Times Past

When Micheal Mahan shared this 1960s photo of the Bakersfield Cafe on the Bakersfield Missouri Historical Society’s Facebook page, many viewers shared their memories of the landmark gathering place. Judy Eastman Ball identified the people in the photo from the names written on the back of the original photo owned by her cousin, Bonnie Carlile. From left:. Margie Williamson, Floyd Hathcock and Freda Sexton. Behind the counter: Ozella Vaughan, Maxine Vaughan, Violet Young, Flora Simpson Shrable and Patsy Williams.. Thanks to Mahan and Ball for permission to reprint the photo and names here.

This photo of the store at Locust, from the collection of the late Stella Martin Luna, is believed to have been taken shortly after the Locust post office opened in the store in 1911. According to “A History of Ozark County, 1841-1991,” Benjamin Breeding, right, was the only postmaster at Locust until it “closed out to Gainesville” in 1940. Also pictured, from left: Raymond McGinnis, Lonnie McGinnis, Margaret Webster Breeding, Stella Upton Martin, Clifford Webb and Bertha Webb holding Clifford’s brother.

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.

This photo of the Ozark County Times correspondents, dated Sept. 28, 1963, was recently shared with the Ozark County Historium by occasional Times correspondent Theta Nokes, whose mother, Lilliam Clayton, is one of the correspondents pictured. These names are written on a piece of paper attached to the photo: Front row, from left: Edith Reynolds, Centerpoint; Alzona Miller, Sandridge; Rose Ranck, Dawt; Pearlie Poe, Charity; Golda Walker, Grabeel; Hazel Effia Hodges, Toledo; Bertha Watson, Lilly Ridge; Rose Snell, Pine View and Willhoit; Mary Mefford, Price Place and Alma Garrison, Guber. Back row: Pansy Rozell, Ocie; Roy Pare, Romance; Brooksie McGinnis, Lutie and Theodosia; Lilliam Clayton, Wasola; Opal Hooper, Gamaliel, Arkansas; Bessie Freeman, Crossroads; Edythe Farmer, Hi-Romance; Edith Jones, Clark; Bessie Feemster, Noble; Ila Young, Lone Pilgrim; Jenice Williamson, Nottinghill; Dohna Mahan, Caney; Blanche Honeycutt, Idumea; Audy Wallace, Longrun; Verna Gardner, Souder; and J. W. Findley, Hammond, who wrote the “Weatherman Bill” column.