Times Past
June 6, 1924, Ozark County Times - Earnest Mcgee, 12-year-old son of county superintendent Sam McGee, was fatally shot with a .38-caliber revolver by Vance Blizzard, 12-year-old son of Lonnie Blizzard, a few minutes after 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon at the Blizzard home of this place. The bullet hit...
Aug. 24, 1923, Ozark County Times - The Pioneer Bridge Company of Kansas City, which has the contract for building the new steel bridge across North Fork on the state road at the ferry are now at work. Mr. Latham has installed his saw mill near the bridge site and is sawing out lumber that is being...
This undated photo was taken by M. C. Stephens looking west at the “steel bridge” that was completed over the North Fork of the White River (now Lake Norfork) in Tecumseh in 1924 at a cost of $50,063, according to “A History of Ozark County 1841-1991.” The people in this photo are unknown, but they had apparently gathered to be photographed at the newly completed bridge that was considered a modern marvel at the time. The bridge, 18 feet wide, continued in service until it was replaced in 1988 by the current 38-foot-wide bridge, which was built at a cost of $2.1 million (including removal of the old bridge).
May 9, 1924, Ozark County Times - The outing at the North Fork bridge last Sunday was attended by more than 1,500 people who came from all parts of Ozark and adjoining counties.
The Ava concert band of 28 pieces; the personnel of which was as follows: [listing of musicians]... accompanied by about...
A 1995 Times Past item below reports the sale of Johnson’s store on the Gainesville square, announcing that it would become a Curtis Department Store owned by David and Karey Quackenbush of Willow Springs. This photo, from the 1968 GHS Bulldogger, shows the Johnson family 27 years earlier, standing in front of the store on the west side of the Gainesville square, From left: Rex and Frances Johnson with their children Lisa (front), Teresa and Eric, with Rex’s parents, store founders Jessie and Frank Johnson at right.
Ozark County News
Feb. 20, 1890
Considerable excitement prevails in this county, especially the east part, over the discovery of mineral. The ore is supposed to contain silver. There is no doubt, mineral of different kinds in Ozark county, which only wait development.
The Democrat
Feb. 22, 1905...
Ponch Van Camp picks up trash and sorts it for recycling. It’s a small sideline business and his way of doing something for the county.
By Lyn Howe
Jan. 31, 1991, Ozark County Times - Ponch Van Camp and his wife, Marge, live between Thornfield and Longrun in a home built of recycled materials and lumber cut from trees on their land. Everything which went into building the house was recycled material except the tin roof.
“We are a...
Jan. 19, 1994, Ozark County Times: Ozark County is once again in the recycling business... Commissioners met with representatives of the Sheltered Workshop, which had previously operated the recycling center on County Road 502, off old Highway 160 east of Gainesville.
The Ozark County Sheltered...
Jan. 29, 1992, Ozark County Times: This building, located in the county’s Industrial development park off old Highway 160 has recently been purchased by the county to be used as a recycling center by the Ozark County Recycling council. A full-time and one part-time employee will man the center as...
Jan. 9, 1992, Ozark County Times - Ozark County’s plan for handling solid waste took two more leaps toward becoming a reality this week as work was completed on the recycling trailer and two employees were hired to man the recycling center. Plans to pick up other materials are underway and will be...
It’s not known when the Methodist Church in Gainesville last held services in the building shown on the left side of this photo, but records show that by 1928, O.J. Breeding had bought the church property and opened a store on the site. The photo, from the files of Mary Ruth Luna Sparks, was taken from the southwest corner of the square, looking west up High Street (now Third Street). Another Methodist church was established in Theodosia in 1962.
Ozark County News
Feb. 12, 1895
C. W. Layton lost a fine horse last Thursday night with something similar to blind staggers, and Sunday night his other horse died in the same manner.
John Upton is improving his property in town by having a well drilled in his yard. Sims & Gilmore have the...
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...