Sept. 3, 2025: TIMES PAST compiled by Sue Ann Jones
Ozark County News
Sept. 8, 1892
The death of Prof. W. F. Holland, who died at his residence in Gainesville Sept. 5, cast a mantle of gloom over our village from which it will not soon recover.
Prof. Holland was born in Marshall County, Ky,. in October 1852 and came to this county when quite young. During his boyhood days, he manifested an intense desire for his books, and not withstanding his limited finances in early life, by close application and diligent study, he became master of everything he undertook and was … a self-made man. …
In caring for the interests of his students, he was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries … ever thorough, watchful, tenderhearted and sympathetic, his students learned to love and trust him as a true friend. …
His funeral will be preached at as early a date as his students can attend.
John Hogard was taken sick on Tuesday while teaching and was brought home. He is now under the doctors’ care.
Ozark County Times
Sept. 9, 1910
James Pumphrey of near Bakersfield died on Thursday of last week. He was taking the Keely cure and had entered the institution only four days previous to his death.
Lilly – Thos. Blacksher fell and hurt his right arm while climbing over a rock fence last Saturday.
The people in our neighborhood are busy in their corn fields saving fodder.
Sept. 4, 1914
G. W. Boone, J. C. Harlin, E. W. Ebrite, Jack Patterson and Everett Luna arrived home Sunday evening from Ozark where they had been attending court on Saturday. They made the trip as far as Seymour by automobile. In spite of the rain and muddy roads, they made the trip without mishap and in good time. The boys say you can go most anywhere in a Ford car.
Dormis – Andy Cobb moved his stock of merchandise from Birdtown to his new storeroom near Dormis this week. Ben Cobb and Walter Hill hauled Cobb’s stock of merchandise.
Pontiac – During the storm Sunday morning lightning struck the kitchen flue of Henry Mahan’s residence, tearing part of it down and knocking down the stove pipe and bursting a hole in the floor about a foot long.
Sept. 7, 1933
Judge Robert L. Gideon was here last Thursday holding a special session of the Ozark County Circuit court to try the three alleged Hammond bank bandits, Orval Hosey ... Jack Dillon … and Ray Brickey. …
Dillon and Hosey, who had previously confessed to complicity in the holdup on May 10, entered pleas of guilty and were sentenced to the penitentiary for 40 years each.
Brickey … pleaded not guilty and took a change of venue to Douglas County where his case will be called for trial Sept. 18. …
Hosey and Dillon escaped from the jail here on the night of July 20 but were recaptured in a cave near Chadwick on Aug. 4.
A week following the escape of Hosey and Dillon, … Walter Hartley of Cabool, alleged accomplice of Hosey and Dillon, escaped from the jail at West Plains. … He has not been recaptured.
Sept. 2, 1954
E. Y. Mitchell, a large landowner in Ozark County, died in Springfield Saturday following a heart attack at his home there.
Mitchell was well known to residents here and was probably the largest landowner in the county, owning between eight and ten thousand acres. [Mitchell was the man who, in 1913, had the Frisco and Union Pacific photographer take pictures of Ozark County and said he wanted to “colonize” the county.]