Ridgeway News -- February 11, 2026

CITY NEWS: The Ridgeway Board of Aldermen will meet on Tuesday, Feb 17 at 6 pm in the Ridgeway Community Room. Please note the time change. If you have items you would like to have added to the agenda, please contact city clerk Toni Storms. All Ridgeway residents are welcome to attend this public meeting.

Save the date for the second annual Spring into Homesteading event on March 28, 2026 in the Ridgeway R-V school gym! We are hoping to have more demonstrations and vendors this year, so if you are interested in vending and/or demonstrating, please contact Paula Scott at 660-872-6500 or Susie Rollheiser.

SCHOOL NEWS: The Board of Education will meet tonight (Feb 11) at 6 pm.

The varsity basketball teams have been playing in the HDC tournament at Mercer this week. I don’t have scores yet, but hope they have been doing well. Go Bobcats!

Elementary school basketball teams have been practicing hard in preparation for their first game at Spickard on March 4. Both girls and boys teams will play. They will play in Cainsville on March 7 in the East Harrison tournament.

The Owls will have an exciting day on Friday! They will start with Breakfast with Loved Ones in the cafeteria. Valentine’s Day deliveries will happen all day. The preschool and elementary school students will have their Valentines parties and the school will hold a student Talent Show at 1 pm in the Ridgeway School Gym.

CLOSING: Hope you have a great week and try to stay warm! I’ve been using a leaf blower to clean up all this powdery snow –works great! If you know of any events or plans around town that you would like to see shared with others, please send me the details by Sunday evening! Thank you for reading! Wave to your neighbors!

Upcoming Events

Feb 17 – Ridgeway Board of Aldermen, 6 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Feb 23 – Community Sewing Group, Ridgeway Baptist Church, 1pm – 4 pm

Mar 2 – Bingo Night, 6:30 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Mar 9 – Ridgeway Community Betterment Assn meeting, 7 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Mar 12 – Farmers’ Appreciation Dinner, TBA

Mar 28 – Spring into Homesteading, TBA, Ridgeway School Gym

April 4 – Easter Egg Hunt, Ridgeway City Park, 10 am

Ridgeway News Updates

To send in an item for the Ridgeway News or subscribe to the email list, send an email to RidgewayCBA@gmail.com. Emailed copies are sent out Friday mornings at 6 am.

You can find every Bit of History item as well as flyers for upcoming events on the RCBA website: ridgewaycba.blogspot.com

For the most current updates, follow RCBA on Facebook! Find it by searching for @RidgewayCBA.

Bit of History -- February 11, 2026

For this week, I have a continuation of the column titled “The Women’s Department” published in the Feb 2, 1893 edition of the Ridgeway Journal:

This was an editorial on the trend of “short skirts”. “The Missouri and Kansas woman suffragists lately met at Kansas City and advocated skirt reform. Many ladies wore dresses three and four inches above the ground and surprised their friends by the youthful appearance the short skirt gave them.” The shorter skirts had been tried before “when women’s rights were first hinted at by a bold few”. Some, like Dr. Mary Walker, went so far as to change over to “the entire male garb.” Ultimately, “many who wore short skirts in the ‘forties’ after a few years put on longer and heavier skirts than before.’

The trouble was that the shorter skirts meant exposure. “The lower extremities must be clothed to the shoe the greater part of the year in our climate or disease and death ensue.” The editor advocated skirts just long enough to cover the top of the shoe. “Skirts not touching the ground and never showing the top of a high shoe are now worn by thousands of women who never think or say anything about it.” The tradition of girls wearing short skirts until age 16 then suddenly changing to long skirts” was also evolving so that the change to longer skirts was done gradually and “many never wore a really long skirt”.

“No working woman can move easily in a long skirt, especially going up steps. She usually has her hands full and her feet get on a long skirt...Women are too sensible to waste strength foolishly.”

Bit of History -- February 4, 2026

The Women’s Department of the Feb 2, 1893 edition of the Ridgeway Journal was edited by Mrs. C. T. Jaqua, Editress and contained this adorable little story:

This piece was written by “Laura” and detailed how she and her grandmother worked on tying a quilt. Her grandmother had already completed the “calico” (what we would now call the quilt top) so they took it into the parlor “where the carpet was very clean” and spread out on the floor in preparation to be tied.  Before they could start, however, “There was a crack at the front door that let in lots of cold so grandma said we must stop that. She got strips of thick cloth, and I got two table knives. With the knives we pushed the cloth in the crack and then the cold wind quit coming in.”  

Grandma taught Laura how to tie the quilt and they worked together until Grandma had to stop to fix dinner. They finished it and then Laura wrote:  “She will finish the comforter on the machine and then baste a binding of a width of calico across the end that will be at the head of the bed and keep the comforter from wearing out so soon.”   Laura had to ask for help with the “big words” and finished her little story with:  "I see the Journal let Mr. Hazelbrush get his big sister to spell his large words and little sister to spell his little words, so I hope no one will mind because I asked grandma about the big words in this. I hope you will print this and not mind me being so small.    Laura.”

Unfortunately, there is no way to know who Laura or Grandma were as no last names were printed.  

Bit of History -- January 28, 2026

 I am back this week with a few editorial comments about the weather in the February 5, 1904 edition of the Ridgeway Journal. All of these were on page 5 under the “Local Mentions” column.

The editor wrote that there were some confusing forecasts with the scheduling of Easter and the groundhog's annual prediction: “Easter Sunday comes early this year, which is an indication that the warm weather will come early. At the same time the confounded groundhog insisted on seeing his shadow last Tuesday, which is a sure sign of six more weeks of winter weather.” He went on to add that since neither prediction was ever wrong, he could presume they would have cold weather one day followed by hot “unless some other never-failing sign is brought forth. “

Next up was a complaint about the “signal service” getting a little hasty about predicting a cold wave a day too early on a Tuesday: “But the predicted cold wave failed to arrive and Wednesday morning was bright and warm. The signal service had better hurry and be on time. The people do not care for forecasts one day late.”

Finally, the cold and snow of that year did have one enjoyable side effect: “After the cold spell and snows of last week, sleighing was fine and greatly enjoyed. It is not often that such fine sleighing is had in this section-at least it has been several years since it has lasted more than a few days at a time.”

Bit of History -- January 7, 2026

In the January 10, 1918 issue of the Ridgeway Journal, readers were given information about their new obligation to pay income taxes.  The income tax, dormant since after the Civil War,  had been reinstated in 1913 when the 16th amendment was ratified. But until 1917, most people earned less than the standard exemption of $3000 and didn’t have to worry about filing a return.  (The average American worker earned about $800 per year in 1914, which would be just under $26,000 today).  With the cost of World War 1, the government needed money and lowered the standard deduction to $1000 for a single person and $2000 for a married couple.  This meant most people would now have to figure how much they owed Uncle Sam and send in a payment.

To help lessen the confusion, W. A. Miner, one of the officers of the First National Bank of Ridgeway, arranged to have an income tax officer come to Ridgeway on January 18, 1918.  He had “his headquarters at the First National Bank and he will be ready and willing to assist persons subject to the tax to make out their returns without cost to them for such service.”  The writer of the article thought most people would appreciate the efforts of Mr. Miner “as it will give all in this vicinity a chance to interview the officer without making a trip to Bethany or Blythedale.”  

Bit of History -- December 31, 2025

 

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated December 30, 1915:

The Rex Theatre was planning to present “The Man Who Found Himself”, a five part photo-play based on George Broadhurst’s drama “The Mills of the Gods".

Sheridan Henry opened a feed warehouse in the rear of the old Johnsons blacksmith shop. He promised that he would “keep on hand at all times baled hay and straw, oats and corn and will sell for cash only.”

Shared from the Galesburg, Ill Press Dispatch: “A marriage license was issued here to John Ennes, Ridgeway, Mo., 82 years old, and Mrs. Margaret Hale of Galesburg, 66.”

The Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Church planned to serve dinner at the City Hall on News Year’s Day. The public was invited. They also held an apron sale: “All ladies interested are requested to bring one or more aprons.”

Bit of History -- December 24, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated December 19, 1940:

The grade school children of Ridgeway were presenting a Christmas Pageant in the school auditorium. The chorus would include sixty grade school children. Among the “stars” of the cast were Juanita Stockwell, who played Mary. Joseph was played by Marvin Scott, Gerald Bake and Darryl Dale (not sure why it took three boys to play Joseph.: Kenneth Wise, David Jincks and Junior Roberts. Betty Jean Polley was the Herald Angel and Heralds by Billy Williams and Bryce Polley.

In other school doings, the first graders “wrote a letter to Santa Claus inviting him to visit their room tomorrow Friday” and Gerald Dean Nible brought us a big Christmas tree. The girls and boys decorated it.” Meanwhile, the third graders had Santa Claus flying through the air in an airplane in our hall. We hope he lands next Friday. The fourth grade class “studied Christmas trees and how to tell the difference between fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar.”

Bit of History -- December 17, 2025

From the Ridgeway Journal dated December 14, 1893:   

“Old Aunt Em” and her family had what was probably the shortest residence on record in Ridgeway.  She moved from Bethany with her husband, children and household goods and the next day, she had to move back to Bethany.  “As soon as our people learned the next morning that she was in town, the marshal interviewed her and she promptly departed south for the town of iniquity from which she came.”  She was strongly encouraged to leave Ridgeway once the officials learned she was a prostitute and had run a house of ill repute for fifteen years in Bethany.  

While Ridgeway officials were glad for Bethany in that they were trying to “wipe the evils from their town”, they didn’t appreciate that those evils were moving into their own town.  “We are glad that at last Bethany has a set of officials who are making an honest effort to wipe the evils from their town, and we think all the good citizens, all over the county should encourage them in the work...Let the good work go on down there and if that town will ship them, we are sure none of the other towns of the county will harbor them.”

Bit of History -- December 10, 2025

In the December 7, 1893 edition of the Ridgeway Journal, the editor made what was probably a contentious suggestion: “It has been suggested that the Sunday schools unite and have a union Christmas tree at the Kern hall.” The writer thought this would be an excellent idea as “A large majority of the people would like to attend both trees, and the way it always has been, both churches were crowded and no one could take any comfort.” By combining the Sunday Schools of both the Methodist Episcopal and Christian churches and holding the program in Kern Opera House, there would be plenty of room and “would also be a good thing to bring the schools closer in a social relation and make them work more in harmony.”

Despite the editorial encouragement, the Methodist church continued with having its own program, complete with a Christmas tree and arch filled with gifts, a full program and a meal. The Christian Church held its program on the same night in the Kern Hall. After the night of festivities, the paper published a brief item mentioning that both programs had been well attended and enjoyed by many, but were interrupted by a fire alarm for a home in East Ridgeway. “A splendid program had been prepared but its effect was spoiled by the alarm of fire and a stampede was narrowly averted”, however “The tree was well laden with presents and all had a good time.”

Bit of History -- December 3, 2025

In 1920, the Ridgeway Journal dedicated an entire page of its December 20 holiday edition to stories about the Ridgeway school. The reporter from the Journal who wrote the article didn’t have a by-line so I have no way of know if the reporter was male or female.

The reporter visited every school room and described the room and what the students were doing that day. In room 1, the reporter was delighted by the décor: “the dainty curtains at the windows, the well chosen pictures on the walls, the string of Japanese lanterns and the flowers in the windows.” In every classroom, the students were hard at work with lessons in reading, arithmetic, geography, and more. The reporter also noted that “in all the rooms visited, the ample lighting, heating and good ventilation and single seats contributed to comfort and the pictures, flowers and curtains pleased the eye and the books added a charm of their own.”

“While we are proud of every branch of our school, yet we look with especial pride upon our High School.” In addition to the general education classes such as algebra, history, English and Latin, the high school provided teacher and business education with classes in typing and shorthand and prepared many students for college educations. As of the date of the article, seventeen Ridgeway graduate were enrolled in higher education with nine at Missouri State University, three in the University of Kansas, two in the Kirksville normal school (now known as Truman State University) and three in the Warrensburg normal school (now known as the University of Central Missouri.) The article then went on to describe the education program and the business courses. It ended with “The people who are now enjoying the benefits of the school should be, and are, very grateful not only for the persistent efforts of the various school boards which suggested and the people who voted for our magnificent school building, but to the efficient and unending efforts of the various teachers who have from time to time had charge of the different departments.”