Times Past magazine is now available

Whether we proudly count our family’s generations here or recently adopted these rugged old hills as our home, we Ozark Countians love our county’s history. That’s why the Times Past column is one of the most popular regular features in each week’s Ozark County Times. 

In this year’s Times Past magazine, we’ve combined clippings from Ozark County newspapers dating from the 1880s with appealing historical photos throughout.

 

The early years (1880s to 1920s)

The magazine begins with “The early years” section, sharing newspaper tidbits beginning with a news clipping from the April 11, 1889 edition of the Ozark County News: “April 22nd at 12 o’clock noon is the time fixed by President Harrison for the opening of the Territory of Oklahoma.” 

The “early years” newspaper clippings continue from that time through the Sept. 10, 1920, edition of the Ozark County Times, which details the fifth annual Ozark County Fair. Photos and stories in the early years section also include a 1927 photo from the collection of the late Helen Hull Catlett (1906-1979) that shows Helen’s roommate, Thelma Schuler, in front of what is thought to be the Bakersfield boardinghouse where they lived while they were teaching at Bakersfield High School. 

Other photos taken in the “early years,” include a 1918 photo of Charles Abner “Ab” Watson with a mule team and buggy, a 1914 photo when “quite a bit of excitement was created…when three automobiles from West Plains arrived in town,” the 1901 funeral procession of Col. W. A. Love through the streets of Gainesville and photos taken in 1926 of the building of the Barren Fork Bridge on Highway 5, north of Gainesville. 

 

The middle years (1920s to 1950s)

The next section, titled “The middle years,” begins with an Ozark County Times story from Aug. 12, 1921, that reported, “W. B. High, of northwest of town, lost his large frame barn by fire Saturday night. It is supposed to have been struck by lightning. The building was wrapped in flames when discovered so that none of the contents were saved. Among the contents were 70 or 80 bushels of corn, a few tons of hay, a wagon and harness and some farming tools. The building and contents were insured.”

The photos in the middle years section include a picture taken in the mid-1940s that shows Walton and Eloise Gilliland Ford and their daughter, Judy, as they arrived back home in Gainesville after living away from here. 

Other photos and stories focus on the four Looney brothers (Ira, Benny, Jim Reed and Marv), who all served in World War II, the 1932 Gainesville High School senior trip to Bagnell Dam, early 1950s photos of the construction of the Theodosia bridge, and a 1939 photo of the Ozark County Courthouse. 

The middle years section concludes with a news item gleaned from the Aug. 7, 1947, Ozark County Times: “Progress on the new landing strip at the Gainesville Airport . . . is continuing with most of the heavy grading completed. According to Mayor H. T. Harlin, over an acre of trees have been uprooted and bulldozed by Orr and Noble Hill.... Another safety improvement for Gainesville was made last week when the City Council ordered two stoplights installed on Main Street at the north and south corners of the public square. The lights of the caution type are in operation 24 hours per day and will make the intersections safer for traffic. One of the stoplights was purchased by the Gainesville Lions Club and the other by the City.”

 

The later years (1950s to 1990s)

The final section in the magazine, titled “The later years,” opens with these items from the Feb. 8, 1951, Ozark County Times: “The weather on Thursday night and Friday of last week was said to be the coldest in history. Thermometers seemed to vary, registering from 10 to 32 below. Anyway it was really cold. Much damage was done to water systems around here. Grabeel – Johnnie Lewis of Ava delivered a ’49 Ford tractor to John Walker recently. Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Hawkins are the proud parents of a fine baby boy. They call him Donald Walter. Mrs. Hawkins and baby were cared for in the Farmer home.”

Photos in the later years section include a photo of feeder pigs from Robert Rose’s farm near Lutie, which was printed in the June 14, 1958, Missouri Ruralist, photos and a menu from Bug’s Cafe on the Gainesville square from 1955, and photos of the “Watermelon Man” O. E. Warren and his dad “Bill” Pinkney Warren, who both sold truckloads of produce here. 

The later years section ends with these items from the Oct. 18, 1995, tidbit: “A K-9 unit from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department again proved their effectiveness in solving a missing person case last week. They found the body of 36-year old Clifford Lyman III of Fort Scott, Kansas.... Lyman had reportedly told his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor of his plans to come to Gainesville, park his truck and walk 6-8 miles northeast of Gainesville in a wooded area. Authorities said Lyman was mixed up on his directions or he changed his plans. His body was found on a hillside in a wooded area on the Ebrite property south of town. . . . Howards Ridge – A huge crowd attended the Crawford Stone reunion on October 7 at the Clarkridge fire station. There were 210 persons registered and eight states represented.”

 

Pick up your free copy - or have one mailed to you for a small fee

The 2021 edition of Times Past magazine is free and is available at the Ozark County Times office or wherever the Times is sold.

We can mail a copy of Times Past magazine to you for $5. For more information, call 417-679-4641 or email regina@ozarkcountytimes.com.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423