Blast from the past

The Daviess County Health Department has seen recent cases of pertussis in Daviess County and surrounding areas during the past few weeks, according to Administrator Cheryl Alexander. Pertussis is caused by a toxin-producing bacterium. People with pertussis usually have painful spasms of coughing with a loud “whooping” sound.

Myrick McLey and John Corbin, both of Gallatin Boy Scout Troop 67, were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at a court of honor on June 21 a the First Christian Church of Gallatin. For his Eagle project, Myrick refurbished and landscaped the Gallatin Dockery Park sign and park shelter house. John’s Eagle project was a complete clearing and cleanup of Nichols Cemetery east of Gallatin, including resetting grave stones.

June 30, 1999

Pattonsburg R-2 commencement ceremonies were held May 23, 1999. Class valedictorian is Katie Burns, daughter of Donald and Kathy Burns. Salutatorian is Lauren Hulet, daughter of Jon and Barb Hulet. Katie plans to attend Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and Lauren plans to attend Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph.

Shannon Batson was chosen by her fellow Missouri Girls State delegates to the office of Mayor of Lewis City; Courtney Houghton was chosen as Circuit Judge of Barton County; Regina Burge was elected Supreme Court Justice; and Allison Spidle was chosen as Mayor of Coontz City and appointed Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Stella Day, resident of Coffey, celebrated her 105^th birthday with a party given in her honor at the Baptist Home of Chillicothe, where she resides. A film crew recording daily events at the home for a commercial was on hand to record the festivities.

June 28, 1989

Josh Curtis, 14, is one of 12 children from the Cornerstone Church in Chillicothe who participated in a 10-day missionary trip to Haiti, an island country about one-third the size of Florida. “Mission Possible” supports six small villages in Haiti, building schools, churches and food shelters and is currently feeding, clothing and educating 2,300 children.

Gilbert Brown, a Daviess County native and well-known Missouri school administrator, was recently honored at a retirement reception sponsored by the PTA of Tillman Elementary School in Kirkwood. Brown is a graduate of Jameson High School. His retirement from Tillman School concluded 45½ years as an educator.

Ryland McIntosh of Wynne, Ark., and Matt Morrison of Gallatin caught a 30-pound carp last week in a farm pond. Wilford Huskey and his brother-in-law, Vernon Potter, caught a 40-pound catfish last Wednesday on trot line in Grand River.

June 27, 1979

Longwood Furnace, Inc., is currently working to complete an order for 1,000 three-bladed mowers for the Heston Corporation. About 600 mowers will feature tail wheel assemblies designed at Longwood. These mowers are in addition to another recently completed order for 12-foot cable spools by Union Wire Rope.

A truck driver from Breckenridge was the intended victim Sunday morning in the first incident in this area of violence connected to the truckers’ strike. Clarence Howell, 40, had just left his home headed for Omaha and was traveling west on Highway 36 at the Caldwell-DeKalb county line when a shot was fired through his windshield. The bullet missed him by about 12 inches.

June 26, 1969

Now that the peak home-buying season of the year is at hand, more Daviess County families than usual are expected to be in the market. The average income family in Daviess County can afford a house costing about $17,000, according to guidelines from the American Banking Association.

Some of the recommendations reached at workshop discussions held during the “Little” White House Conference in Gallatin last month may appear controversial to area residents who may not take to the suggestions of sex education courses in the schools, that young people serve on the city council and school boards, and that churches become involved in the social issues of our time.

June 25, 1959

A local addition to the small car rage which is sweeping the country is the Morrissey cool car. Ben Morrissey gathered some wheels, an old bus seat, a 2-horsepower lawn mower and with the help of Ed Carter created a “real cool” car for the use of Morrissey’s two boys, Dennis and Keith.

The Gallatin Hardware Store began a close out sale yesterday which will conclude a five-year partnership business for Raymond and Hadley Kimes. They had purchased the business five years ago from Mrs. Preston Robertson.

Virgil E. Caldwell, aviation electrician’s mate third class, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil R. Caldwell of Winston, is serving with Light Photographic Squadron 62 at the Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Florida. The squadron’s primary mission is mapping and reconnaissance work.

June 30, 1949

Classification of rural schools in Daviess County has been received by County Superintendent E.C. McNitt, showing that of the 46 schools listed, 11 are first class, 20 second class and 14 third class. One school is listed as unclassified. The unclassified school is Brown No. 66. Failure to obtain a teacher with the required eight hours college work resulted in the school’s unclassified status.

First wheat customers this year at the H.H. Green Mill at Pattonsburg were Walter Warford and Marcellus Chadwick, whose combined wheat effort netted them $1.75 a bushel last Friday. The average yield in the Pattonsburg area seemed to be about 20 bushels.

First to put new sidewalk improvements in Gallatin were property owners along the east side of the square: the Marie Shop, East Side Farmers Store, Mundell’s Electric and Radio, D.H. Davis Drug and the Crawford Store. At the north end of the block, repairs were made in front of the post office, Merrigan’s Super Market, King Drug, Brown Café, the Ben Franklin Store, Gamble’s and the Lad and Lassie Shop.