Old ash tray drums up discussion into mystery of the ‘T-Bone Cafe’

When a local resident brought the two worn, blue ashtrays pictured above into the Times office last week, they sparked quite a mystery.

Printed on each ashtray was the inscription: “Swiped from; T-Bone Cafe; Gainesville, Mo.; OS 9-3917.”

The woman who brought them in said she had never heard of the cafe and had no idea where the ashtrays had come from. Times staff members were also unfamiliar with a business by that name ever operating in Gainesville. Curious, they posted photos on Facebook to see if the broader community could help solve the mystery.

The post drew more than 60 comments from area residents offering guesses and swapping memories. Some turned to their older relatives for answers. 

Possibilities ranged from a cafe on the west side of the square where Daisy Coatney once worked, to one owned by the Johnsons, to a spot at TD Crawford’s sale barn. Others suggested it might have been in the building that now houses The Antler Pizza, or perhaps a small cafe that once stood near the Missouri-Arkansas state line before the Cedar Tap Tavern opened.

Some commenters reminisced about the days when smoking was common in local businesses, when restaurants and even grocery stores kept ashtrays on hand for patrons.

Others shared memories from the era when the local telephone switchboard was still in use, recalling Dorothy Dooley at her post, manually connecting all incoming and outgoing calls for the community.

Dale Gunter quickly noted that the telephone number on the ashtray (OS 9-3917) must date from after 1959, the first year Ozark County got phone service, when Gainesville’s exchange was “OSBORNE.”

Jerri Sue Crawford asked her mom, Lyndell Strong, who she lightheartedly told was the first person she thought to ask as she’s the oldest person she knows who might remember. Lyndell guessed it was likely the cafe Owen Hambelton once operated at the old Standard Station, and her brother Jack Strong agreed. Janet Taber also thought that sounded right: “This was at the Standard Station. Different people ran the cafe through the years, and I’m pretty sure Lyndell Strong is correct about this being the name Owen Hambelton used for a while. But what really makes me think it’s correct is the phone number. When I saw that, I knew where it was.”

Brenda Warren said that her mother, Maxine White, worked there when Owen Hambelton owned the cafe, and she didn’t recall it being called T-Bone Cafe. Jerri Sue noted that Lyndell didn’t remember it officially going by that name either but thought it sounded like something Owen would have called it, given his pride in serving T-bone steaks.

The final clue came from Sally Lyons McAlear, who posted a clipping from the Sept. 17, 1964, Ozark County Times:

“Loyd and Velma Hambelton have leased the cafe at the junction of Highways 5 and 160, formerly known as Gladys’ Cafe, and will call the cafe T-Bone Steak House. They plan to remodel and rearrange the cafe and will feature charcoal steaks. Loyd Hambelton has also leased the lot in front of the cabins there for a used car business. He was formerly owner of the Chevrolet agency here for 3 1/2 years.”

With that, the mystery was solved—thanks to a community-wide trip down memory lane.