November 26, 2025: TIMES PAST compiled by Sue Ann Jones
This photo is undated, but it's thought to have been taken soon after the late S. F. "Sid" Amyx (1872-1951) opened his "garage and filling station" here in early 1917. Before opening the storefront business, Amyx had already worked as an agent for the Ford Motor Co., picking up motorcars elsewhere and bringing them to Ozark County customers. Amyx also served as Ozark County sheriff at the time (1913-1917). He was county treasurer 1917-1921 and county representative 1931-32. The first advertisement for his Gainesville business was found in the Jan. 26, 1917, edition of the Times. The business continued through two more generations as Sid's son, Ralph (1907-2000), and then his grandson, Don, operated the business as Amyx Auto on the northwest corner of the Gainesville square. City Hall now occupies the former Ford dealership and office, which closed in 2002, when Ford pressured small dealerships to accept a buyout offer.
Ozark County News
Nov. 17, 1887
Ad. – Morris and Dunn, Rockbridge, Missouri, Proprietors of The Champion low-priced Dry Goods, Hardware and Clothing House of Ozark county. You can buy more goods for less money at our store than any other place. Do not ask us for credit when we sell goods so cheap, but bring your money, and we will astonish you by the amount we can sell for one dollar and still make a profit. Also, [we] manufacture the famous Rockbridge Roller Mills Flour.
The Democrat
Nov. 29, 1905
Sheriff Mahan arrested Newton, Jake and Granville Naves on a charge of stealing Cotton from J. N. Turnbo. Their bond was set at $500 each, which was given. Turnbo claims that the Naves rented his farm and that he was to have a fourth of the cotton delivered at his gin in Pontiac, but that "instead of delivering it there, they hauled it to Theodosia and sold it, keeping all the money themselves."
Ozark County Times
Nov. 27, 1925
Hammond items – Lonnie Wallace had a wreck with his well drill last week.
Martha Smith killed her goose one week too soon for Thanksgiving.
The road workers are making a car road up the hill toward Nottinghill this week, mostly donation work.
Thanksgiving has come and gone once more. Dozens of turkeys and pumpkin pies have been devoured, and many thankful hearts have expressed themselves for the blessings of the year.
Nov. 25, 1948
Table Rock dam, near Branson and Hollister, is expected to cost $50,000,000 as compared with Bull Shoals $57,000,000, Banker Bethel Eiserman of Branson told the Springfield Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon.
Bull Shoals dam itself will be completed by 1950, the banker said, with installation of the powerhouse in by 1952. Norfork dam, already completed was built at a cost of $29,000,000.
Nov. 28, 1940
More Ozark county farmers are using this opportune time in the year when farm work is rather slack to plan and construct terraces, according to reports from the county extension office. Within the last two weeks, terraces have been constructed on the farm of Lawrence Summers of Bakersfield and lines run on the farms of Jess Atkinson, Frank Arnett, and Claude Horn of Bakersfield and W. E. All of Dora. . . . Terraces on the farm of Lawrence Summers were constructed with a home made terracer built by Clegg Brown, a blacksmith of Bakersfield. The machine was made from old grader blades and scrap iron and patterned after the general idea of a Martin Ditcher. The advantages of the machine are that it can be easily transported from one place to another on a wagon or sled, . . . three horses pulling it quite easily. It is a one-man outfit and will construct terraces at the rate of approximately 1,000 feet per day.
Nov. 27, 1975
Gainesville will be presented its Bicentennial flag in public ceremonies Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Gainesville high school gym at 2 p.m. . . . The city was approved as a Bicentennial community last October when the State Bicentennial Commission approved its application for this recognition. The city's Bicentennial celebration will be held at the dedication of the J. J. and Judy Hoerman Bicentennial Park next summer, probably on July 4th. . . . Two communities in Ozark county have received the Bicentennial designation, one is Bakersfield with a 210 population, and the other is Gainesville, whose population is 627.