Times Past

A powered three-wheeler just wouldn’t hack it for Levi Eslinger as he attempted a trip around the square during a period of snow flurries. Just as anyone spinning his wheels on the packed snow needs a push, so did Levi, and his Grandma Juanita Eslinger was there to oblige. He is the son of Leon and Debbie Eslinger.
Feb. 6, 1985, Ozark County Times: January brought more than 18 inches of snow, sleet and freezing drizzle to Ozark county and a near record cold of minus 17 on two nights and zero temperatures on two other nights. It did not bring a January thaw and moved the snow right along into February. …
Of...
Feb. 3, 1955, Ozark County Times: Dr. Hoerman is working with only his right hand these days, and he isn’t too proud of that little sore showing up at the base of his left thumb.
Asked about it, he told us how he was demonstrating to a new nurse at the Dora immunization clinic last Friday how to...

Horsedrawn snow-removal in Gainesville This photo of a man riding a horsedrawn snow-removal drag bar is reprinted from the The History of Ozark County 1841-1991 (available for purchase on searchable CD at the Ozark County Historium). The photo was taken between 1917, when Sid Amyx opened a Ford dealership in a building he constructed on the northwest corner of the Gainesville square, and 1926, when the garage was rebuilt and a second story was added.
Ozark County News
Feb. 7, 1889
The expense of keeping up the public roads is becoming considerable. It amounts this year to over $800.
Feb. 11, 1904
The Central hotel resembled a hospital yesterday evening. Nearly a dozen of the guests were under the watchful care of a physician until a late...
Jan. 29, 1915, Ozark County Times: Moses N. Neilhardt of Hickory County has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives making it a misdemeanor for a farmer or village store keeper to swear. A section of the bill exempts St. Louis and other larger cities.
For little cuss words uttered in a...

These photos, source unknown, show the Dora School after a devastating fire that occurred on the night of Jan. 21, 1998. A story recalling the fire and its aftermath, published in the Feb. 27, 2008, edition of the Times (and reprinted in the Jan. 24 and Jan. 31, 2018, editions) said the fire destroyed the school’s classrooms and newly remodeled gym, along with the student records, 50 years of composite photographs of graduating seniors and nearly all of the school’s equipment, furniture and books. Wanda Watkins, who had worked as district treasurer and office secretary, told the Times in 2008 that her records showed that donations poured in from 104 businesses or organizations, 182 individuals and 53 school districts around the country. But she added that there were probably more than that. “Sometimes they came so fast we couldn’t keep up,” she said. Classes resumed Feb. 2, 1998, in temporary buildings and with borrowed books. To indicate it was time to change classes, the school counselor got in her car and honked the horn.
Ozark County News
Jan. 30, 1890
(Ad.) – J. C. Bishop, physician and obstetrician, Thornfield, Mo. Will practice in the Western part of Ozark County.
Ozark County Times
Jan. 27, 1905
Last Thursday evening Guy T. Harrison received a telegram requesting him to come to the seat of Government at...
Jan. 20, 1977, Ozark County Times: Continuing arctic temperatures, additional sleet and snow and high winds are making normal activities in the Ozarks almost impossible.
The county court, Presiding Judge Earl Holmes said, is asking persons who cannot travel from their homes to main roads to call...

This photo, from the Feb. 4, 1965, edition of the Times, shows some of the 1,767 “babies” delivered by Dr. M. J. Hoerman during the 25 years between his arrival here on Jan. 29, 1940, and the Dr. and Judy Hoerman Appreciation program held at Gainesville High School on Jan. 29, 1965. The program was sponsored by the Gainesville Lions Club. The Hoermans, who had no children, died within six months of each other in 1972. Among other bequeaths, they left 10 percent of their estate to the city of Gainesville and another 10 percent to the Gainesville School District. In 1973, the city and the school district cooperated in developing what is now the Hoerman Memorial Park, which adjoins the Gainesville School campus off Highway 160 east of the Gainesville square.
Ozark County News
Jan. 31, 1895
Joe Harlin and James Pratt returned from Ark. last Friday with 114 head of cattle. They report cattle scarce in that part of the country.
The Democrat
Jan. 18, 1905
J. C. Harlin was thrown from a coasting sled one night last week and sprained his knee. He is able...

This photo shows the Gainesville kindergarten class of 1958, mentioned in the Times Past item below. The six-week class, sponsored by the Gainesville Extension Club, was held in what is now the Gainesville Lions Club building. Teacher Julia Anna Taber is shown with her students: from left, Geraldine Hayes (or possibly Shirley Robbins), West Plains resident R.C. Alexander (visiting the Pace family), Audie Luna, Vickie Pace, Kim Veatch, Larry Wade, Rick Sims, Mike Breeding, Danny Weston, Beth Taber, Mike Bushong, Louise Pace and Lee Wayne Wallace. (Thanks to class members Mike Breeding and Larry Wade for identification help.)
Ozark County News
Nov. 3, 1887
Mr. Simon Clark left Wednesday, with his family, for north Missouri, where he will make his future home – that is, like all others, until he comes back to Ozark, which we think he will do about next fall.
Jan. 9, 1890
Collector Morrison has made fair collections...
By Sue Ann Luna Jones
Jan. 16, 1975, Ozark County Times:
One night in October 1972, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Gargione of Elijah were entertaining guests in their home. As they talked, a night crawler earthworm appeared from beneath the couch and slowly began to cross the living room floor. In a...
119 YEARS AGO
Jan. 6, 1906, Bakersfield News: The Big oil drill will soon be ready for business. A force of men are setting up the monster machine as rapidly as possible, but the rainy weather has greatly retarded the work. If no more delays occur, it is believed that the drill will be ready...