recall was a Fordson that was replaced with a John Deere Model B in 1939.

I recall Dad saying the “B” cost $900, and it took a whole truckload of hogs to buy it. It was a thrill for me to set in Dad’s lap to learn to drive the “B”. He’d let me steer it from one side of the road to the other, correcting only at the last minute before I drove into the grader ditch. I still recall those tracks of the tricycle front tires in the dirt road leaving a serpentine pattern from one side of the road to the other.

One of the happiest days growing up was when the REA poles went up and they finally turned on the power--a much better option than the old 24-volt Delco gas powered unit that provided only enough current for lights.

First appliance Dad and Mom wanted was a refrigerator, so we did not have to run to the cave for ice every time he wanted a cold ice tea. Later a pump in that cave gave us running water to replace the hand-crank cistern pump we had used for

Submitted photo

From left to right: Dixie Laws Moore, Robert Morin, Paul Dragoo and Julia Shew Evoritt.

About good friends

Submitted photo

Bill Brantley posing behind his dad’s 1941 Ford Sedan.

years.

I learned to drive the Model A Ford before I was old enough for a license. Dad took me out in the pasture where there were fewer objects to hit. Later, a 1941 Ford replaced the Model A, which became my car to drive two miles to route E to catch the school bus.

Good neighbor--in route to catch the bus one morning, a new snow had left drifts along the ridge road.

Kid-like, I decided to “cut” the corner and make a new path. BAD IDEA, I got stuck and had to leave the “A” and walk to meet the bus.

Returning home, I expected to have to walk home. But to my surprise, the Model A was parked at the bus stop right where I normally left it! Philip Wendt, who traveled that ridge road daily to “hay his cows”, had pulled the “A” out and parked it in the usual spot!

That old model A was a great car--I drove it to meet the bus til I finished high school, and I never cut any more corners in the snow to create more work for good neighbor Philip.

Dad took pride in his Angus cows; and that herd provided our livelihood. He never had any registered cows, but always bought a good bull to sire the calves.

For years Wanda and I showed 4-H club calves which usually did well when judged at the county fair. We never bought calves from outside the herd to feed

out--just selected good ones from our herd.

First paying job.

Neighbors Roy and Gene Brown needed help baling hay one summer and offered me my first job. They had a Case wire-tie baler pulled by a tractor. I was one of the two guys who sat in back, poking wires through wood blocks that separated the bales as they went through the chute.

It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

And it was a good way for me to learn how to work for pay!

by Julia Ann Shew Evoritt Country kids growing up and going to a Rural School were very protected from what life is like today. That is the way we grew up attending the Greenwood School. Four of these students were special friends, Robert Morin, Paul Dragoo, Dixie Laws (Moore) and Julia Shew (Evoritt).

We had different teachers in our one room schoolhouse during our time attending. They had to build a fire in the stove the first thing on a winter morning. Water was pumped from a well and brought in, and there was a dipper in the bucket. The teacher, besides her teaching duties, had to do all of the janitor work. Several teachers stayed through the week at the Morin’s house as

it was near the school.

We all four graduated from the eighth grade in 1945. Robert and Dixie went to Ravanna High School, and Paul and I went to Princeton High School. Our High School Graduation was in 1949.

Robert married Mildred Bruce, Paul married Rose Lee Kincade, Dixie married Ames Moore (now deceased) and I married Guy Earl Evoritt.

Each year we have a Class Reunion from our 8th Grade Graduation, which was 70 years ago. We take turns going to each other’s home for our reunion. Robert lives in Dallas Center, Iowa, Paul lives in Boone, Iowa, and Dixie and I live in Princeton. We have had a reunion every year for 17 years.

The above is a picture of the way we look now.

Millemon Mathematics Award rewards good math aptitude

by Jessica Phelps and Whitney McFee (MHS Students) Many Mercer people know about the Millemon Math Award, but most haven’t looked into the family’s past. George Ray and Lou Millemon had four children while living on a farm northeast of Princeton. The children were Fred Ray, Mary Rebecca, George Sherwood, and Ella Louise. Later the Millemons moved to the Upper Girdner community north of Mer-

cer and had their fifth and youngest child, Ruth Marie. George Sherwood, their third child, graduated from Mercer. Math was his favorite subject. He married Juanita Wilson and they lived in Illinois for a while. They later moved to Bethany where Juanita passed away in 1996. George’s nephew, Dr. Sherwood Malcolm Snell, was named after him and currently resides in Indiana.

As students from Mercer, it is an honor

for us to take the Millemon Math test. This test, given twice a year, rewards good math aptitude. We get to show off our math skills and get compensated if our scores are the highest in our class! We want to express our sincerest gratitude to the Millemon family. Also, we do hope you ‘ll have a better understanding of the family responsible for helping to encourage students to become more proficient in mathematics.

Walter Graves killed Mr. Wil-

Mercer Co. son. George Owens shot himFACTOID! self. Martin Toots hanged him-

self. Fred Jones was stabbed and died. Adam Bower killed his own (drunken) father.

September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 17 Section 2

Dykes Brothers provide service to Mercer County

by Marian (Dykes) Moore (granddaughter of Maynard Dykes and a great niece of Glasco Dykes) Brothers Maynard Dykes and Glasco Dykes grew up on a farm in the Pleasant Ridge area northwest of Princeton.

After graduating from college they returned to Mercer County to farm and work at other jobs.

Maynard became a teacher and taught in the rural schools in Mercer County for 49 years. Former students stated that he was one of the best teachers in the county especially in the subjects of math and geography. Although he was strict his students admired and respected him. He was also known to have a great sense of humor.

Maynard served as a

Glasco Dykes

deacon in the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church and as a part time preacher when they needed one. He and his wife often hosted a Sunday dinner after church at their home.

The minister and members of the church were always welcome. They

Submitted photo

sent food home with those who were needy.

After moving to Mercer in later years Maynard served as a treasurer of the Mercer Baptist Church and as a teacher of the men’s bible class.

He also faithfully rang the church bell every Sunday morning.

since 1978. Pearl has enjoyed every aspect of the organization. She joined P.E.O, due to the significance and importance of the organization’s beliefs as well as the age diversity of the organization. The other members currently in the Princeton P.E.O. Chapter include: Maureen Funk, Elizabeth Boxley, Bobbi Myers, Debby Eastin, Cindy Yungeberg, Terri Moore, Sara Howsden, Harlene Dougan, Wanda Goodin, Helen Gamet, and Joslyn Wise. Some members have retained their memberships in the Princeton BY Chapter even though they have moved away. They are Merideth Peace, Ellen Gordon, Judy Travis, and Callen Rapp.

The Princeton P.E.O. chapter enjoys getting involved with the community by being active in the educational programs in Mercer County.

Throughout the years the Princeton chapter has donated books to the Princeton Elementary, High School and Mercer County libraries. The Princeton P.E.O. also sponsors the Mercer County Youth Theater Workshop. Last year, the Mercer County Youth Theater Workshop was held in the Mercer High School and was very success-

Submitted photo

Glasco was a judge of the Mercer County Trainer had visions of flying over Princeton as a jet fighter.

Court for five terms and was elected as a rep(A repeat of 2014 done 11 years earlier. resentative from Merstory to include porAfter refueling at cer County to the Mistions omitted) KC, my co-pilot, Roy souri state legislature by Orville Trainer Gentry, and I took in 1916. He was also I grew up on a farm off and within mina member of the Princ- near Modena. I attend- utes we were hovereton Christian church. ed a one-room country ing over Princeton. I school and then gradu- could see the Postated from Princeton Telegraph building. I High School where I saw a man leave his got to be quarterback car but couldn’t idenon the football team. I tify him until 30 years then attended the Uni- later when I discovered versity of Missouri so it was Max Shaffer.

We made several that I could qualify for pilot training in the US passes through town Air Force. at various close ranges Earlier in 1943, I and also did a few other had heard how Jack maneuvers, including Mabe of Princeton had flying straight up and flown a B-24 bomber diving straight down, and dropped bombs only to pull up without over Germany until becoming dangerously he was shot down and close. became a prisoner of After the Princwar. However, just be- eton experience, Roy fore Jack went to Eu- and I flew on to Derope, he got the oppor- troit and then back to tunity to fly his bomber Little Rock, spending over Princeton and it the night with Roy’s became the ‘talk of the folks. Roy was in the town’. As a young pi- front cockpit and he, as lot I had visions of do- I did, buzzed a big lake Submitted photo P.E.O. stars: P.E.O. installs a star by each deceased member’s ing the same as Jack near Little Rock and grave. only in a jet fighter. we saw some folks dive By 1952, I was a out of their boats as we ful. The BY Chapter sented in forty states. also sponsors a high The college has a mis- qualified pilot and was flew low overhead.

From there we reschool senior STAR sion to ensure that all hoping to do some Scholarship nominee women are successful combat flying during turned to Clovis Air who competes for na- in their endeavors fol- the Korean War. How- Force Base.

Many of the folks in tional scholarships. lowing college. The ever, I never ever got the They recognize excel- Princeton Chapter has opportunity to test my Princeton were excited lence in leadership, been particularly sup- flying skills under pres- and thrilled that I was community service, ac- portive of two students sure. Nevertheless I got able to greet them in my to fly the T-6, the T-33 ademics, and character. from Kosovo.

Scholarships, grants, Throughout the and the F86 planes at and loans may be pro- years, P.E.O. has kept Clovis Air Force Base vided through the its original goal and in New Mexico. One P.E.O. as well. In 1927, continues it strives to day my commandthe P.E.O. Sisterhood get educational oppor- ing officer asked if I’d received the Cottey tunities for women. The like to deliver a T-33 College as a gift from organization is expand- to Detroit and to refuformer member Virgin- ing membership and el in Kansas City. He ia Alice Cottey Stock- chapters throughout the knew my home wasn’t ard. The Cottey Col- United States and the too far from K.C. and lege is an independent, world. Using modern I’m confident he knew liberal arts and sciences techniques as social I just might like flying school in Nevada, Mis- media, P.E.O. is help- over my home town of souri for women. Cot- ing women locally and Princeton. He was so tey College is a college throughout the world right and here was my of roughly 350 students to achieve their dreams. golden opportunity to do as jack Mabe had that is normally repre-

Princeton P.E.O. Chapter

by Taylor Hunnicutt (PHS Student) Last year, 2014, the Princeton P.E.O. Chapter BY celebrated its hundredth year anniversary. The Princeton P.E.O. Chapter was organized on October 31, 1914. The Princeton chapter still has regular meetings and is part of an international organization that works to encourage all women to reach their educational goals.

Seven students attending the Wesley College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa founded the Philanthropic Educational Organization Sisterhood January 21, 1869.

The students started this organization with the common idea to help women reach their educational goals and to get women equal educational opportunities.

Another goal of P.E.O. is to maintain and create long-lasting friendships. Members have to be invited by at least three members to join and have to go through a process in order to get into the P.E.O. There are now a quarter of a million members and over six thousand chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Currently, there are seventeen members in the Princeton chapter.

The current president is Pearl Scurlock who has been a P.E.O. member

Maynard Dykes

Buzzing Princeton

Submitted photo

plane that day. However there were a few who were very frightened and complained to the Mercer County Sheriff. Sheriff Clay George made a visit to my dad’s business in Princeton and expressed his concern about the matter. Dad knew what I was up to and thought it was a ‘great’ happening for Princeton He proceded to make it ‘unquestionably clear’ to Sheriff George that the complaints were not justified and that he was offended.

Soon thereafter, I was involved in an auto accident that ended my flying career. Nevertheless, in retrospect, my experience of buzzing Princeton has to be a highlight and a very memorable event in my life.

I will never forget or regret it and would have done it again had the opportunity prevailed. The Air Force authorities never reprimanded me for the buzzing, which had been reported to them.

I never lost my pilot’s license and was never court-martialed or kicked out of the Air Force.

Submitted photos

Joe Dale and Mary Casteel Linn, founders and publishers of Vol. I Pioneer Press.

Page 18 Section 2 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Mercer homecomings; A recent history

by Trey Wilson and Ashley Conwell (MHS Students) The Mercer Homecoming is held each year over Labor Day Weekend. It is a three-day event that starts Thursday evening with a carnival, featuring rides and many games. On Friday through Sat-

urday there are entertainers, the crowning of Miss Mercer, and a cakewalk. Also, there is a pet show, the always crowd favorite pig - wrestling event, tractor pulls, a baby contest, a children’s parade, an adult parade, children & adult skits, drawings, and much,

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much more. A church ceremony is held on Sunday. Many people who grew up in Mercer have now moved away.

They still return and attend this big event.

We know from our own personal experiences that this is one of the biggest events that Mercer holds each year. Many people attend. Some folks are not from Mercer or not even from the County. If you haven’t attended a Mercer Homecoming celebration over Labor Day weekend, you should start making plans now to attend the one in 2015 as well as in future years. You and your family should really enjoy the fun-filled family atmosphere the Homecoming activity is bound to provide.

Price family played important role in Post-Telegraph’s history

by Bill Price (son) The Princeton PostTelegraph is the oldest continuing business in Mercer County and my family played an important role in its history -- for 61 of its 141 years.

It began, in 1873, when L.W. Brannon founded the Telegraph.

Ira Ben and Lorene Hyde took over ownership of the Telegraph and published it until 1944, when my father and mother, James W. and Dorothy C. Price purchased the Telegraph and combined it with the Post (“a good thing to tie to”). My grandfather, William Price in 1901, founded the Post. Our family sold the Post-Telegraph in 1962, when I decided to pursue other communication and management opportunities.

Interestingly, Ira Hyde and Jim Price both were graduates of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. The papers were very competitive. College degrees back in the 1920s were rare, particularly for those who came from rural areas.

I was born in 1937, and by the time I was seven years old, Jim and Dorothy had me on the Post-Telegraph payroll along with my sister, Mary Ann, who

had to do clerical duties she never liked. “We are going to teach you the newspaper business from the ground up, Bill. Here’s the broom!”

And they did. By the time I entered college (at the University of Missouri, of course) I was able to perform the necessary duties to publish a weekly edition: typesetting, operating the presses, reporting, selling advertising, and often delivery to various county post offices to make sure the farm population had the paper in advance of Friday sale day.

My grandfather, Bill, made the Post an immediate success in 1901. He was a gifted cartoonist and many issues featured a local personality-always humorously. He knew, too, the more names he published each week the greater the circulation. “500 names in this issue of the Post.

Is your name among them? Call us with your news.” Editor and Publisher magazine named The Post “the best weekly newspaper in the world.” Perhaps, a slight exaggeration?

My dad, Jim, had worked on The Post growing up but had numerous other jobs after his service in

Calamity Jane Days

please contact Kelly them to join in this cel- Bertrand by telephone ebration.

(660-748-4009) or by Past and present email (BERTRAND@ members of Troops 105 GRM.NET) as well as troops from The author of ‘THE surrounding counties LIFE AND LEGENDS will be honored on Sat- OF CALAMITY JANE, urday, September 19th Richard W. Etulain, is at 7:00 PM. The event Professor Emeritus of will be held on the History and Former Princeton Court House Director of the Center steps with a program for the American West, in the Scouts’ honor. the University of New Everyone is welcome Mexico. It is possible to attend. Also, there that Prof. Etulain may will be a display of attend Calamity Jane photographs in the win- Days in September. dows of several busiThe book was pubnesses around the City lished in 2014 by the Square and the photo- University of Oklagraphs will include past homa Press, Norman, and present Girl Scouts Okla. It contains 382 and Boy Scouts. The pages and hardback Chamber is very proud copiescan be reserved to have people like the in many libraries inScouts in our town and cluding the Mercer surrounding areas of County Library, and Mercer County. can be purchased from If you wish to know Barnes & Noble book more information or retailer or other venwould like to be a dors such as Amazon. vendor for this year’s com.

Calamity Jane Days, (Continued from page 1)

Submitted photo

Sale of Post Telegraph: James and Dorothy Price sell the Post-Telegraph after 60 years of ownership.

World War I: advertising manager for the Missouri State Fair, ad manager for Long-Bell Lumber Company, and in advertising sales for papers in Ironwood, MI, Clearwater, FL, Ellwood City, PA, and in Martinsville, VA. In Martinsville, he married a reporter, Dorothy Clift.

In July of 1929, Jim and Dorothy came back to Princeton to take over The Post due to the illness of my grandfather. The stock market crashed in October of 1929. “We did everything we could to keep The Post from going out of business. We traded subscriptions and ad space for farm goods.

Some weeks we broke even but we never had a week in the red,” according to my father.

He said one of his proudest moments was when Henry Beechner, a prominent farmer and Princeton drug store owner and pharmacist, asked him for a $300 loan to keep from going under. Henry had predicted The Post would be the first business to fold during the depression. Jim made the loan.

After the 1944 merger of the two papers, circulation increased to about 3,000 weekly.

“More Post-Telegraphs are printed each week than there are dwellings in Mercer County,” appeared on the masthead. The same operating strategy continued. Pictures replaced the cartoons (the P-T had the latest in cameras and dark room equipment) county correspondents increased “name” coverage. Mercer, Lineville, Ravanna,

Mill Grove, Modena, Cainesville, Harris, and Spickard had columns written by farm wives.

For example, “State Line Items” by Zola Snodgrass was typical – usually four to six column inches of news: “ Mr. and Mrs. John Doe were dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Smith last Tuesday.”

Correspondents earned free “party line” phone service rather than a salary.

The Post-Telegraph was always a Blue Ribbon weekly winning state and national awards. Its content and contemporary layout featured the most modern typefaces and graphics. Jim was always cranky about how the front page looked.

It was his baby and no one was allowed to mess with it.

One of the biggest reasons why the PostTelegraph was so successful was Dorothy’s “What’s Cookin’” column. She featured a human-interest story each week (often pulling at the heart strings).

She combined that with mouth-watering recipes from Mercer County’s best cooks. “What’s Cookin’” was twice named the best column for a weekly newspaper in the United States.

Any publication that lasts for 141 years has high standards, integrity, accuracy and entertainment appeal. The Post-Telegraph with several publishers has always had that. Congratulations to the PostTelegraph for its 141 years. The Price family is proud to have had 61 years of service to Mercer County.

September 2015 Princeton, Mo.

Page 19 Section 2

A big mistake that I have never forgotten

by Williard (Hall) Hart This event occurred sometime in the late 1940s. Avenelle Hart Arnote was one of my older sisters who graduated from PHS in 1947, married Hubert Arnote and for many years worked at the USDA office in Princeton. She currently resides on her farm just south of Princeton.

Mary Casteel Hazelton Linn was one of 10 Casteel children of a Mercer County family. Mary was married to Joe Dale Linn, was Superintendent of Ravanna High School

and coach of Joe’s basketball team, she and Joe were founders of this Pioneer Press, and served as Postmistress of the U.S. Post Office in Princeton. Both Avanelle and Mary were native Mercer Countians and were enthusiastic about PHS sports, attending many events.

All of you who graduated from PHS or the grade school in the past surely remember the sunken gym where we used to play basketball! As background, I was on Princeton’s team and often practiced and played games

in that gym.

Just before one of our basketball games at the Albany tournament a fight broke out in our dressing room between James Buren and Bob Murray. As a result of this scuffle, I was about to come up as the fifth man on the first team. Our coach, Mark Whitaker always told me that I had more desire than ability!

You now have some background and so here’s the main story. One evening when our team was playing a basketball game, our players would jump up on the stage at the

Submitted photos

Left: Mary Casteel Hazelton Linn; Right: Avenelle Hart Arnote

end of the grade school gym and go to the restroom. That evening I noticed my sister, Avanelle, sitting beside Patty Sue Coon, on the top row of the bleachers, which were removable, and placed around the edge of the

Old tractors of Mercer County

by Loren and Lea Hickman Mercer County is a haven for old tractors. This was proven recently when the Princeton Chamber of Commerce sponsored a tractor cruise for Calamity Jane Days. All makes and models were entered including 14 Farmall’s, 24 John Deeres, 4 Allis Chalmers, 1 J. I. Case, 3 Fords, 2 Massey Fergusons, 2 Olivers, 1 Cockshut and 1 Minneapolis-Moline.

Tad Cunningham owns a 1939 Ford, the first model Ford built. Mace Hickman Submitted photo owns a restored 1944 Lea and Loren Hickman taking a cruise during the Calamity Jane Days Parade, it was discovM Farmall purchased ered that Mercer County is loaded with old tractors. by his great grandfather, Charlie Delame- even great grand sons. county. For years it ing). Jim Arnote has a ter, from the Worsham Some we know of are pulled a threshing ma- nice collection of John Truck and Tractor Co. Tom Delameter, a 1957 chine all over. It was Deere tractors. He has in Princeton, Missouri. Oliver from his grand- owned and operated a 1935 B John Deere Dave Remus is the father Alva Cox; Jor- by Clarence Wright, he and Gene Kauffman owner of a 1929 4-cyl- dan Delameter, a 1942 a well-known farmer found in Kentucky. It inder 2850 Hart-Parr. Farmall from his grand- in our neighborhood. is now a fully restored His father, Otto Remus, father, Clay Delameter; David Key of Trenton, ‘beauty’. Jim uses it to in Illinois, purchased Jacob Hickman, a 1945 Missouri now owns pull the Royal Ambasthis tractor new. Dave Farmall that belonged this tractor. The thresh- sadors Band every year has the original bill to his great grandfather, ing machine is owned in Calamity Jane Day of sale dated April 4, Charlie Delameter; the by Derald Delameter. parades.

1929. The list price was Marion Summers fam- It is on display on U. Greg Humphrey, $2,495.00. Otto got ily has their father’s S. Highway 65 south Duane Place, Duane $900.00 on a trade-in 1932 B John Deere. of Princeton (see the DeMoss, Carol Johnof a model 1630. This We had a well-known Gentry story about son, Olin Delameter, tractor pulled a five- John Deere leave our Willie Gentry’s thresh- Brad & Brian Bruce, bottom plow. Dave displays the tractor on his lawn at Christmas time with lights that make it appear the tractor wheels are turning.

This is just one of many tractors Dave has collected.

We have several old tractors that have made their way to sons and grandsons and

sunken gym. I went to the bathroom and then walked behind the bleachers to go to the water fountain. I saw Patty Sue Coon, so I thought my sister, Avanelle, would be sitting next to her. So, as I walked behind the

and Charles Hartley all have nice tractors. We have a tractor that is as old as me (Loren), a 1926 Farmall.

Tractor collecting and restoration has been on the ‘upswing’ the last few years. They have been brought out of sheds, barns, fence rows, and taken into shops, garages, even under shade trees, to be restored to the beautiful tractors we see today at most festivals and parades. This is a disease for which their is no known cure. It’s called TRACTOR FEVER!

bleachers, I reached up through the crack between the two 2”x4” boards, which made up the seat. I ‘goosed’ the person who I thought was my sister. Not so! Low and behold, the rear end I goosed was not Avenelle but was Mary Linn who had slipped in and taken the seat where Avanelle had been. Mary jumped straight up and exclaimed, “Oh, of all the nerve!” Obviously I was extremely embarrassed and apologized over and over ant stated that I thought she was my sister

Avanelle. Mary then said, “Well what a rude thing to do! Do you go around doing that to your sister all the time”? I said “no” and proceeded, red-faced, to the water fountain and got my drink.

In later years when I visited the Post Office, Mary Linn always smiled knowingly at me but was always very friendly from that day on. As a lesson to my misbehavior at that basketball game, I have tried to be more courteous to and thoughtful of others.

by Billy Joe Hart Sometime in the 1800s in Mercer County, Missouri, and as told by Pauline Stewart Thompson.

The original Stewart family lived on a farm on the westbound road out of Mill Grove. This road continued on west into Harrison County and beyond.

Westbound pioneer wagons frequently passed by. The Stewart’s youngest son ‘Christopher Columbus Stewart’ known to all as ‘Little Lum’ was always fascinated by the wagon traffic. He liked to run down to the road

and wave at the people and watch until they rolled out of sight. As ‘Little Lum’ grew older he would ride a ways west in one of the wagons and then walk back home.

Finally one day he never came back! Several years passed and ‘Little Lum’s’ parents finally got a letter from ‘Little Lum’. He was at New Orleans, ready to embark on a slave ship to Africa, but that was the last time the Stewarts ever heard from their youngest son, Christopher Columbus Stewart.

‘Little Lum’ Stewart disappears

Page 2 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Pioneer Press dedicates this issue to Jennie Vertrees (Continued from page 1)

tinues her ministry by the giving of herself every day. She is currently a resident at Pearl’s Residential Care in Princeton.

Jennie is a voracious reader, enjoys her family, writing, handwork, travel, history and genealogy.

She has a natural eye for photography and paints using oil as her medium. Her grandfather Barnett wrote the story of his life, so it was only natural for Jennie to research her roots, taking her back to when her family members stepped foot on American soil. Her Coon family line lived not far from where she went to the University in Germany. She loved to do the research and find the documentation, going to other states

and digging into old records at courthouses and libraries, going to cemeteries and interviewing people.

Jennie is member of the Princeton United Methodist Church, Allied Arts, is a 50-year member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she held every position in her local chapter, Cornelia Beekman, including Regent, for many years. She was a member in Unionville, Missouri, of the Thomas G. Wade Circle of the Ladies Grand Army of the Republic. During her time in LGAR, she served as National President for a one-year period, speaking and traveling extensively. She is a member of the Ragan-Hickman Post 477 Ladies Auxiliary in Mercer, Missouri. For

John Wright and discipline

by Willard (Hall) Hart It was about 1945 just after the conclusion of World War II when I was in the 7th grade. Our Princeton Grade School principle, Miss Gussie Gearhart decided to retire from teaching 8th grade, get married and leave Princeton and so John Wright, former Mercer County Superintendent of Schools, replaced Miss Gussie. That next year when I was in the 8th grade I remember an unfortunate incident happening that clarified for me how Mr. Wright would handle problems.

As mentioned in the above story by King and Wright, I would remind you that Mr. Wright was crippled in one leg and had a very noticeable limp.

However, he managed very well and not many of us ever thought more about his disability.

For those of you familiar with our old grade school building (long gone now), you will remember that the office containing the telephone was next to the 8th grade classroom. The office had a window making it visible to the 8th grade room. The teacher in

the 8th grade was responsible for answering the phone even though it could have been for anyone in the building.

One day the office telephone rang and Mr. Wright went to answer it.

While Mr. Wright was out of the room, one of my classmates, James Buren, decided to get up in front of the class and mimicked and mocked how Mr. Wright would walk, much to the amusement of some of us students.

From that window in the office, Mr. Wright just happened to see James ‹performing›! Mr. Wright quietly opened the door to our class room, walked up behind James, and to the amazement of the entire class and with his crippled knee, kicked James in the rear end, lifting a stunned (and no doubt embarrassed) James clear off the floor. James (nor me or anyone else of my classmates) ever tried such a disrespectful thing again! Mr. Wright was an inspiration to all of us, being especially helpful to boy scouts, athletes and students at Princeton, but his action taken against James Buren made it clear he would not tolerate ridicule and abuse from anyone.

years, she was a board member and volunteer at the Mercer County Senior Center in Princeton. She was a board member for the NW Missouri Area Agency on Aging, and was a representative for the Missouri Silver Haired Legislature, lobbying for senior rights.

She was a founding member of the Mercer County Historical Society and Genealogical Society, President of both, and was a voting member when the two combined. In 199597, she helped edit the 3-volume set of Mercer County Pioneer Traces History Book 1945-1997. For almost 20 years, she wrote a weekly history column for The Mercer County Mirror newspaper in Mercer. Jennie is a board member of the

Barnes Cemetery As- WWII ended). Not letsociation, where one ting the ills of life slow of her unique talents, her down, since her regrave witching, helps to tirement she has white find unmarked graves river rafted in Alaska, of those buried there. and several weeks after She also witches for finishing chemotherawater. Too numerous to py, left on a trip to Hamention, she has been waii. She has also takbestowed many honors, en two trips through the including Grand Mar- Panama Canal, as well shall of Calamity Jane as visiting every state Days Parade in Princ- in the United States. eton, several years ago. She went to Costa Rica It is said that when in 2005, on a Volunteer an old person dies, a in Mission trip through library burns - and Jen- her church, teaching nie is a walking, talk- book binding, a talent ing encyclopedia. She she had learned earlier often says that if you in her life. Always indon’t learn something quisitive, she never let new each day, it is a an opportunity go by day wasted. While in without researching the Mainz, she and her two places she was going to friends, Kay Shafer visit and the people she (Rye Brook, NY), and was to encounter, while Donna Reeves-Mar- there. quardt (Austin, TX), Daughter, wife, hitchhiked all over mother, grandmother, Europe (keep in mind, aunt, niece, teacher, this was 10 years after healer and traveler

- what is left to say about Jennie? Much more than this article can encompass. But the most important of all, a friend. Jennie is a

things. He became a second father to me and I loved it.

The 16 of January, 1937 John married Francis Wilcox from Southeast part of Mercer County, another farmer’s daughter. By that time I had all my brothers married and one sister married so Dad and Mother had lots of help raising me.

They all helped.

From teaching in the Rural Schools of Mercer County, John sought the County Superintendent of Schools position, and served in that position over some 88 different school districts in Mercer County.

John served as the Mercer County Superintendent of Schools from 1939 to 1944.

He then started teaching and administration work for the Princeton School District beginning as the Elementary Principal and later as High School Principal.

John served as the first Boy Scout Master of Troop 105 beginning in October 1938.

Records show that the Princeton Rotary Club was the sponsor of the Troop. Soon after the Troop was admitted to the Pony Express Council of St. Joseph, Missouri.

During the 1930 and 1940 years, John was very busy teach-

members of the Wright Family. Some became Christians and others, members of First Baptist Church of Princeton, Missouri. John became a boys Sunday School Teacher soon after. This action helped the Wright Family face the unexpected death of John Wright at the age of 42 December 22, 1950. John suffered a massive heart attack while hunting quail 17 miles Northwest of Princeton with me and

John Wright (Continued from page 1)

that developed into a lot of town teams.

After graduating from high school he started teaching in the rural schools of Mercer County, then in the summer he would go to Northwest Missouri Teachers College in Maryville, Missouri and this adventure took him nine summers before he graduated.

There, he also improved his baseball skills under Coach Hank Iba, longtime Coach at Northwest and later Coach at Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma.

He never quit playing baseball from town to town as a pitcher and during those years he had many invitations to try out for professional baseball teams but on the advice from his Coach Hank Iba he never heeded their call.

From an educational perspective he also received his Masters Degree in Education from Greely College in Greely, Colorado.

In the mid 1930’s I became more aware of my brother, John as I invited myself to be around him, to go watch him play baseball, to go hunting and fishing with him and he seemed to like the idea because all the time he was teaching me how, what and when to do

ing, coaching and being available to the youth of the community. These years were also the time when he was pitching baseball every week from late spring to early fall for the Princeton Baseball Team, always a very good baseball team.

John was invited many times to pitch for other teams when they had a BIG Game coming up.

1949 was a very important year for John Wright and several

friend to all with whom she comes in contact, always leaving the door open for another learning experience.

I was thrilled and honored when asked to write this article about Jennie. As she never fails to tell people, our families have been friends for over 150 years (160 now!)

Around 29 years ago, Jennie moved home from Colorado, and I moved back from Kansas City, into the Princeton area. We edited the Pioneer Traces history books together - both of us about losing our eyesight, as we were working long hours at night. It seems we’ve lived in each other’s pockets since that time. She stayed in the hospital with me during two of my surgeries and I stayed with her during one of hers. A day didn’t go by that we didn’t talk on the phone to each other. She was with me at the death of my mother in 2000, my brother in 2004, and my daughter in 2014. I was one of the lucky ones, who traveled with her into many states doing genealogy research. On the first anniversary of my mother’s death, we loaded up her car, drove to Bethany, where she traded for a newer car, and took off, just taking the road to wherever it led. My most memorable trip with her was when we traveled the Santa Fe Trail in 2003, stopping at old forts, museums and doing family research along the way. For some reason, both of us were using canes at the time, and we crawled through Native American ruins in New Mexico and Arizona, before returning home. What a site that must have been!

Jennie and I don’t always see eye to eye on things, but we listen to each other’s arguments and come out learning something new and different from the exchange. She has broadened my horizon, given me different perspectives on some things in life, and has always, always, been there when I needed her. I read a poem once, Give Me Flowers While I Live, well, Jennie, here is your bouquet. Love you my friend. Randi

a friend Berton McVay. The family was not aware of any health problems John may have had as he pitched 26 baseball games the past summer of 1950.

John’s life was given to serving, teaching, helping others along life’s way. Many times through the years I have heard many a man say how he was helped by John’s teaching, coaching, encouragement or his life as an example to follow.

2015 PIONEER PRESS This publication is sponsored by the MERCER COUNTY GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY and is produced in conjunction with the Princeton Chamber of Commerce’s annual Calamity Jane Days. The Society greatly appreciates the financial support of advertisers, the financial donations received during paper distribution, and the efforts of the authors (especially the Mercer High School & Princeton High School students) providing excellent stories. The Society is also appreciative for efforts of the staff that are responsible for the publication.

2015 PIONEER PRESS STAFF Electronic Computer Formatting: Angela Ragan, Republican-Clipper, Bethany, MO. Advertising Designs: Rebecca Henly, Madison, WI. Layout, Formatting and Publication: Jim Avey, Princeton, MO. Paper Distribution & Donation Receipts: Diane Gregory, Princeton, MO. Collection of Advertizing payments: Marcie Davis, Princeton, MO. Mercer High School Student Story Coordinator: Angie Michaelis, Mercer, MO. Princeton High School Student Story Coordinator: Maureen Funk, Princeton, MO. Pioneer Press Coordinator: Bob Kauffman, Madison, WI. Special thanks to Bill Matteson, Liberty, Mo., for editing the stories.

Note: For those interested in either advertising or submitting stories for the 2016 Pioneer Press, or if they have concerns or complaints about this issue, they should contact Bob Kauffman by email: RGKAUFFM@WISC.EDU; by cell telephone 608-770-8383; or by U.S. mail ,21207 Highway FF, Princeton, MO 64673.

YEARS VOLUME 1966-1986 I 2008-2010 II 2013-2015 III

NUMBERS NAME 1 -21 LINN 1-3 LOWREY 1 - 3 KAUFFMAN

Page 20 Section 2 Princeton, Mo. September 2015 Printed by Bethany Printing Co. August 2015

One hundred and three!

by Maddie Enright (PHS Student) Mildred Snow was born in Gentry County, Missouri, in December of 1911. If you are good at math, you will quickly realize that she is 103 years old! Mildred has been alive to witness the first television and radio broadcasts, World War I and World War II, the Great Depression, the rise and fall of Hitler, and she even got to witness the great Franklin Delano Roosevelt be the president.

Mildred lived on a farm with her mom, dad, sister, and five brothers. Mildred didn’t have a lot of time to play because the family worked a lot. Whether Mildred was canning fruits and vegetables, tending to the garden, or going to school she was busy all the time.

When she and her siblings had time to play, they made many fun memories together. Her house was near a creek where she and her siblings spent a lot of time

swimming. They also spent a great deal of time playing baseball, where they used sticks as bats.

Mildred is a good card player. She used this card playing talent to challenge the kids who lived nearest to them. She recalled one game where she knew that the neighbor girl was cheating, so she cheated too and ended up winning the whole thing. The neighbor girl was very mad and said “That’s not fair!

You cheated!” Mildred just laughed and said “Yeah, but you cheated too! I just did it better!”

Mildred and her siblings walked a couple miles down a dirt road to school every day.

At school she learned Arithmetic and Spelling. They would have spelling matches several times a week, and Mildred boasts about winning more than a few of those as well.

Mildred’s school taught only to 7th grade, and she was absolutely stunned when she was

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Threshing days: Farmers helped neighbors with crops using thresher machines.

Old time threshing recalled

Mildred Snow

told that students in today’s society graduate school in the 12th grade. She said that she had never heard of 12th grade when she was younger.

Mildred’s school would end at 4:00 every afternoon, and at that time she would walk the small dirt path all the way back to her home.

Mildred mentioned how on rainy days they wouldn’t have school because the roads were made out of dirt. When the dirt got too wet, it would become mud, and nothing could get through all of the mud to take them to school, so they just wouldn’t go.

When asked what she thought was the biggest change that she has ever seen over the past 100 years, Mildred answered with the word

Submitted photo

“roads.” Roads were at first made completely out of dirt. People couldn’t even use the roads for travel when it rained! Now, roads are everywhere. They are made of asphalt and people everywhere can drive on them with cars in any type of weather, for the most part.

Roads can take you anywhere and everywhere, and who would have ever thought that roads were one of the biggest changes in the world over the past 100 or more years?

Author’s Note: Mildred has brought so many great things like the evolution of our technology and industrialization over the years to my attention, and I greatly thank her for that.

by Danny Gentry There’s much to remember about those times in the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s when I worked next to my dad, Willie Gentry, doing custom threshing for our neighbors. And, there are a few things I could as well forget— like the time I nearly turned over our tractor on a narrow gravel road east of Cainsville!

Dad’s threshing work was mostly done from around Goshen northward a little ways up into southern Iowa. I started helping in 1943.

I was 13 years old. Despite my adventure on the Cainsville road, my main job was to drive our John Deere Model A tractor. But the bigger thrill, for me, was helping run the International Harvester threshing machine. We would pull into a field where the first order of business was to level the thresher. Dad was a stickler for having the machine level before starting operations. He would find a place on that uneven ground and dig four holes to whatever depth each needed

to be for the machine to set as near level as possible. I would unhook the tractor and drive it out facing the thresher to line up the drive belt.

Meanwhile, dad was cranking out the blower as we prepared to thresh, mostly wheat or oats. Threshing time was often a social time.

Farmers helped their neighbors harvest the crops while their wives got together to prepare some of the biggest and best noon meals you ever ate! I remember many of the farms we visited. The Frisbie family was maybe our biggest customer.

Others were the Hamiltons, Dennises, Flanagans, Putmans, Ragans, Smiths, Gannons, Coons, Tyes, Finneys, Hagans, and others.

Grain bundles on bundle wagons were pulled to the thresher by horses. The machine had a weigher that dumped a half bushel at a time into grain wagons the farmers had backed up to the clean grain spout. Dad’s threshing fee was five cents a bushel for oats and ten cents for wheat.

The farmers would help each other when it came to scooping grain into bins by hand with those heavy scoop shovels--no such thing as aluminum scoops or augers in those days!

Another community social aspect of harvest was the drinking water. It was usually hauled in in a 10-gallon cream can and set in the shade of a wagon wheel. Everyone drank from the same tin dipper. There was no ice to assure a cold drink, but the water was wet and satisfied our thirst.

At the end of every day dad made sure to take off every drive belt. He stored them in the blower. I think there were around 12 or more to be put back on pulleys the next morning. Every morning there were belts to be repaired and every morning every bearing that turned had to be greased. We carried gasoline for the tractor in the trunk of our family Ford car. That same Ford made innumerable trips to Stacy’s Hardware in Princeton for belts and splices.

The threshing days of my memory ended with the coming of combines in the 1950’s. No doubt the new ways were easier, more efficient, and more profitable, but maybe at the expense of a more caring, neighborly lifestyle. And, oh yes, of my very best memory of those threshing days: going home at the end of a hard, honest days work knowing my reward would be a stop at Cooley and Electa Cooper’s Goshen Store for a five cent, ice cold, Pepsi!

September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 3

Legendary Calamity Jane…fact or fiction?

by Judy Cox Numerous biographers have tried to capture a sense of the true character of Calamity Jane, but few seemed to care if what they projected was fact or fiction. They just wanted to sell books or movies!

Richard Etulain’s book, “The Life & Legends of Calamity Jane”, appears to be well researched and documented so that you have a sense while reading that you are getting as much of the true history of Calamity Jane that is available. There are a few years that Calamity Jane must have dropped out of the public eye because there is no paper trail to document her whereabouts.

At times, Etulain’s stories seem redundant and you wonder if you are ever going to get to the end of his book. In my opinion this book depicts the true nature of Calamity Jane and that a lot of what we know is nothing more than fiction that was reported by people who had nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

No matter what your opinion of Calamity Jane, the fact is she was born in Mercer County, Missouri and definitely had an extremely hard and difficult life. She had no positive influence in her formative years that surely would have helped her make better decisions as an adult.

My suggestion is for anyone who might be interested to stop by the Mercer County Library and check this book out. Make your own determination, what the author concluded as fact, about the life and times of Calamity Jane.

The author of ‘THE LIFE AND LEGENDS OF CALAMITY JANE, Richard W. Etulain, is Professor Emeritus of History and Former Director of the Center for the American West,

The Holmes brothers with their unique style of music are seen here playing with many other locals.

Submitted photo

Holmes brothers’ music talents

Submitted photo

The Life and Legends of Calamity jane as written by Richard W. Etulain.

Calamity Jane in formal dress.

the University of New Mexico. It is possible that Prof. Etulain may attend Calamity Jane Days in September.

The book was published in 2014 by the University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Okla. It contains 382

Submitted photo

pages and hardback copies can be reserved in many libraries including the Mercer County Library, and can be purchased from Barnes & Noble book retailer or other vendors such as Amazon. com.

On August 7, 1875, Joseph Mercer, Co. Willis killed his friend, James FACTOID! Chipps, over a game of cards.

To this day that remains the only taking of life in the community of Half Rock. It may be because the population of Half Rock is now below the pressure point, or it may be because of the two giant white beasts that patrol the streets of Half Rock, keeping things peaceful.

by Robert Kauffman Princeton has always been a fertile ground for musicians! As a youngster I walked to and from school always going by Jody Holmes’ house. I remember that Jody drove a DX gas truck and played the bass drum. However, my clearest memories are of his four sons and a grandson. The grandson was Donnie Sears (son of Jody’s daughter).

Donnie was an accomplished trap drummer as well as an excellent pianist. His musical talents enhanced his popularity among classmates for whom he often performed just for fun.

But the family’s musical talents didn’t stop there. It was the four sons I knew best. When I was in high school, the four ran a gas station and grocery store at the corner of North Broadway and Missouri highway #4 (now U.S. 136). They were hard workers but their real love was music. They would perform at the ‘drop of a hat’!

Walter, an alto sax expert, and his brother Pat, a fine percussionist, joined with dynamic pianist, Hazel Ormsby, who played for silent movies at Lambert Theater, to play for local dances. I wish you

could have heard them play as well as to ‘carry on’. The local folks loved dancing to their music and hearing Pat’s and Hazel’s comments later in the evening when they must have been consuming something a bit stronger than water!

Every summer brother Rex, from Chicago, would visit Princeton for several weeks. Rex was an excellent clarinetist. When he came be brought along his large selection of music for small band. The fourth brother, Bert, played Eb clarinet.

The band they formed did not compete with Elford Horn’s Saturday night concerts that were a tradition on the Princeton Square. They played their concerts on Wednesday evenings at their place of business. They always invited Elford to join them. They had grown up with Elford, himself an accomplished clarinetist, who enjoyed playing with his longtime friends.

However, they had a problem! Pat was the drummer. They had plenty of reed instruments, but no brass musicians. So, in 1948 they invited some of us from Elford Horn’s high school band to join them. There was Roy

Broyles and I, playing trumpets. Junior Sparks on tuba, his brother Bill on peck horn, Bill Rutledge on trombone, and my cousin Tom Kauffman on baritone. We had some practices but most of our playing was by sight- reading.

Half the fun for we youngsters was to mingle with such veteran musicians. It was a humbling experience! The brothers provided wooden pop cases for chairs and treated us with soda pop after an hourlong, lip-numbing performance. We played polkas, waltzes and many difficult Sousa marches, with no rests in-between.

The audience parked their cars all along #4; brought their chairs; loved the concerts. It was quite a Wednesday happening in Princeton. To this day I can recall the fun we had trying to keep up with Elford and the four talented Holmes Brothers. Besides their specialty, the Clarinet Polka, one of my favorite memories is our ending every concert with the Beer Barrel Polka. On the trio, Pat would take off on the drums and really “beat the h...l” out of them. You’d have thought the drums would burst at their

seams! I know folks came especially to hear Pat and that famous polka.

Because of my involvement with the Holmes Brothers Band, I became permanently addicted to ‘old time’ music. That’s why Junior Sparks and I made efforts to have such music at Calamity Jane Days. Thirty years later my daughter Ellen’s ‘old time’ band from Madison, WI was invited to play at Calamity Jane Days.

From then to now, these past 38 years the Royal Ambassador Band has been sponsored by the Princeton Chamber of Commerce and the Murphy-Brown of Missouri, LLC to provide ‘old time’ music for nursing homes, retirement centers, Rotary breakfasts, parades, public concerts and school concerts at Mercer, Princeton, Spickard, Trenton, Pleasant View and Chillicothe.

Thanks to the Holmes Brothers, Princeton has had a ‘rich’ heritage of ‘old time’ music. Because of their invigorating music and invitation to a group of youngsters to join in, their music and its unique style continues on. I’m the only one left of that band of 67 years ago and feel blessed to be able to tell this story!

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Page 4

Princeton, Mo.

Farmers movin’ in March

Princeton Sale Company by Annie Jones Wright The date of when it started does not seem to be available. However, it was in operation in the early nineteen thirties and Charley Nelson was the auctioneer and manager. Tom Jones lived in Lucerne, Missouri just 16 miles East of Princeton so sometime in the early thirties Charley Nelson asked Tom to join him in the Sale Company as an auctioneer. Tom drove to Princeton to help in the sales as an auctioneer. He did this until Charley Nelson passed away probably in 1945.

The City of Princeton owned the property and sale barn. Therefore, they asked Tom Jones to take over the Sale Company. Tom’s two brothers, Ted and Gerald joined him in the business. The Spring of 1946, Tom and his family moved to Princeton.

The Sale each Friday

Submitted photo

Great sale day Fridays: The Princeton Sale Company was an important fixture back in the 1900’s. People flocked from all over Mercer County to purchase products.

was a very important time in many ways.

Farmers and Livestock Buyers from a wide area around Mercer County came to sell or purchase livestock.

Many times the livestock sales would last until late in the evening. Of course, there were many items sold outside under a big tree North of the Sale

Barn before the Livestock auction started.

This part of the sale would include items you might find in a garage sale today as well as larger items such as bailed hay and fence posts. This type auction was done weather permitting.

Sale Day, Friday, was a great time in Princeton. The Sale barn

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was one block North of the Northwest corner of the square; therefore folks would park and go from one direction to another. Those living in the area would bring their eggs; cream and other produce and sell them before going to the grocery store to buy food and household supplies for the next week. There were three drugstores on the square; each had a soda fountain. They had great businesses because there were always a lot of people in town for several hours.

Folks would go in and have something from the soda fountain and visit with one another while others were at the sale. There were at least three cafes in town and their businesses did well because there were many in town for a long day.

The livestock sale barn business began to slow down in the early sixties and the year is not available as to when the Jones Brothers closed the company.

by Boyd Torrey These events occurred more than 80 years ago in Mercer County as well as throughout rural America. Times were tough! It was ‘GREAT DEPRESSION’ days, droughts were common and tractor power was still in its infancy.

In Mercer County, most employment was farming. During the 1930s farmers lost their land because they couldn’t pay the mortgage. Some farmers ‘hung on’ however most couldn’t and a major landowner became the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. The Company did not farm and so Richard Slackhammer helped manage those rentals. Many farmers such as my dad rented land to raise a family, produce livestock and grow crops. When March came, farmers renting would stay put, quit farming, or decide to move to a more productive farm. Most moved on!

They moved in March because the weather was better and it was before planting season. So that’s what farmers did. They picked up their household furnishings, dismantled their farm equipment, loaded their feed and livestock and moved with horses and wagons to another farm.

The move could be a short distance or might be several miles. The move was no small chore! In those days roads were dirt and when it rained, if it did,

Notice for 2016 Pioneer Press

those dirt roads became a sea of gumbo mud that made moving nearly impossible. Even though I was quite young at the time, here are recollections of how our family moved in March.

In 1936 we moved from Somerset Township of Mercer County to the Jones School District in Putnam County. It was about a 16-mile move. I don’t remember much about it as I was only 4 years old. We drove the horses and wagons to Lucerne the first day and stayed there over night.

Our second move was in 1938 when we moved one half mile to another farm. It was closer to the country school where I was to start first grade.

Our next move was when my dad was finally able to buy a farm 7 miles south of Princeton about one half mile east of US highway 65. My dad’s cousin owned a truck and he hauled our furniture and the livestock. We turned the cattle loose at the highway (US 65) and drove them to the farm, as the roads were muddy. We tried to haul the furniture when the roads

froze up during early morning hours. Dad and my older brothers drove the horses and mules pulling wagons across the County, staying in Newtown during the night. Dad had to make arrangements to have hay available where we moved because hauling loose hay was not an option, and that’s all we had. There wasn’t any gravel roads then. The mud would roll up on the wheels during March and was very difficult to manage when the roads thawed. However, folks coped with the difficulties pretty well. Most all of these adverse conditions seemed to be overcome by the work-willing farmers of rural America. So that’s what ‘MOVIN’ IN MARCH’ was all about. It’s a blessing this is no longer necessary.

It was a real relief when Dad was able to buy that farm near Princeton to stop all the moving around. My wife, Colleen, remembers a move of her family when her younger brother had to be taken back to the old place to show him there was no one there!

Fire was a Mercer, Co. big problem back in FACTOID! Mercer County’s early days. The danger was much likely to be in individual buildings, but there are records of at least one major downtown fire. One practically eliminated the northside of the square. Today’s buried natural gas lines and good equipment make fire a lot less likely, but - maybe just a touch less exciting?

For those interested in either advertising or submitting stories for the 2016 Pioneer Press, or if they have concerns or complaints about this issue, they should contact

Bob Kauffman by email:

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by cell telephone 608-770-8383; or by U.S. mail, 21207 Highway FF, Princeton, MO 64673.

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September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 5

Walker’s Hardware: Serving the Public

by Dale Bagley (PHS Student) Throughout Mercer County history, there have been many businesses that have been vital to the community.

However, one business in particular was known for it’s dedicated service to the public: Walker’s Hardware in Princeton. Owned by Robert and Freda Walker for about 22 years, Walker’s Hardware was a treasured part of the community that not only stood out as a reliable place of business, but as a model example of community dedication.

Freda and Robert Walker bought the hardware store, then called Stacy Hardware, from Eugene and Ruth Stacy in May of 1962.

Walker’s Hardware became a thriving place of commerce in Mercer County. Walker’s Hardware carried everything a person could need: tools, appliances, outdoor gear, and many other things essential to the community.

Many citizens of the community still remember Walker’s Hardware, sometimes called the Hardware Store, and wish that Princeton would someday have another similar business. Another reason Walker’s Hardware was so beloved by the people of the community was that the Walkers believed deeply in giving back to the community. Walker’s Hardware supported many community functions such as Calamity Jane Days. This helped build a close and special relationship between Walker’s Hardware and the residents of Mercer County, as citizens knew they could look to the Hardware Store for a fair deal and friendly service.

Many businesses and organizations today have some sort of motto or slogan, such as “Serving Nature and You” or “Making the Best Better”, but Walker’s Hardware was different. The Walkers had a belief that they consistently lived by: To serve the community in whatever way they could by providing the necessary tools and guidance to help the community run smoothly. This took priority over all other aspects of the business, and the amount of respect granted to Walker’s Hardware even today is a testament of the Walker’s vision.

A great deal of the success of Walker’s Hardware can be attributed to one man: Robert Walker. Robert Woods Walker was a lifelong resident of Mercer County, and dedicated his entire life to serving the community. Born and raised in Princeton, Robert held many important and vital jobs within the community, including carpentry, farming, owning the Hardware Store, and serving as fire chief, mayor, and as a soldier in the World War II European Theater.

Throughout Robert’s life he showed exemplary service, both in and out of his community. Beginning life as a farmer and a carpenter, Robert quickly saw the problems and struggles the community endured, and would go on later in life to service even the most complex need. His early service prepared him for his next big enterprise, the hardware store. As can be expected, Robert was the perfect owner, as he had used many products and tools that were similar to the ones available in his store.

Robert’s warm person-

Submitted photo

Freda and Robert Walker

ality and honest dealing made his store a huge success.

Robert was able to find the time to serve his community in other ways as well. One such way was as a Sunday school teacher. Robert went above and beyond to sacrifice his free time for the happiness of his students. On occasion, if the weather was pleasant, Robert would take his students fishing. Robert understood what it meant to be a kid, and went the extra mile for the kids he taught. Robert also served as a deacon of his church, and used the principles he lived by in his faith to guide him in his square dealing of his profession.

Robert’s jobs and positions demonstrated how strong his belief of public service and duty was. As a soldier and a fire chief, Robert displayed the brave and heroic service that many others have shown to protect their loved ones and their country. As mayor, he demonstrated that political service is just as important as physical service. Finally, as a lifelong outdoorsman, teacher, and community servant, Robert Walker showed us all the kind of individual we should all strive to be, and I believe that our community has been forever changed by the honest work and unending service of Robert Woods Walker.

Goshen’s Cooper Store

by Harriett Goodin and Maggie Broyles Goshen in Mercer County ‘was’ located west of Princeton about five miles. In the early years it was a very little village but did have a post office. When we remember Goshen in 1940 it was simply a ‘filling’ (gas) station owned and operated by Cooley Cooper and his wife Electa. Cooley was born around 1876.

He married Electa and they had two children, Mildred and John. Our farm was about a half mile east on old State Highway # 4 (now U.S. 136).

Cooley was a small, slight man. I have been told that he had been a horse jockey and very good. He worked hard pumping gas and selling oil for lamps, lanterns, etc, buying eggs, cream and selling small grain. It seems he was blind in one eye and he always smoked a little pipe, except of course when he was pumping gas. There was a large scale in the store and he used it to weigh grain and other products. People would also use them to weigh themselves, as they did not own home scales as we do now. There was a telephone at the store and people that did not have phones would use it to make personal calls. Electa would take messages for people in the neighborhood.

Submitted photo

There is a history to gas stations that dates back the 1940’s when this one was owned and operated by the Cooper’s.

Painting by our mother, Mary Jane Smith.

The store was stocked with grocery items. Barrels were filled with items to sell.

You could buy soap, flour, sugar and baking stuff. Electa kept pop in a large tub-like container filled with ice and water. You had to reach in up to your elbow to retrieve the soda you wanted. Everyone did. She had oatmeal and sugar cookies in large round containers.

You could buy three cookies for a nickel, and candy, of course the kids loved her for that. After a hot day in the field it was a treat to stop at Goshen and get a cold bottle of pop (see the Gentry story about the threshing machine).

Sometimes at noon she would sell sandwiches made with fresh cut luncheon meats and cheese in case you forgot your lunch or your wife was busy in the garden or taking care of

baby chicks and didn’t get lunch made. It happened!

There was a wooden bench outside the store where people sat and visited and rested.

They would share the news of the community and made plans for coming events such as threshing time when neighbors helped one another. Men helped with teams of horses and wagons and women helped prepare large meals for the workers.

In winter when there was snow and cold weather men would sit around the large round

*The Mercer County Courthouse - and I think that means the current one - was built in 1913 for $76, 010. Today it would cost more than that to have it torn down. If the county residents of 1913 could have foreseen air conditioning and widespread electric everything, they could have built a courthouse for the ages, couldn’t they? As it is, a new courthouse would probably cost a million dollars today.

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wood-burning stove and soak up the heat after feeding the livestock. This was part of their social life. They enjoyed each other’s company. If a neighbor needed help with a cow calving or a sow pigging they helped him.

Calling a vet was a rarity.

Yes, the Cooper store at Goshen is now gone but many would like to see it there again. It made the community better. Good people lived and still live at Goshen.... what’s left of it! God bless them!

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Page 6 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

Mercer County ancient tree fossil

by Harold Minshall This petrified “rock” was found in a rather inaccessible area of a farm two miles south of Princeton, Missouri.

It was the smallest one of the same type found at the location and the lightest weight to tote.

A registered geologist in Kansas City confirmed this to be a plant fossil limb of a very ancient Lepidodendron, known as scale trees. The name comes from the Greek word “lepido” = scale and “dendron” = tree. According to the Geological Time Scale, they are one of the more common plant fossils abundant in the swampy areas during the Pennsylvanian late Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era. That period dates back about 359 million years ago to about 299 million years ago! Indeed, much prior to the rise of the dinosaurs when they first appeared during the Triassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. The Lepidodendron was capable of achieving gigantic size, growing to heights of 130 feet or more with supporting trunks in excess of 6 feet in diameter.

They did not produce any branches until fully grown and spent much of their lives as unbranched poles. Being of soft tissue, the trunks produced very little

wood, while the outer bark like region grew much thicker. As the tree neared maturity in 10 to 15 years, branches extended out from the top supporting 3-foot long leaves resembling large grass blades. It is believed they reproduced only once near the end of life by way of spores. As the leaf shrouds were shed, they snapped off at the branches and left a scar resembling an alligator skin and some scales on the tree trunk left rather uniform scales resembling tire tracks or alligator skin.

Lepidodendron fossils are usually found in association with coal or slate formations. This fossil was found about 200 feet downstream from a very thick layer of slate extending out from the stream bank and down to an unknown depth below the water. The Lepidodendron became extinct and coal formation ceased during the Permian Period of the Paleozoic Era. The age of the fossil seems unreal. However, the coal deposits date back to the same time and we use the coal with little regard concerning the extremely ancient time when it was formed.

During that time frame, our world was entirely different than anything we know today. The continents

The days when the Boy Scouts turned back the clocks in Mercer County

Submitted photo

This ancient tree fossil, discovered a couple of miles south of Princeton, is from the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 299 million years ago.

were linked as one formation resembling the letter “C” that extended around most of our planet.

This fossil is certainly not a thing of beauty to observe. How could a fossil of that age still exist? All of this is far

more than I learned in a 6 hour college elective geology course!

You may find all of the above information and much more on the Internet. Perhaps you have already found other Lepidodendron fossils in Mercer County?

A lot of towns Mercer, Co. got planned out FACTOID! because a railroad was coming near, and others because of good water. Like a river; Princeton had both and one more thing - something a lot of towns don’t have - drainage. A raindrop falling on the Princeton Square could worry itself into fog, trying to decide which way to run.

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Submitted photo

Camp leaders and scouts get the mules connected to the wagons for the long trip to Camp Geiger.

by Jim Avey It’s getting to be quite a few years now since a bunch of Northwest Missouri folks got together to try something hadn’t been done before, and hasn’t been done since.

This adventure took place in 1984. It started right here, in Princeton, but it grew to include youngsters from the surrounding area, as well as some of their parents and friends; some horses and mules, and at least one dog.

Together it was 11 Boy Scouts and 12 of their adult leaders, five support vehicles - off and on - running on ahead to keep things going smoothly.

The Scouts from Mercer County were from Troop 105, and there were other scouts representing Albany, Cameron, Cainsville, Maryville, Mercer and Trenton troops. What was all the commotion about? It was the adult leaders from the Scouts’ Ma-Has-Ka District who kicked the idea around for years.

The St. Joseph Gazette covered the adventure and quoted Jim Johnson, one of the leaders. Johnson said, “I told these guys I didn’t know the ears of a horse from any other part, but if they’d put together the wagons, I’d take care of the scouting end of it.”

And so it came to pass, that this group of Missourians left their homes on a bright June day in 1984, to ride in

horse and mule wagons to Camp Geiger, A Boy Scout facility just north of St. Joseph. They tried to cover 30 miles a day and must have made it or got close, because they made the trip in good time, without any major problems. They camped out at night at volunteered fields, and you know how scouts like to camp. All in all, that trip was an accomplishment worth noting.

There’s no official description of who made the trip, who did what and when, but the general idea is this: the wagons belonged to Jack Blakesley, Skip Jacobs, J.C. Higgins, and Jason Thompson.

The men who assisted the drivers were Red Woods, Sam Thompson, and Bob Pollard.

“Outriders” were listed as Jack and Lois Pollard, Dirk Blakesly, and Joe Going. The very unofficial records indicate that a number of the Scouts’ mothers helped by providing food for the gang. I didn’t even try to get all these names, because I didn’t want to make any mistakes.

The expedition had a person angle for me because my son Josh was one of the Scout participants. I do remember that he had a great time, enjoying being out with his friends and learning what kids like himself would have been doing, a hundred years before.

A newspaper story about the event quoted one of the boys, Wesley

Kretzschner of Cameron, as saying, “I learned to hook up a horse, saddle, water, and take care of it. It’s fun, riding in a chuck wagon and neat because it’s the first time it’s been done.” He meant, of course, the first time in modern times. Wagons, horses, and mules were THE mode of transportation when our country, and our county, were young.

Let me make a couple of personal comments here. For some reason, although this horse-powered operation was very popular with all who took part in it, it turned out to be a one-time event. My opinion is that it was more work than later groups of parents and Scouts were willing to invest in a trip that doesn’t take two hours in an air conditioned car.

Sadly, one of the main architects of the Horse Powered Boy Scout Adventure, Jim Johnson, died a few months ago. I seriously doubt it could have taken place without him.

The scrapbook he and his wife Sharon kept, about their son Tony, a Scout, and about this trip in particular, was invaluable to me in pulling together this information. And another great supporter of all things Scouting in Mercer County: Sam Thompson, passed a number of years ago.

They are already sadly missed.

September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 7

Lambert theater

by Jayson Pfaltzgraff (PHS Student) “Family-run theatre showing family type movies” read the playbills for the Lambert Theatre located just off the northwest side of the square in Princeton.

The theatre was operated by the Homedale Family during its final years during the sixties.

Next year, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of the fire that destroyed the building and most of its contents. Mike Homedale, who remembers working at the theatre with his parents and older sibling, said. “I’d take the tickets, and after about ten minutes, I’d go in and watch a movie,” says Homedale. He was in middle school at the time. His dad, a highschool science teacher, was leasing the building in order to operate the theatre.

In its final years, the theatre had moderate success, selling tickets at what would now be an extreme bargain: just sixty cents for an adult ticket. Mr. Homedale recalls “Buck-night,” a tradition held up by the family that allowed families to watch a movie for a dollar. The theatre was fairly large, as it contained 413

Mercer, Co. FACTOID!

The first lot sold in Mercer County went for a robust $26.25, the records show. If there’s any record of where it was, it’s well hidden or long forgotten. So there’s no reason to speculate on what it would sell for now, is there?

Mercer, Co. FACTOID!

At one time Mercer County was known for producing lots of apples. Now it produces lots of pork, almost all of which ends up in China. How do you suppose the early inhabitants of Mercer County would think about the change from apples to pork?

seats, which rarely were filled up. One summer night, the theatre was sold out for the first time in over 20 years.

People lined up from all around to watch the Disney movie “Miracle of the White Stallions.”

The theatre wasn’t the most successful business financially, but it kept the kids out of trouble. “When you work 5 nights a week (including weekends), it becomes a job.” Each of the family members had their own task.

While Mike took the tickets his mother was selling out front, his big brother would be upstairs in the projector room preparing the movie. “We would always show a cartoon,” Homedale remembers.

“On Saturdays there would always be a band playing before the movie. Kids came to watch [the band], and the movie didn’t have a set time to start. We started the movie when the band ended.”

The theatre was important to a lot of people, but it didn’t last forever. On a hot summer day in 1966, the antiquated cooling system experienced a failure. The large machine became overheated and

a fire started during a showing of the movie, “Top Kapi.” The fire spread from the back of the theatre towards the viewing area. Mr. Homedale recalls one of the workers rushing back into the burning building to rescue his brother’s motorcycle that was often stored behind the screen. “He rode out the front door of a burning building on a motorcycle.” As he recollected the story of the fire, I couldn’t help but imagine seeing the picture he painted in a movie.

There was little the Homedale family could salvage from the destroyed building.

Where the theatre used to sit, a drive thru for the US Bank now rests on the same ground hundreds of friends and family members had once watched classic movies like Tarzan the Magnificent (1960) and The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1964) Mr. Homedale has never seen the movie that was playing when the fire destroyed his family’s business.

“The previews were just plain weird.” He had just finished his sophomore year of high school at Princeton.

Our dogs named Rollo

by Mildred Alley Raf- called “gentle giants! fa Still, Rollo must have My dad, Glen Al- looked fierce to my ley, a lifelong resident schoolmates. A couple of Princeton, MO was of them, Robert Kauffthe owner of Rollo, a man and Bill Matteson, St. Bernard dog who in later years admitted roamed the streets of avoiding Rollo whenthe town daily. He went ever they could. They to the shop, he accom- needn’t have worried panied me to school because a beer drinkPhoto courtesy of Wikipedia and he rode in dad’s ing dog is friendly if Glen Alley purchased a St. Bernard and named him Rollo. Roltruck. When ‘Frog- not lovable and ‘so- lo enjoyed roaming the streets of Princeton. gie’ Elsie, the owner of ber’. With World War the local pub, poured II beginning and Glen Rollo was nowhere to of Princeton. The years beer into the barrel be- forced to leave Prince- be found. His pedigree before the war and hind his establishment, ton to work in a defense papers were also miss- those who remember Rollo helped himself. plant in Kansas, Rollo ing. We assumed the those years remember Dad would put him in was left for a friend ‘friend’ sold him along the ‘Gentle Giants’, the his truck and drive him to care for him. After with his registration Rollo’s, living as leghome. This was during the war our family re- papers! These Rollo’s ends of Princeton, Misthe late 30’s and early turned to Princeton but were popular residents souri, USA. 40’s before World War II. The movie “CALL OF THE WILD” featured Clark Gable and a St. Bernard dog named Buck. Buck came from a kennel in Ottumwa, Iowa. So, Dad went to Ottumwa and bought a puppy from the breeder. The pup lived a few years.... but was hit by a car on old State Highway # 4 (now U.S. 136) near our home in Princeton. Dad took him to Kansas City to a veterinarian for care but he could not be saved. Dad then purchased a second Rollo who lived to roam the streets of Princeton. St. Bernard’s are

Page 8 Princeton, Mo. September 2015

The Hydes of Mercer County: their distinguished contributions to public service

by Florence Lorene contributions to sociFuller Lyman and ety. And in all humbleIra B. ‘Ben’ Hyde III ness on our parts, it’s Mercer County is likely the Hyde family one of the smallest has had one of the most counties in Missouri recognized impacts that but that hasn’t stopped has ever been generit from being one of the ated for such a small, most dynamic ones! rural county in MisMany of its citizens souri. Not one, but have made significant four different Hydes

have intimately shared their professional expertise in public affairs, especially in law and government for Mercer County, the State of Missouri and the United States. It’s now very timely that Mercer Countyians take notice!

We as relatives of these

four Hydes are most appreciative to have had this opportunity to tell you about them.

First, we should explain how we are related to the four Hydes.

Florence is the daughter of Robert Fuller, and Robert had four sisters and one brother. Two of

those sisters, Florence and Lorene, married brothers Laurance M. and Ira B. II, sons of Ira B. Hyde I. Therefore Florence is a first cousin to Laurance Hyde, Jr. both through her Aunt Florence and through her Aunt Lorene. (It was Ira B. II and Lo-

rene who owned and published the Princeton Telegraph newspaper).

Ben (and sister Jeania) is a ‘double’ first cousin with Laurance Jr. because his father, Ira B II married Lorene Fuller and Ira B II’s brother Laurance M. , married Lorene’s

sister, Florence. Thus, the two authors (Ben and Florence Lyman) are first cousins. These relationships may seem complicated so we have designed a diagram to graphically show the relationships.

HYDE - FULLER relationships IRA B. HYDE I

ARTHUR M. HYDE

Justin E. Fuller

Caroline Mastick

LAURANCE M. HYDE

Ira B. Hyde II

Lorene Fuller

Ira B. Hyde III

Jeania Hyde Donelson

Florence Fuller

Robert Fuller

Hortense Cullers

Caroline Hyde

LAURANCE HYDE JR.

Sarah Hyde

Princeton Map

Now we will tell you about the four Hydes of the story, who they were and how they each played significant roles as public servants. Be-

fore separately discussing each individual, you should know they were all born and raised in Mercer County except the father, Ira Barnes

Hyde I. They were educated in the Princeton Schools, went to college to become lawyers, got married, had children, and were dedicated members of the

Florence Lorene Fuller Lyman

Alan Lyman

Karen Lyman

Methodist Church and the Republican Party.

Also, in their professions, each (except Laurance, Jr.,) practiced some law in Princeton either before or after

their other careers had started or ended. There are volumes of records and information about the four Hydes.

Continued page 9 Mercer, Co. FACTOID! How big was Princeton, originally? A whole 22 lots.

Kinda makes you wonder how big the Mercer County Moscow was, doesn’t it?

September 2015 Princeton, Mo. Page 9

Continued from page 8

servant. He graduated bile in the funeral pro- FULLER FAMILY from the University of cession was a Buick! IN ENGLAND AND Michigan and obtained Later, his daughter, AMERICA’. a law degree from the Caroline, built the University of Iowa. He ‘Hyde Mansion in married Hortense Cull- Trenton’ of which Arers of Trenton who thur never saw. was an active partner to Arthur in his political career, and they had one daughter, Caroline. He practiced law in Princeton and was Submitted photo Submitted photo elected to two terms Ira Barnes Hyde Laurence Hyde, Jr. as Princeton’s Mayor.

1. IRA BARNES He was also interested 4.

LAURANCE HYDE I (1838-1926). in business and started HYDE, JR. (1926 - ) Submitted photo Ira B. I was born in a Buick dealership in The son of Laurance M. Laurence M. Hyde Guilford, NY, the son Trenton. However he and Florence, was born, of Frederick and Em- was especially interest3. LAURANCE M. raised and educated in ily Hyde who were of ed in governmental af- HYDE (1892- Princeton. He received English descent. He at- fairs and was an excel- 1978) The son of Ira B. a law degree from the tended public schools lent public speaker, and I was born, raised and University of Missouri and the Norwich Acad- so he soon became well educated in Princeton. and started practicing emy. At age 15 he and known throughout Mis- He married Florence law as a Circuit Judge his parents moved to souri and from1921 to Fuller, another native in St. Louis. He continCleveland and then Ira 1925 was elected Mis- of Mercer County, who ued serving as a Circuit B. I graduated from souri’s 35th Governor, became a very promi- Judge for many years Oberlin College in triumphing over candi- nant advocate of Laur- and then started helping Ohio. He was admit- dates from both the St. ance’s public services. to teach new judges. He ted to the bar by the Louis and Kansas City Laurance received his did this by founding and Minnesota Supreme political ‘machines’. law degree from the then becoming the first Court and started law During his term, wom- University of Mis- president of the School practice in St. Paul. en were first permitted souri and was a U.S. for New Judges at the He was a soldier in the to hold office in Mis- army lieutenant dur- University of Nevada, Union Army during the souri’s government. ing World War I. Of Reno. This school with Civil War, and was in- Another of his con- the four Hydes, Laur- Laurance Jr. as School volved in the Sioux In- cerns was to ‘get Mis- ance would be consid- Director, was a project dian wars. In 1866 he souri out of the mud’ ered the most qualified of the Fleshman Founmoved to Princeton to and so road improve- legal scholar since he dation, and has been practice law and was ment was important to practiced law his entire attended by lawyers appointed prosecut- his administration. In professional career and who have been selected ing attorney of Mercer 1929 during the ‘great was author of several throughout the world to County. It was during depression’, President important publications. be judges. They learn this time when he built Herbert Hoover ap- During his long tenure to become competent the ‘Hyde Mansion’, pointed Arthur to his as a Supreme Justice in judges as they begin currently used as Pearls cabinet as the Secretary Jefferson City, Florence their new judgeship caI as residential care on of Agriculture. The became one of the best reers. Laurance Jr. and South Main Street. In country was in great known and admired his wife Nancy are the 1872 he ran for Con- financial stresses mak- women in Missouri. parents of two children. gressman from Mis- ing his duties as well as For 24 years Laurance So, that’s a brief story souri and was elected the production of farm was a member of Mis- of the four Hydes who to one term in the U.S. commodities extremely souri’s Supreme Court, claim Mercer County as House of Representa- difficult. It was a tough becoming the Chief their ‘roots’. Our four tives in the 43rd Con- time for both farmers Justice of that Court. relatives, Ira B I, Argress (1873-1875). He and government ad- In 1949 at St. Louis he thur M., Laurance M. was not reelected and ministrators. Arthur and two other Supreme and Laurance,Jr. , have so returned to Princ- served as the Secre- Justices co-founded the surely become ‘LEGeton to continue his tary until 1933 when Conference of Chief ENDS OF LAW’ in law practice. He and Franklin Roosevelt was Justices throughout the Mercer County’s illushis three wives (one elected President and United States, and Lau- trous history. of which was Caroline replaced Arthur with rance became its first Masstick) were parents Henry Wallace. Arthur president. The Conof five children, three returned to North Mis- ference continues toof which are in this sto- souri where he prac- day. He and Florence ry, Arthur M., Laurance ticed law in Trenton are the parents of two M. and our uncle and and Kansas City. He children, one of which became a very popular was Laurance Jr. FlorSunday school teacher ence is the author and and an active mem- publisher of the book,’ ber of the Methodist THE HYDE FAMChurch. At his funeral ILY IN ENGLAND in 1947, every automo- AND AMERICA: THE

Submitted photo

Arthur M. Hyde

father, Ira B. II. 2 ARTHUR M. HYDE (18771947) The son of Ira B. I was born, raised and educated in Princeton.

Of the four Hydes in this story, Arthur is the most known national public

Modena named: Modena gets its name from a traveling man’s dead wife.

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Naming the village of Modena

by Billy Joe Hart It was in the mid1800s when pioneers traveled west through Missouri on their adventures to new lands in western United States. On their travels, some made their way through Mercer County and down the road west of Mill Grove. One time the wagon-master had a very unusual item they were hauling and an even more unusual request. The wagonmaster’s wife had died along the trip west and he was hauling her in a coffin to their new destination.

But he had changed his mind!

He had decided that he would rather leave her and the coffin somewhere along that road west of Mill Grove. He told the area folks about his idea and promised to return the follow-

ing year to pick her up if they would permit his request. He would then take her back East to bury her. The folks granted him the request and the wife and coffin were stored in a vacant shed.

The wagon-master never ever returned to collect his dead wife and coffin! When the

local folks of rural Mercer County finally decided to bury her, they noticed the name, ‘M-O-D-E-N-A carved on top of the coffin.

It was because of this event and at this moment when these Mercer Countyians decided to call their new town, MODENA, MISSOURI!