TIMES PAST


Sometime after “Fred Wright and family” moved to Hammond to become “one of the merchants there,” as reported in the July 15, 1943, item below, this photo was taken of the Wrights’ store, which had moved into the Hammond bank building. The photo was taken by Orval Jernigan, a Milligan Grocery Co. representative who traveled to rural stores in Douglas, Ozark and Taney counties. During the winter of 1946-47, Jernigan took pictures of the stores he called on, typed descriptions onto the bottom of each photo print and mounted them in a photo album that now belongs to Christy Voliva in Ava. She has shared the photos, which were scanned into digital form by Kenneth Brown, with the Ozark County Historium.

Ozark County News
July 13, 1899
A terrible tragedy took place near Bakersfield recently. Mr. Leech, who lives near Bakersfield, had two sons aged about 10 and 12. The oldest boy got the shotgun to kill a hawk nearby. In order to get near enough to shoot the hawk, he cocked the gun and turned the muzzle backward and attempted to crawl through the weeds. By some accident the gun was discharged, killing his little brother who was sitting on the porch at the house, the entire load of shot entering the boys’ head killing him instantly. The older boy is almost crazy over the killing of his brother, and the mother is prostrated with grief.
 
Ozark County Times
July 23, 1909
 Uncle Harvey Hunt died at his home in this place on July 16, 1909, of heart failure. He had been complaining only a few days, and on Thursday evening was supposed to be improving. Early Friday morning he had an attack of heart failure from which he could not rally.
The remains were interred in the Gainesville Cemetery late Friday afternoon. A large number of relatives and friends attended the internment.
 
July 19, 1918
Never Fail – School began here last Monday with Everett Herd as teacher, and we have promise of the best school and best order that we have had for years. 
A few of the patrons of the district met and scrubbed the schoolhouse last Saturday. 
Lawndale – Miss Charlotte Lamb, who has been confined to her bed for some time with typhoid fever, is able to be up.
Lee Hamilton made a trip to West Plains this week and brought back a load of freight for W. P. Cobb. 
Sycamore – School began July 8th under the management of Miss Othie Davis.
Several gathered at the schoolhouse Saturday evening and scrubbed the floor and seats. 
 
July 16, 1931
Early last Sunday morning officials were informed the Bakersfield State Bank at Bakersfield had been robbed Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The building had been entered through a window. An acectylene burner had been used, and a large hole burned through the steel vault door through which the robbers entered the vault. ...
On Monday morning when the time lock permitted the opening of the safe, it was found the robbers had drilled a hole through the safe door but that the drilling torch had set the money and contents of the safe on fire. The robbers had forced water through the drilled hole to put out the fire.
A few dollars that had not been put in the safe is all the bandits got for their trouble.
 
July 15, 1943
 Nottinghill – Our school started the 12th with Mr. Beach as teacher.
An 8 1/2 pound boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Etsel Brown last week. Mrs. Brown before her marriage was Miss Avis Seivert.
Fred Wright and family are residents of Hammond now. He is one of the merchants there. 
Pontiac – We were sorry to hear of the death of Fray Johnson. He was the son of A. J. Johnson of this place. 
Pvt. Tol Nave is home from the Army camp visiting his parents.
 
July 22, 1943
 Ad – Sunday July 25, Lum and Abner in Two Weeks to Live. The picture we have all been waiting to see. Lum and Abner, the dear old men from Pine Ridge, go to the big city and really do their stuff. ... We will have three showings. At 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
 
July 18, 1968
In a 7 o’clock ceremony solemnized June 22 in Lilly Ridge General Baptist Church, Miss Carol June Huse became the bride of Wayman Lee King. Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Huse, Hardenville, and the bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaiah King, Gainesville. 
 
July 14, 1993
 Bakersfield – Bakersfield had wagon trains in town for a few days. They made camp on the picnic ground. It made you think it was the carnival rides back for the Fourth. 
 
July 21, 1993
 Bakersfield – Legion Post 374 enjoyed a fish fry Saturday night. We had 35 out to eat catfish. 
Mike House showed us all how to shoot Justin Gargione’s tater gun. Yep, it really shoots potatoes and makes a good boom. He liked to cause the cooks to burn their fish.

Ozark County Times

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PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
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