Forum Flashbacks: July 30-Aug. 5
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, JULY 31, 2001
25 YEARS AGO: Ride When It’s Cooler – Krystal Kelly, 5 and her brother Jared Kelly, 4, of Hopkins, waited for the evening hours and the sun to go down to get outside to ride their bikes yesterday in the sweltering heat. Area residents have faced above average temperatures the last two days.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, July 30, 1976
Long History of Water Problems Dogs Maryville
When Maryville voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots on the city’s $1 million water-sewer revenue bond issue, they will be expressing their opinions on a service which has been in Maryville for 90 years.
The first attempts at providing Maryville with water from a regular system was in 1886 — some 90 years ago. …
Maryville Water Co. operated in the city until 1914, when the city took over the privately owned company and renamed it the City of Maryville water plant. At that time, as now, the city took its water solely from the 102 River, but even then was checking other areas for a more reliable source of water, particularly in drilling tests for water wells.
There was no success in those endeavors, leaving the city with a problem: the 102 River, in those days, had a tendency to dry up, leaving the city void of water.
However, the city had no real drought conditions until the 1936 to 1940 period, when the scarcity of water was so serious that seven sand point wells were dug and water was pumped into the reservoirs. While the quality and quantity was poor, it took Maryville through the drought.
In 1940, Maryville’s population began to increase and consequently water customer demands increased. The plant made feeble attempts to keep up with demands for seven or eight years, until another extremely dry year caused the city to frantically search for other sources of water. A northside neighbor, Claude Cline, permitted the city to break a barrier on his property, releasing three million gallons of water into the river, and once again Maryville was saved until the rains came.
But the year 1956 brought another drought, and the Maryville City Council enacted an ordinance calling for restricted use of water.
Increasing demands led to the construction of the current water treatment plant in 1958. … The building, incidentally, is constructed near the original site of the old water plant.
75 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Aug. 4, 1951
Clock Turned Back Fifty Years As ‘Gay Nineties’ Class Opens Northwest Missouri Horse Show
The clock was turned back over 50 years at the Maryville Fairgrounds last night for the opening of the seventh annual Northwest Missouri Horse Show. …
The $50 first prize in the class was won by the Maryville Soroptimist Club, presenting the “Hit Parade of 1890’s.” Songs of the era were brought to life by members of the club and their husbands dressed in appropriate authentic costumes. John Hood of Maryville set the scene for each number by vocalizing the first line of the song, accompanied by Doc Lawson of Marshalltown, Ia., on the Hammond organ. Lawson furnished music throughout the evening. The “Hit Parade” was narrated by Tom Mooberry.
Over 40 people took part in the skits accompanying the 11 songs in the Soroptimist entry. “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” featured Charles Baumli dressed as a Spanish American soldier. Marvin Bowman and Patty Pranter mounted ponies and rode around the ring to the tune of “Pony Boy,” and an old-fashioned barber shop quartette. Dan Cornelison, Bill McCarthy, Turner Tyson and Wayne Crawford, rendered “Sweet Adeline.” The quartette also sang several other numbers throughout the evening.
After appropriate skis with “Strolling Through the Park,” “Little Brown Jug,” and “Wait for the Wagon,” “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” won a round of applause as played by the German band of the Maryville high school.
Tom Eckert and Mrs. Wayne Whitaker circled the ring on “A Bicycle Built for Two,” and an old-time sleigh made the round to the tune of “Jingle Bells.”
Wayne Whitaker and Mrs. Preston Amos donned vintage bathing suits for an illustration of “By the Sea,” and the winning entry was brought to a close as Miss Helen Todd and Henry Zimmerman sedately circled the ring in a buggy to the strains of “Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50- and 75-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
