Times Past

Hodgson Mill store, likely 1930s-40s This photo of the Hodgson Mill store, from the collection of the late Donna Milstead, is thought to have been taken in the late 1930s or early '40s, based on Facebook commenters' dating of the two vehicles shown. In Facebook comments in 2010, Virginia Berry suggested that the girls at far left, walking along the unpaved road (now Highway 181), may have been her sisters "Wanda, Scharlotte and myself" as their home was nearby. In her posts, Virginia said Fred and Cecil Leach lived above the store, which was destroyed by fire in 1960.
Ozark County News
Oct. 10, 1895
A serious difficulty arose yesterday between William Holt and John Richardson, in which the latter shot at Holt with a shot gun which was loaded with buck shot. None of the shot took effect, but it is feared that the shooting affair will create more trouble than was...
Ozark County News
Oct. 6, 1887
The two cent stamp is hereafter to be printed in green and bear the picture of Washington instead of Franklin.
The new school house is being completed as rapidly as possible. When finished it will be a fine building – that is what every-body says.
Luther Daniel...
The four photos accompanying this week's Times Past column show the grand old house that once stood where the Town & Country Supermarket is now. We don't know when the house was built, but a historical piece published in the Feb. 1, 1973, Times, says that "sometime after 1873," John W. and Mary...

This photo, from the collection of Patsy Trivitt, shows a float in the Hootin an Hollarin parade more than 50 years ago. The float was sponsored by Joan’s Cafe in the early 1970s and carried, from left, Kent Suter, Terry Akers Maddox, Trena Trivitt Uchtman, Jim Trivitt, Tammy Latham Johnson and Mike Richardson.
Ozark County Times
Sept. 13, 1912
Lutie – Edith Norton, the 17-year-old daughter of J. B. Norton of this place, committed suicide Thursday evening by drinking carbolic acid.
H. T. Owens, C. C. Hosman and E. F. Jones attended the colt show at Hammond Saturday.
Sept. 24, 1915
Oak Dale – Mr. Holt...

Hootin an Hollarin costumes: With Hootin an Hollarin coming up next week, we're sharing these two photos from previous festivals' costume contests. Mandy White anxiously awaits the announcement of contest winners alongside her sister, Dusty, left, and Tiffany, who is sitting on the lap of her great-grandfather, Al Dreckman (1894-1992). The girls, daughters of Darrell and Diane Dreckman White, are wearing dresses made by their grandmother, Jean Dreckman (1927-2005). The photo is undated, but the girls participated in the costume contest several years and won the small-group category in 1983.
Ozark County News
Sept. 13, 1883
Thirty-five dollars have been paid into the Treasury this week as fines for misdemeanors.
The Republican
Sept. 13, 1906
Testimonial ad. – Harry Ebrite, Editor of The Republican, in discussing corns the other day, said, “I had two corns on my feet that had bothered...
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...
Orval Hosea and Jack Dillon, Two of the Four Hammond Bank Robber Suspects, Now Sought By Ozark County Sheriff
Reprinted from the July 27, 1933 edition of the Ozark County Times - A jail delivery here was discovered Friday morning as Sheriff Daniel went to the jail to feed the prisoners. The...
L. W. Brown Decapitated When Flying Wheel On Woodsaw Breaks
Reprinted from the April 19, 1934 edition of the Ozark County Times - L. W. Brown, 46 year old farmer of four miles west of Mountain Grove, met instant death last Wednesday morning about 10 o’clock, when the fly-wheel on a wood saw, with...

Restaurant and tourist cabins, Gainesville, circa 1950 These post card photos, probably from 1949 or 1950, show the restaurant and “tourist cabins” that operated on what is now County Road 806 west of the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office and directly across from the Ozark County Ambulance base. The business later included an automobile-service station. Its beginning and some of its owner history are described in the 1948 - 1962 items in this week’s Times Past, below. The cabins have been demolished, but the former restaurant is now a private home.
Ozark County News
Aug. 14, 1890
Ad. – I will remain one month at Bakersfield and am interested in treating Cancers, Ulcers &c. Give me a call. Dr. E. E. Taber
Aug. 29, 1895
G. M. Gordon is making preparations to erect a distillery on his ranch six miles West of town. A better site could not...

This old photo, believed to be a threshing operation near Dora, was shared with the Ozark County Historium several years ago by Geneva Collins Infield of Sepulpa, Oklahoma. Geneva’s father, the late Willie Otis Collins, grew up on a Dora-area farm that had been homesteaded by James Franklin Collins in the 1800s.
Ozark County News
July 19, 1883
The rattle of the thresher is now heard in different parts of the county.
John H. Beach had the misfortune on last Saturday to lose his mare. He had been working her to a thresher, and he thinks she got too warm and drank too much water, shortly after which she died...


