Forum Flashbacks: May 8-14
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, MAY 11, 2000
25 YEARS AGO: Horace Mann Track & Field Day – Preschooler Tyler Wallinga enjoys running on the Northwest Missouri State University track last week during Horace Mann Learning Center’s annual track & field day.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, May 13, 1975
Explosion Rips Best Auto Repair
An explosion and fire caused an estimated $65,000 damage late Monday night to Best Auto Repair and four vehicles on the 100 block of West Lincoln Street.
The explosion, which scattered debris as far as two blocks away, occurred at 11:48 p.m. A wooden building, owned by Ray Cook, Maryville, and leased to Keith Best, was totally destroyed, as was a garbage truck owned by Bud Williams.
Police officials said this morning arson is “definitely suspected” as causing the explosion and fire.
Officials from the state fire marshall’s(sic) office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco joined the public safety department today in investigating the incident.
Firemen brought the blaze under control within an hour after arrival on the scene, but several officers stayed during the night and today. …
The large explosion, which was followed by several smaller explosions, is thought to have occurred when the 55-gallon gasoline tank on the trash compactor exploded. Police said people who live up to a mile away heard the explosion.
100 years ago
The Maryville Daily Democrat-Forum, May 11, 1925
TRIBUTE PAID TO MOTHERS
That Mothers Day is growing in popularity year after year is evidenced by the increasing business in flowers, candy, greeting cards, telegrams and other means of communicating affection for the mothers of the land.
Maryville florists report the largest business in the history of Mothers Day. In spite of the general belief that the carnation is the most popular for this event, roses, sweet peas, lilies, snap-dragons, potted plants and others proved equally popular, if not more so. One local florist pointed out that there is a general belief that the carnation has been made the “official” Mothers Day flower, but this is not correct. All flowers are appropriate for this occasion, he said, but the theory that the bright-colored ones should be worn in honor of the living and the white for the dead is correct.
The Western Union telegraph office here reports about 100 per cent increase in both the incoming and outgoing messages as compared with last year. The operator here was busy until yesterday afternoon receiving and sending the special Mothers Day messages.
At the postoffice, Fred French, assistant postmaster, believes that the regular and special delivery business this year was far in excess of any previous Mothers Day. Both packages and greetings were sent special delivery to be delivered yesterday. Others, of course, were sent without the special delivery stamp being attached and were delivered Saturday.
Boxes of candy and Mothers Day greeting cards are growing in popularity every year, local dealers said today. At one place it was stated that this business had more than doubled within the last two years.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50- and 100-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
