Bit of History -- October 1, 2025

In the October 1, 1914 edition of the Ridgeway Journal, when Ridgeway was just starting to get electric power, there was a short story about something new in town: “The Bartlett Implement Co. have erected an electric sign on top of their store building bearing the firm name. The sign contains eighty lamps and aside from the electrical equipment is the product of home labor.” The sign was built byW. Bartlett, W. L. Perkins, U. C. Eaton and Ross Wiley. It was the first of its kind in Ridgeway and the editors expected that others would soon copy him.

According to the 1914 Sanborn fire map, Bartlett Implement Company was probably located on the east side Main Street about half way between Vine and Walnut. Tracy thought that Shepherd Equipment was located in that area later.

On the same page, Bartlett’s also took out a nearly quarter page ad reminding their customers whose accounts were in arrears that “Oct 1 is here.” They wanted those accounts paid because they had already committed that money elsewhere. “It is not good business for you to let it run over and we have made such commitments that it would be bad business for us to allow it to run over.”

Bit of History -- September 24, 2025

A tiny article on the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated September 28, 1922 announced that Miss Zelma Dale had opened a kindergarten in the “west room of the Christian Church where children between the ages of three and six are being admitted for instruction.”  A number of children had already been signed up for the class.  “Miss Zelma Dale is the ideal instructor and the Journal wishes her abundant success.”  

The Ridgeway Public school had a kindergarten class since at least 1907, so this little school would have been in addition to the public school offering.  (Ridgeway News, Oct 31, 1907.)

Bit of History -- September 17, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated September 19, 1935:  

Students in the Ridgeway Consolidated School District No. 10 organized a “cheer gang” and rang the bells at the school and the Christian church in celebration of a successful local election for the school.  Voters in the district had passed a bond issue by a vote of 404 to 97 to raise $12,000 to update the school plant and build an auditorium and additional classrooms.  “An addition will be built in which will be provided more class rooms and an auditorium which can be used as a gymnasium and a place for entertainments of various kinds.” The school was very overcrowded.  “At present in many of the classes three and four pupils aro compelled to occupy one seat, so crowded are the classes. Some classes have to meet in basement rooms that are far from satisfactory from any standpoint. The present structure was built to accommodate 150 pupils and the attendance now is 340.”  

In addition to the bond money, the district had also applied for federal grants for both construction and to purchase additional land and were told they would receive $1200 additional aid from the state.  They were concerned as grant applications by the city of Bethany to build the new courthouse had already been turned down.  At the time of the article, they had no notice from the federal government if their application had been accepted or not, but they were planning to have blue prints ready and everything in place to get construction started as soon as possible if the grant was awarded.

The election was such a success due to the hard work of the local women’s groups to get the word out about the need for the bonds as well as getting people to the polls.  “No one in a community knows and understands the worth of proper educational facilities for the children than does the mothers.”

Ironically, one of the improvements was that “the present school structure will be made fireproof, something that has been long needed.”  The school burned to the ground 17 years later almost to the day on September 14, 1952.  

Bit of History -- September 10, 2025

The September 16, 1904 edition of the Ridgeway Journal reported that a number of the dilapidated walks about town were replaced by new ones—some of them by the property owners and others by the order of the city authorities.” 

The City of Ridgeway had already had one lawsuit against it for “allowing dangerous sidewalks to remain”. Property owners were expected to maintain the sidewalks on their properties, but if they didn’t and an accident happened, the “taxpayers of a city are responsible in personal damage suits instead of the property owner whose property is out of repair.” The city, therefore, had great interest in encouraging owners to keep the sidewalks in good repair. “Individuals may complain because they have to fix their walks but the public will applaud the acts of the officials it they keep up the crusade until every sidewalk in the city is in good repair. It is the only way to protect the taxpayers from personal damage suits.”

Bit of History -- September 3, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated September 18, 1941: A fire destroyed the residence and funeral home of Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Roberson. “The large stucco two-story house was owned by Mrs. Lou Leazenby and was also known as the old M. E. Neff place. “The Robersons had only been occupying the property since April of that year. The fire started about 2 am and the residents were awakened by the sound of the flames. The fire had too much of a head start and “the efforts of the fire laddies seemed of no avail and the structure was soon reduced to ashes.”

Volunteers saved many of the household goods, but the funeral supplies on the second floor were deemed a total loss. The house and contents were partially covered by insurance. The Robersons were determined to remain in Ridgeway and reopen their funeral home as soon as they could find a “suitable location.” The story was followed by a Thank You from the Robersons to all who had helped them during the fire.

Bit of History -- August 27, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated August 28, 1941: The list of teachers assigned to Harrison County rural schools was published. The list included 89 schools, not counting bigger districts like Ridgeway or Bethany. “An enrollment of 1,100 is expected, average for this district. An additional 125 will be studying seventh and eighth grade work.” The county superintendent was D. V. Culp. He announced that two schools had closed from the previous year and the children would be reassigned to other schools. He also said there would be no change in textbooks.

Rural school teachers would have the opportunity to further their own education by taking courses offered by the extension center in the court house assembly room. Classes were offered every two weeks and included: Geography 104, Conservation of Our Natural Resources, with study of the movement to further their wise utilization; Education 142, History of Education in the United States, a survey of European backgrounds and our educational development in the colonial period.

I found Dorothy Polley, former Ridgeway R-V teacher and writer of this column in the list, but I can’t make out the name of the school where she was to teach. You may find names of teachers and schools you recognize in the list. You can find the complete list on the RCBA Facebook page (search for @RidgewayCBA) or on their website at RidgewayCBA.blogspot.com. Both will have the article posted Friday morning by 6 am.

Bit of History -- August 20, 20205

A funny little feature story published in the Ridgeway Journal on August 9, 1934, Hershey Goodwin and his cow famous nationwide. Hershey kept his cow in a pasture on the northwest side of town and every morning and evening he would drive in his “motor car” to milk her. He would then honk his horn to call her. “No matter where bossy is in the pasture or whether she can see Mr. Goodwin or not, she heads at once for the southeast gate to be milked.” Mr. Goodwin didn’t explain how he trained her to come at the sound of his horn but “several veracious witnesses attest that she does”

The news wires picked up this little story and over the next couple weeks, the Journal staff got letters from Ridgeway folks in far off cities telling how they read about the cow in their local papers. People first read about the cow in Des Moines and the story spread nationwide: “Mrs. Sam Whitehead received a letter from a friend in Shreveport, Louisiana, in which she related seeing the story of Mr. Goodwin's cow in their local paper, and telling how surprised she was to see an item under a Ridgeway date line down in Louisiana.” Mr. Goodwin got a letter from Long Island, NY from someone who had read about his cow and Dr. Lake Brewer got a letter from Raymond Kearny of New Jersey who found the story in the New York Evening Sun and “was surprised to see an account of Hershey Goodwin's cow under a Ridgeway head line.” (Ridgeway Journal, Aug 30, 1934.) 

Bit of History -- August 13, 2025

In 1899, the Ridgeway school was scheduled to open on September 4.  Superintendent Mark Burrows placed an advertisement in the Ridgeway Journal on August 31, 1899 touting all the improvements that had been made to the school and what students could expect from their education:   “The High School course of study has been extended into a full four years' course. Over $200 has been spent in improving the library.”  The state had increased the requirements for teacher certificates so that a student who wanted to become a teacher needed to take literature and algebra to be able to earn a second grade teaching certificate.  To earn a first grade certificate, the student also had to take a one branch of science, which may be either botany, zoology, physics, or physical geography; and in one branch of history, either ancient, mediaeval, modern, or English.”  

The students had to pay $1.75 per month for their tuition which was “lower than that of any school offering equal advantages.”  The article went on to describe the subjects that a student could expect to study over the course of the four years which would enable prospective teachers the knowledge they needed to pass the certification exam to teach.  

Bit of History -- August 6, 2025

From August 31, 1911 edition of the Ridgeway Journal:  

The A. G. Scott family (no relation) held a huge family reunion in the Ridgeway city park.  Sixteen brothers and sisters were able to get together for the first time since their mother had passed away fourteen years earlier. “Six states were represented, as it were, by those who came from a distance. There was Charley from Chicago, Illinois; Ota from Towner, Colorado,: Minnie from Chase, Nebraska: Zenith from Washington, D. C. Edna, from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Eva from Topeka, Kansas, the balance of the family living ere There are sixteen in all and every one is enjoying the best of health.”  The next day, 140 more family members joined them for a day of picnicking, games, music and stories from Uncle Bill Graham who told of how “he had marched into the battle of Gettysburg to the tune of "Smithton" which they had just played” and if the call came again, he would gladly join up again to serve his country. 

The afternoon had a variety of entertainment including a family ball game in which Ol Scott “in a heartrending effort to make a home-run, went on on all fours between third and home, his wind about gone.  He made a brave effort to reach the goal on his hands and knees but put out ten feet from the plate.”  There was also “an interesting foot-race between Aunt Rachel Robb, age 82,  Kenneth Scott, age 12. Mrs. Robb easily won, and undoubtedly holds the record for one of her age.”

Altogether it was a great day for the family and made many memories.

Bit of History -- July 30, 2025

The August 8, 1953 edition of the Bethany Republican-Clipper carried a story about the no-good, very bad day for the Wesley V. Hallock family in Ridgeway.  This poor family had three separate accidents to family members within four hours, resulting in three separate trips to the Reid Hospital in Bethany.

The first trip to the hospital was for Mrs. Hallock after she was bitten by a dog.  Later, her son William, age 6, was playing “airplane” with a visitor, Elaine Johnson, age 9. “Elaine lay on her back, William Stanley took his seat on her feet, and she propelled him into the air. The final landing was not perfect, and both bones of William Stanley's right arm were broken.” The family headed to the hospital a second time to have the bones set.  

The third trip to Reid Hospital was for son Gary Hallock, age 10, who “was caught between a truck being backed by his father, and the hot engine of a tractor”.  The poor boy suffered painful I burns down his back, but thankfully no broken bones.  He was able to come home after being seen.