Bit of History -- September 2, 2026

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated September 3, 1931:

The Lewis Cafe building, owned by L. Y. Spragg, caught fire during the early hours of the previous Wednesday morning. Ridgeway fire fighters were called out early enough that the fire was brought under control quickly, despite the fact that the fire bell didn’t “function as it should and a lot of people didn’t even hear it.” The fire originated in the kitchen and was first detected by Mrs. Lewis who lived over the Cafe. “Presumably it caught from a defective flue or was the result of electric wiring.” After the fire, the Lewis family moved to the Linch Graham property.

After the fire, the editor wished that “the next time Ridgeway has a fire, it would happen before bedtime or about time to get up in the morning.” He would rather sleep than have to roll out of bed to fight a fire which “is not a pleasant pastime.”

“Two aeroplanes” flew around Ridgeway but “did not stop long enough to get acquainted.” They were from Trenton and also stopped in Blythedale.

The editor, Fred M. Sanderson, wrote a long column describing a trip he and his family took to see friends and family back home “in the county of Ray.” They stopped in Knoxville, Morton, Orrick and Lawson, visiting and collecting gifts of produce and chickens along the way. They enjoyed their visit, especially getting to see their youngest grandson.

The First National Bank, which had closed permanently eight months earlier, announced a second dividend of 15% which was to be paid to depositors. This was in addition to the 40% which had been paid earlier. “This is considered to be very good management on the part of the receiver, W. J. Gebhard.”

Bit of History -- July 22, 2026

Some glimpses into life in a small, rural town on the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated July 23, 1931:

The NW Missouri Fox Hunters Association was having trouble deciding on a date for their annual hunt.  Traditionally, the hunt was held two weeks before the State Fair in Bethany and “the expense is always an item”.  “The business men of this city, the fox hunters as well as the town have always helped, but others feel the task is too great to undertake under present conditions.”

The oat crop was expected to be a good one that year.  Frank Harrison reported that he got better than 50 bushel to the acre on his twenty acres of oats.  Dean Leazenby reported the loss of a 200 lb hog as the result of “rifle shot, presumably by some of the small boys about town.” The Ridgeway ball team played New Hampton’s team in an eleven inning game, but lost the battle.  They were a newly organized team and practiced on a diamond on the Dean Grinstead farm.  

The public well located under the city bandstand was condemned again and the handle removed “for safety’s sake”.  The well had just been cleaned and declared pure a few months earlier and “we are at a loss to know just why and how the water could become unfit in such a short time.”  

The editors had a snarky comment regarding the weeds in town:  “We are mightily afraid a big robbery is going to take place in Ridgeway before frost comes to mow down the many big weed patches on the vacant lots, streets and alleys.  We will not mention all of them for it might give some bandit a tip as so where to hide.”

Bit of History - May 10, 2023

The years 1930-1931 were a very hard time for one Ridgeway business man.  Orin P. Bennet, the owner of a general merchandise store along Main Street, was having a great deal of trouble keeping his business open and had to sue some of his customers to get them to pay their accounts so he could pay his bills.  As he was sitting in front of his store one evening in July 1930, a man that that he was suing stopped by and wanted to talk.  John McIntosh, 25, was a field hand and O. P.  Bennet was suing to have his wages garnished to pay off his account.  The two men stepped around the corner where McIntosh punched Bennet, breaking his jaw.  Bennet also had three broken ribs from being kicked and a head wound from hitting a piece of metal as he fell.  

McIntosh was charged with felonious assault, but his trial had to be delayed as Bennet could not testify with his jaw wired shut.  During the delay, Bennet’s wife, Grace, passed away in September while recovering from an appendectomy, leaving him and their son Clark.  Then the First National Bank failed in December, causing more problems with his business.  McIntosh was finally tried and convicted in January 1931 and fined $75.  A “stay of execution” was entered until the next circuit court term in May. I didn’t find anything more about the trial.  

The following July, O. P. Bennet’s general merchandise store closed its door permanently and its stock auctioned off.  In addition, at least three of his properties went into foreclosure and were scheduled to be auctioned on the court house steps.  But he was a survivor.  In 1933, he worked with the Soil Erosion Service purchasing blue grass seed and organizing the workers. He eventually started another store and married Gladys Chapman, gaining a step-son.  He was a member of the Board of Aldermen and active in the community until his death in 1945.