Ridgeway News -- February 18, 2026

CITY NEWS: Congratulations to Ridgeway’s new city clerk, Brooklyn Scobee!  She will take the place of Toni Storms who has taken a job with the Harrison County Clerk’s office.  Good luck to both ladies and looking forward to working with Brooklyn in the future!

The City of Ridgeway is still looking for a new city maintenance worker.  If you are interested, contact the city clerks’ office for more information at 660-872-6414.

The Ridgeway Community Betterment Association elected new officers as part of their February meeting.  The board elected Gloria Craig, president; Susie Rollheiser, vice president; Kristi Reeder, secretary; Tammy Harding, treasurer; and Joni Sequira, board member.  Returning board members are Sydney Craig and Paula Scott.  The board would like to thank outgoing president Shelly Lovitt for all her hard work and dedication over the past four years!

The March Bingo night will be held on Monday, March 2 at 6:30 pm in the community room in City Hall.  The snack theme will be “St. Patrick’s Day” or green foods.  There are always three winners per game and there are lots of great prizes for all ages! Donations of snacks are appreciated and a free-will donation is accepted for snacks and cards, with the proceeds going to support RCBA’s community events and projects. Bring the family and have a great time with your neighbors!

Don’t forget to stop by the Little Free Library to see what books are available. All books are free and available to anyone.  The upper level holds adult books and the lower level has books for children.  You may also leave books you have finished reading for others to enjoy!

The Spring into Homesteading event, sponsored by the Ridgeway Community Betterment Association, will be held on Saturday, March 28 in the Ridgeway School gym from 9 am to 3 pm.  This year, they are focusing on education and teaching those skills that used to be passed down from one generation another.  Demonstrations will be presented by Gwen Funk of the MU Extension Center on canning, soil testing, and gardening. Additional presentations will be on using herbs, the importance of maintaining your sewing machine machines and keeping your computer secure and out of the landfill.  The Spring into Homesteading committee is working hard to secure other presenters as well.  If you are interested in either demonstrating a skill that seems to have been lost to time or having a booth to have those conversations one-on-one, please contact the committee co-chairs Susie or Paula.

SCHOOL NEWS:  The board of education was rescheduled from last week and will take place this evening (Wed, Feb 18) at 6 pm instead.

The annual Ridgeway Alumni basketball game will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 6 pm in the Ridgeway school gym.  Relive the memories as some of your favorite players return to the court once again.  A free-will donation will be taken to help fund future PTO activities and improvements.  To sign up to play, contact Sydney.

SOCIETY:  Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Beverly Stevens, nee Tomes who passed away on Feb 13.  She was a sweet lady who was a big help to me with getting information for this column and she will be missed.

The community sewing group will meet at the Ridgeway Baptist Church on Monday, February 23 from 1 pm to 4 pm. Anyone is welcome to join this industrious group – you do not need a sewing machine or experience, just a willing heart and hands.

CLOSING:  Beautiful weather last Sunday – hope you got out to enjoy it  a bit.  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!

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

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

Mar 7 – Ridgeway Alumni Basketball Game, 6 pm, Ridgeway School Gym

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

Mar 16 – Ridgeway Board of Aldermen, 6 pm, Ridgeway Community Room

Mar 12 – Farmers’ Appreciation Dinner, TBA

Mar 28 – Spring into Homesteading, 9 am to 3 pm, 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 18, 2026

From the Ridgeway Journal dated February 17, 1910:

On Saturday, March 5, a special train was expected to arrive in Ridgeway at 11 am. This train, sponsored by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, featured speakers and exhibits to provide education on “dairying”. The train included “an Arms Palace Car, containing some of the most improved dairy bred animals to be used at each stop to demonstrate the essential points to be observed in selecting and breeding great economical and profitable milch and butter producing cow” and a baggage car that had “ miniature silos, cow testing machines, dairy literature and other necessary equipment for demonstration.”

On hand to talk about dairy farming were men from the Department of Agriculture, the Iowa State Dairymen Association and other experts in the field. These men are recognized as authorities on subjects pertaining to dairy farming, who will lecture on the subject of breeding and caring for the dairy herd and making the farms more productive and profitable. All of this was free to the local farmers and they were strongly encouraged to take advantage of this educational opportunity to learn more to improve their herds, milk production and their farms. They were encouraged to bring their families as well: “Bring your wives, sons and daughters along. They need the training as well as you, for they are to be the farmers and farmers’ wives of the future.”

The train was due to leave Ridgeway at 12:00 when it would “depart for Blythedale and other northern points.”

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.”