Bit of History -- June 25, 2025

From the pages of the Ridgeway Journal, June 24, 1904:

The City of Ridgeway was preparing for the Fourth of July with a grand celebration which included performances by the city band, a parade, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, an address by the Honorable H. S. Hadley of Kansas City (who, according to the RJ editor, was “one of the foremost orators of Missouri and should be a good drawing card”) and an “hour-long concert by a chorus of thirty voices”.  The afternoon’s entertainment included a number of races included a bicycle race, a goat race, boys’ foot races, a “Fat Man’s” race, sack race and wheel barrow race.  There were other contests attendees could enter like the Oldest Couple, Heaviest Woman and a grand shooting match.  The day ended with a grand fireworks display.

There were a few editorial comments scattered through the paper about the celebration.  One was a hope that there would be no gambling during the celebration as “Gamblers are very apt to congregate at such large gatherings to ply their vocation. On such days good order should be maintained and no drunkenness allowed. Another note mentioned that “The Ridgeway band is practicing every night so as to be in good shape for the celebration” and one more:  “A person might imagine some of these fine evenings that the celebration was in full force right then and there-judging from the amount of fire works and fire crackers being burned. So far there has been no serious accidents.”

CLOSING:  Hope that you all have had a good week and relaxing weekend!  Please be sure to send me any news items for the paper by Sunday evening!  Thank you for reading!

Bit of History -- June 18, 2025

A few items from the pages of Harrison County newspapers in June 1943:

The third annual flower show was held in the Ridgeway that month.  Miss Roslyn Ragan was selected from seven entrants as the flower queen.  There were entries in thirty classes and several special events.  “Mrs. O. F. Fordyce led in winnings with seven firsts, two seconds and one third.  Mrs. Elmer Rinehart had five firsts, two seconds and one third.”  Of the special prizes, my favorite was that Karen Lea Carson won the prize for the table setting for dolls.  (Bethany Republican-Clipper, Jun 9, 1943.)

Lieut. James Ragan, the son of Sgt and Mrs. Pally Ragan “appeared briefly and inconspicuously in the photo play ‘Crash Dive’”.  This photoplay featured the submarine on which Lieut. Ragan was second in command.  His parents went to see the play and while his father missed seeing him, “Mrs. Ragan recognized him in one scene where the crew was shown.”  Unfortunately for Harrison County residents, they didn’t know until after the photoplay had been shown in Bethany that he was in it.  He wrote to his parents that he had hoped to get home for a leave, but due to his location, he would not be able to get leave “for a long, long while.” ( (Bethany Republican-Clipper, Jun 23, 1943.)

Miss Doloris Elaine Elliot, a resident of Ridgeway, was promoted to seaman, second class, in the navy WAVES (the women’s branch of the Navy).  She had been a clerk in the Harrison County treasurer’s office before enlisting.  She was attending a “storekeepers school” in Indiana after which she expected to be promoted again.  

Bit of History -- June 11, 2025

These are a few of the ads from the Ridgeway Journal dated June 30, 1910:

Grocery store owner O. P. Bennet had an ad on the front page in which he asked “Did your children enjoy the Pony Show?  Wouldn’t it be nice for them to have a pony of their own, if it cost you nothing?”  The store was going to give away “one of the best Shetland Ponies in Harrison County” to a patron who spent at least $1 in the store.

Miner & Frees encouraged farmers to start thinking about fall already, claiming that “NOW is the time to buy the best SILO made.”  Bartlett & Bridges likewise advertised to farmers withWe have the largest line of Harvesting Machinery to be found in this section, and not only the largest but the best.”

Miner & Frees had another ad telling readers to “Wake up! You are not at the beach but at home and the house is full of flies.  The only relief is to buy one of those good Screen Doors from Miner & Frees.”

C. O. Buzzard offered gasoline cook stoves for sale, claiming that “Baking and cooking can be done on these stoves just as well as on any coal or wood stove, with less trouble and no dirt, and much more comfort, especially in the hot summer months.”

The opera house was going to present, for one day only on July 2, “Witherel's Scenic Prison Show: "The Twin Hells” of Kansas and Missouri.  Two hours behind the walls of Famous Penitentiaries. The only prison show of the kind in the world It is an object lesson to the young and an entertainment of merit for older people.”  

Bit of History -- June 4, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated June 6, 1935: 

Northwest Missouri had been hit with heavy rains through the spring which resulted the Grand River flooding and the destruction of the bridge on the farm market road between Mt. Moriah and Cainsville. The flooding also destroyed three other bridges and Trail Creek, Big Creek and Painter Creek were all over their banks. The flooding delayed farm work for W. W. Bush who said that a “week of straight sunshine would not put the ground in condition for working in many fields.” He also described Mosquito Creek, “ordinarily something like an exaggerated trickle, was nearly 100 yards wide and would swim a horse Saturday.”

One positive note to the flooding was that damage caused by chinch bugs was expected to be lessened. Chinch bugs are small insects that feed on the sap of grass and grain crops, causing damage by injecting toxins into the plants. They thrive in hot, dry weather like the drought of 1934. The flooding delayed their reproductive cycle and as long as the weather remained wet, they would not cause as much damage as expected.

The paper also reported that 480 feet of pipe slid into the city well that week during repairs. Workers had been pulling the pipe to look for faulty valves to determine why the water was not filling the bowl and not enough water was available for an emergency supply. They were unsure at first if the pipe had plunged all the way to the bottom of the well and made plans to take measurements to find out. Meanwhile, Mayor Leazenby and City Marshall Crosby went to Kansas City to order more pipe at a cost of $400. This was part of a series of problems fixing the well that ended up lasting 10 days before they could turn the water back on. (For the rest of the story, see the Bit of History for July 3, 2024 at RidgewayCBA.blogspot.com.)