Times Past: Jan. 3, 2018


This photo of the dam and powerhouse at Althea Spring is reprinted from “A History of Ozark County, 1841-1991,” which is available on DVD from the Ozark County Historium. A story by the late Dale Morrison accompanies the photo in the book, explaining that the area around the spring, now a Missouri Department of Conservation access point on the North Fork of the White River, was purchased by Karl W. Schmidt, owner of Builders Steel Co. of Kansas City, on May 9, 1958. Schmidt built a home, office, machine shop and caretaker’s home as well as the dam across the spring branch and a generator and powerhouse, which provided power for the Schmidt home. On Aug. 24, 1977, David Wagner drove Karl and his wife, Willa, to Springfield for doctors’ appointments. As they were returning home, all three were killed in a single-vehicle crash near Seymour. In 1980, MDC purchased the spring and surrounding property for $200,000.

Ozark County Times

Jan. 7, 1916

Hammond – H. T. Owens and Bob Jones drove into Pond Fork which had a four-foot rise. The swift water carried the team and buggy some 50 yards below the ford before they could land. The buggy was completely submerged but remained upright, and the boys refused to leave it. 

 

Jan. 4, 1918

Maj. Gen. Wood, commander of the Eighty-ninth Division at Camp Funston, has landed safely in France and is now studying war problems firsthand, as is being done by the commanding officers of each division.  

E. K. Sanders of the north part of town joined the Ford crowd a few days ago. He traded a team of mares to Bob Martin of West Plains for a Ford car. 

Word from E. A. Deupree of Dora says they already have 17 Red Cross members at that place. An auxiliary has been organized at this place, and a drive for members will begin as soon as the officers of the organization can get matters arranged. 

Cager Boatright of east of this city, while on his return from West Plains the first of the week with a load of merchandise for Gaines-ville merchants, lost a good mule while camped with other freighters at Potters-ville. A horse of one of the freighters kicked and broke one of the mule’s legs. 

Isabella – G. W. Schofield’s wife is very sick with typhoid fever. She is the fourth member of Mr. Schofield’s family who has had the fever this fall and winter.  

Jan. 6, 1938

Mr. Clanson Newton and Miss Lorene Luna were united in matrimony on Dec. 19. 

The bride is the oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Luna of near Gainesville. The groom is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Newton of Zanoni.  Both were born and raised near Gainesville.  

 

Dec. 31, 1942

On Saturday night between 9 and 10 o’clock while the heaviest rain since 1929 was falling, lightning struck the large barn of Dr. P. E. Bushong in the south part of town. 

A few minutes after the building was struck, it became a roaring furnace, and none of the contents could be saved. A fine young bull being kept in the enclosure in the barn, all the harness on the place and many other things and much feed were destroyed. There was some insurance on the building.  

 

Jan. 7, 1943

The St. Bernard dog Susie belonging to P. O. Sims and family of this city, presented them with a gift of 15 puppies a few days ago. This goes to show that pups are not on the rationed list. 

Francis Marion Morris, 69, one of the leading merchants of Bakersfield ... died at his home at 6 o’clock Saturday morning of a heart ailment. ...   

Mr. Morris, who was a member of a well-known and influential family of this part of the Missouri Ozarks, was born Nov. 20, 1873, in Graves County, Kentucky, and came to the Missouri Ozarks with his parents 55 years ago. He was married March 15, 1900, to Miss Mary M. Elliott, who died three years ago. Two years after his marriage, he engaged in the mercantile business at Bakersfield, where he continued in business until his death.  

Pontiac – Christmas and the weekend holidays here were as warm as mid-June weather with a 7-inch rain Saturday night, putting the creeks on a rampage. On Sunday another 4 inches of rain fell. White River raised 50 feet over night. Every farm along its course was swept.

Jan. 4, 1968

Bull Shoals – Theodosia – Mr. and Mrs. Neal Dancy were made happy when their son, Sgt. James Dancy, returned home from Vietnam before Christmas. They still have another son, Joe, over there. We all hope the conflict will soon be over so that they all may return home. 

 

Jan. 6, 1993

Torrential rains fell on Ozark County earlier this week creating dangerous river and creek crossings. A West Plains woman drowned while attempting to drive across a Howell County creek, and a Mountain Home, Ark., couple was rescued from the top of their vehicle after it stalled while trying to cross rapid water. Lick Creek just north of the Gainesville square had to be barricaded to prevent crossing.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

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