Bit of History -- April 23, 2025

“He was just a dog.  Mister-- that’s all;
And all of us boys called him Pug;
He was black, crippled and not very tall,
But he’d fight at the drop of hat for us all.”

On April 18, 1912, the Ridgeway Journal published the sad obituary of a dog named Pug.   Pug, an “old black dog known to all in Ridgeway and a friend to everybody who was kind to him.”  He lived at the home of his masters, the Spragg family.  “Speaking in a way, the old dog has raised every boy in the town; everybody swore by him and in his death we lose a friend that cannot be replaced.”

One evening, he was shot by a man “because he had a grudge against Pug’s owners” and because the dog had been barking in the street by his home.  

The poor pup survived for several days.  He was cared for by the boys on a bed of straw and rags in the back of the Ridgeway Journal office.  Many inquired after his welfare during the next several days, but Pug continued to suffer until a boy,“one of Pug’s best friends”, ended Pug’s suffering as an act of kindness.

The editor of the paper described the man “(we hate to refer to him as a man)” as a brute, “lower by far than the dog he killed.”  The writer went on to say that the “old faithful dog stands a much better change of reaching that spiritual mansion” than the one who shot him.  The article ended with “This is written with no apologies, to anyone.” 

Bit of History - April 16, 2025

A few items from the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated April 10, 1941:

Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Roberson opened a new funeral home in the house they rented from the estate of the late J. W. Leazenby.  Originally from Moberly, Missouri, they had just moved from Eagleville to Ridgeway when the house they rented there was sold.  Mr. Roberson was a licensed embalmer and his wife was his assistant. 

James Prather’s thirteen ewes produced a total of twenty one lambs that month.  There were nine sets of twin in the bunch.  “That’s a record that will give the other fellows something to shoot at”, said Mr. Prather.

Mr. Quillin’s high school music class presented the operetta “Oh, Doctor” in the school auditorium “that delighted a large and appreciative audience.”

Dean Williams lased the J. W. Leazenby farm “on the north side of the gravel road west of town.”  He planned to farm the land and sub leased the house to James Prather.  He also planned “to farm another tract of land south of town.”

Gilbert Claycomb narrowly escaped death while cleaning a well on the James Prather farm in Trail Creek. When he was about twenty feet down the well, a large rock weighing about fifty two pounds dislodged at the surface, hitting him on the head and leaving him with a five inch gash.  “One theory of why he was not killed by the rock was that ricocheted from wall to wall in the course of its descent” which would have slowed it down.

Bit of History -- April 6, 2025

The Ridgeway Journal published Town Ordinance No. XXVIII in which the Board of Trustees listed some new misdemeanors effective as of April 6, 1893. Along with more serious rules, there were several that we might find amusing today. For example, if you kept a “male horse or jack for teasing and serving mares”, you had to stay 300 feet from any school, college or church or you had to have a barrier to keep the horses from being seen. If you didn’t, you could be fined up to $100.

If you played “card or games of any kind, include base ball and marbles” on Sundays, you could be fined up to $10. 

If a minor climbed on or held or “or any manner attach himself to any locomotive, engine or car while the same has been in motion” or stood in the tracks with a locomotive attached, the person could be fined up to $50. Minors under the age of 15 “found lounging around places of business or upon the streets or alleys” without having a “lawful errand” after 10 pm could be fined up to $10.

If you forgot to tie up your horses or decided to ride one on the sidewalks, you could be fined between $2 and $10 and if you tied tin cans or any “other thing calculated to make a noise” to the tail of an animal, you could be find up to $25.

Bit of History -- April 2, 2025

From the front page of the Ridgeway Journal dated April 2, 1936: Someone in Harrison County was poisoning dogs. As of this issue, fourteen dogs had been poisoned to death including “Wolf”, the dog belonging to Ridgeway nightwatchman Noah Lawrence. The dog was “fine German police dog” who accompanied Lawrence on his rounds, a “gentle animal but an ever-read help to Noah in dealing with unruly prowlers. “Marshall Will Crosby collected the poisoned animals and buried them on Witt Hill.” (As far as I could find, the poisoner was never caught though at least one more dog died at his/her hands.)

Lloyd Spragg, WPA project director of Harrison County, announced that the city of Ridgeway would receive a grant from the WPA for $1200 for improving the city hall. The work of “improving the ancient building” (city hall was built in 1914, so only 22 years old) would start soon and would include remodeling the interior and other improvements. The grant required the inclusion of an assembly room where “meetings of various kinds can be held.” They also intended to build an addition “to house the fire apparatus.”

There was a lot of local entertainment noted in the paper that week. A “declamatory contest” was held in the high school assembly hall which included performers of all ages. The program included “readings, songs and extemporaneous speaking” followed by a speaking contest.

The senior class sponsored another night of entertainment with an amateur contest at the Palace Theatre. There were twenty-six numbers in this program which included acts such as a trumpet solo by Don Waddilove and a duet by Comer sisters Wanda and Fleeta.

The junior class was planning to present a play entitled “Always” at the Palace Theatre the next week.

The 4-H members had the opportunity to receive free trees if they paid the cost of transportation from the United States Forest Service. The trees included black locusts and catalpas and were part of an effort to conserve soil.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Bit of History - Feb 26, 2025

I have written about Ridgeway’s last weekly paper, the Mercury Herald, before, but recently came across several mentions in the other Harrison County papers as well as a little profile of the editors.

The Mercury Herald was the result of the efforts of two Ridgeway high school students, Roger Anderson and Paul Johnson. They started the paper the summer after their junior year in 1949 and raised money for a Hilco mimeograph machine, stencils, and paper by soliciting funds from Ridgeway businesses in exchange for advertising.. Their paper ran to 10 pages and it has been told to me that their headquarters was the home I now live in. Their reporters included teacher Amy Elfrits as well as correspondents from all the local churches. They issued their paper every Wednesday and grew their circulation to about 600. Many of the illustrations were hand drawn.

The little paper was well received by a community that missed having a weekly paper. The Ridgeway Journal had folded eight years earlier with the death of its editor, Celbe C. Cline. Mrs. R. H. McIntosh, “Ridgeway News” columnist for the Bethany Republican-Clipper, wrote on May 17, 1950: “The last issue of the Mercury Herald, our home paper edited by two of our senior school boys, Paul Johnson and Roger Anderson, was mailed out May 3 … Again, we thank these boys for these publications and the desire of all is that we may again have a weekly paper in our town.”

Their paper was used several times by other Harrison county newspapers as a source for their news articles. The Bethany Republican-Clipper cited them in an article about the new state road going east from Ridgeway to Mount Moriah and Cainsville on Aug 8, 1949 and again about the same topic on Nov 16, 1949.

The boys operated the Mercury Herald for a full year, ending publication after their graduation from Ridgeway High School in 1950 as they both planned to attend college. Roger intended to study journalism at the University of Missouri and Paul considered “the study of some type of art work.” (Harrison County Times, May 18, 1950)

If you would like to read the first issue of the Mercury Herald, click here:  Mercury Herald, issue 1

Bit of History - February 19, 2025

Here are a few Ridgeway news items from the Bethany Republican-Clipper from 1968. 

Mayor Cliff Carson announced that the city would start taking bids for two oxidation ponds to replace the old cess pond. One would be located southwest of Ridgeway on the Charles Luper farm and the other would be built on the Dolyn Lacy property east of town. The city had gotten a federal grant to help with the costs which were estimated to be about $18,000. At the time, the city had about 175 users of the water and sewer systems and new users were being added from existing homes and newly constructed buildings. The water for Ridgeway came from a 3 ½ acre lake northwest of town and a pump located on East Big Creek was used several times to refill it when it got low. (Bethany Republican-Clipper, Jan 10, 1968).

There were two big changes in Ridgeway businesses then. The first was that the Consumer’s Grocery store was closed and sold at auction. Joe Hayes had been the general manager and Harlan Hammack was the grocery manager. That left only Scott’s Grocery as “the only full-line grocery in Ridgeway, although the Ridgeway Locker carries some grocery items.” The second was that the Polley Bro.s Elevator, owned by Keith, Kenneth and Junior Polley, was sold to Consumer’s Oil, based in Maryville. The new owners announced that “many of the favorite feed and fertilizer products would be continued in stock.” (Bethany Republican-Clipper, Jan 10, 1968)

The “Big Sweep”, an annual event, was announced for April 20, 1968. It was the official kick-off day for the Ridgeway Community Betterment Association program. All the organizations in the area were invited to help clean up Main Street “in the shopping area” and to also help clean up the pair. The year before, over 100 people “moved in on Main Street with brooms and shovels to remove every bit of dirt.” The Garden club and W.S.C.S provided refreshments and the Betterment committee members gave out zinnia seeds to the workers.  (Bethany Republican-Clipper, Apr 17, 1968)

CLOSING: Hope you all have been staying warm! According to my weather app as of Sunday afternoon, it should start warming up to the 40s this weekend. Hopefully it will melt off this snow. Have a great week and as always, please be sure to send me any news items by Sunday evening. Thank you for reading!