Friday, March 28, 2025

Bit of History - March 26, 2025

In 1905, Ridgeway had two telephone exchanges.  There had been telephone service in Ridgeway since at least 1899 per the Ridgeway Journal. According the “Ridgeway: Then and Now” centennial book, the earliest telephone service was the Neff Telephone exchange which was located in the Kerns building and operated by Nellie Nelson.  Later, it was located in the Grant building which stood on the now empty lot on the corner of Main and Cedar streets before the Farmer’s National Bank of Ridgeway built there.  

Around 1905, the Harrison County Mutual Telephone company also started operations in Ridgeway.  However, there was trouble as “the two exchanges do not exchange”.  Per an editorial in the March 31, 1905 edition of the Ridgeway Journal, the fact that the two telephone companies didn’t work together, “the business firms having patrons on both systems would be compelled to be at the expense of renting two phones to get the service demanded.”  The editor felt that the two companies needed to work out their differences and if they could not, then “the patrons, as a last resort, can take steps unitedly and for an agreement.”  

However, as late as 1918, both companies were still in service and some businesses did, in fact have, have a phone for each exchange.  In Bethany, a funeral director and two doctors listed a phone number for each exchange (Bethany Democrat, Nov 11, 1912)  The Neff Telephone exchange provided telephone service to Bethany and Gilman City (and probably other towns) in addition to Ridgeway.  The Harrison County Mutual Telephone changed hands a few times, but eventually outlasted the Neff exchange, becoming Grand River Mutual that still provides our service today.






Friday, March 21, 2025

Bit of History - March 19, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated March 20, 1913:

In the Methodist Church notes, there was a funny little bit that “Pastor Snider put a ban on Easter millinery, asking that no new hats be worn on Easter morning.” His reason was that too many women who unable to purchase a new hat for Easter would simply not attend the Easter morning service and “He wanted everyone to come.” He also asked the ladies not to wear hats to the evening lecture so that everyone could see the platform.

The best part about this little bit was that at the top of the column was an ad for the new hat line available at Miss Maude Campbell’s. She had a new line of “beautiful spring hats in ladies’, misses and children’s. She also planned to give away a “hand embroidered pillow. Anyone may get it.” She would take eggs in exchange for hats.

Three “prominent Bethany citizens” were arrested in Ridgeway, “charged with speeding their horses on the public highway.” Rush Eades was in a buggy and William Tilley and “Mr. Tolliver” were in another rig and they were racing to get to the party to be served first. They were at the depot waiting to return to Bethany when they were arrested by Ridgeway’s Constable Dale.

The students at the Ridgeway school published an accounting of the receipts and expenses for their “recent Shakespeare play”. They performed two nights in Ridgeway as well taking the show on the road to Eagleville and Cainsville. They paid for costume rental, train fares, meals, teams and sleds, printing, curtain material and paid help. They took in a total of $211.10 and had a net profit of $93.40 (about $3000 today). This money was donated to the Board of Education to be added to the school’s Library Fund.





Friday, March 14, 2025

Bit of History - March 12, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated March 11, 1926:

The Ridgeway girls basketball team won a tournament in New Hampton that week, beating Gilman City (20-11), Eagleville (42-4) and Blythedale (48-3). They regretted that they didn’t get the chance to play against the Bethany team.

The boys played in the same tournament, but lost to the Bethany boys by only one point, 12-11.

Walter Bartlett visited Ridgeway friends to promote his new business in Bethany, Bartlett Motor and Implement Company. There was to be a grand opening that included the Ridgeway Old-Time Eight-Piece Orchestra as well as free service days, free milk tests, motion pictures and demonstrations.

Lois Cocklin, an eighth grade Ridgeway student, won the first prize in the Harrison County graded and hight school elimination spelling contest. She won $5 and a fountain pen and participated in the Northwest Missouri spelling tournament in Maryville. Rosemary Wood, another Ridgeway student, took second place, missing only three words. She won $2.50 and an Eversharp pencil.

A fire at the “Pete” McGowan farm just south of Ridgeway destroyed the barn, house, garage and smoke house. They also lost five horses, harnesses, corn and hay in the fire. Pete was away and “his wife and family and hired man were there, but the flames had gained too much headway for them to handle”.

The New Ridgeway Hotel was under new management. The hotel was purchased by Mrs. M. L. Hahn and Mrs. W. W. Turned of Springfield and Clinton respectively and had been in the hotel business many years.










Friday, March 7, 2025

Bit of History - March 5, 2025

The biggest story in the Local Mention section of the Ridgeway Journal dated March 7, 1902 was the surprising death of John T. Richardson. He “lived a couple miles north of Ridgeway” and had been to town on a Friday to do some shopping and pick up his mail. The next Wednesday afternoon, James L. McKern, a neighbor who lived about a half mile away, noticed that Richardson’s horses “were acting strangely and as though they needed watering.” He stopped to check on Richardson and entered the quiet house where he found Richardson stretched out on the floor in front of the stove, deceased. The stove was all ready for a fire and the items he had purchased were still in their wrappings. He was fully dressed with one shoe off.
An inquest was held. Dr. W. H. Wiley, a Ridgeway physician, examined Richardson. “Dr. Wiley could find no marks of violence on his person. There was evidently no foul play.” Richardson’s death was determined to be of natural causes, most likely heart issues as “it was generally known that the decease was afflicted with this.”
Mr. Richardson was well known in Ridgeway, but had lived alone for several years and generally “associated very little with others and was what might almost have been termed a hermit.” He was a great reader of “scientific matters”; his home was filled with books and he had written a book that he “desired published”. He was about 68 years old and was in generally good health and “in his younger days, was one of the finest looking men in the county.” His brother, W. S. Richardson, lived near Mt. Moriah. His funeral was held in the Christian church and he is buried in the Ridgeway cemetery.
Peace to his ashes.