150 years ago (1872)
Fulton and Callaway County Directory. Congressman-A.H. Buckner. Circuit Judge-G.H. Burckhartt. State
Senator-Chas. H. Hardin. Representative-Robert McPheeters, Jr.. County Judges-Wm. H. Wilkerson,
George B. Hopkins, William L. Dunn. Prosecuting Attorney-Jno. G. Provines. Circuit Clerk-Joseph T. Bryan.
County Clerk-James Rickenbaugh. Sheriff-George W. Law. Collector-Meredith T. Moore. Treasurer-Edwin
Curd. Assessor-Isaac N. Sitton. Surveyor-Thomas Holley. Public Administrator-James W. Overton. School
Superintendent- James I. Nichols. Coroner-William H. Dawson...
The Public Scales. Every citizen of Fulton is particularly interested in the proper adjustment of the public
scales, on the accuracy of which depends the price we pay for coal, corn, hay, etc. It is well known that
the city scales are not correct and the probable variation is some ten or twelve pounds on the hundred.
Numerous experiments have been made by citizens, and all have proven the inaccuracy of out balances.
They make articles weigh too much from ten to twelve percent. This is no inconsiderable item, when we
consider the millions of pounds that are annually weighed on these scales. Instead of receiving 100
bushels of coal, for instance, that a person contract for, he in reality only gets 88 to 90 bushels. Of
course, this is not the fault of those who sell, but of the false balances. The difference in value between
the nominal and actual weight of the various articles sold by this standard during the past month, would
purchase an entire new set of balances. If the city is determined to monopolize the public weighing, the
city authorities should at least see that the citizens are not defrauded by the imperfect balances and
false weights.
125 years ago (1897)
In 1890, Missouri had 2,675,000 inhabitants. Missouri has 238,043 farms, values for taxation at
$616,000,000. In 1890, it took $22,000,000 worth of equipment to cultivate these lands. In 1890,
Missouri livestock was valued at $139,000,000 and farm products at $110,000,000. 6,000,000 Missouri
acres produced 197,000,000 bushels of corn. 1,677,000 Missouri acres produced 40,000,000 bushels of
oats. 4,000,000 tons of hay were harvested by Missouri farmers as were 9,000,000 pounds of tobacco;
8,000,000 bushels of Irish potatoes; 562,000 bushels of sweet potatoes; 2,000,000 bushels of peaches;
9,000,000 bushels of apples; 3,000,000 bushels of sorghum. Missouri has 964,000 horses; 352,000 mules
and 5,000,000 hogs.
100 years ago (1922)
If you order your daily life by the sound of the School for Deaf whistle, it is important to know that a new
schedule of whistles has gone into effect as follows for weekdays. 6:00, 6:30, 7:50 (formerly 7:45), 10:15,
10:30, 12:15 (new), 12:45 a.m., 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 (new), 4:30, 6:00, 7:15 and 9:00 p.m.
Owner of First Sewing Machine in Callaway County Died at 100 Years of Age. A former resident of
Callaway County, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Lynes, has passed away in Springfield, Missouri. Mrs. Lynes was
born at Madisonville, Ky, April 25, 1822 and became an orphan at the age of three. She came to Missouri
at 16 years of age. She first resided at Cote Sans Dessein, on the Missouri river where she lived with the
family of Capt. George Bennett, first man to journey up the Missouri river to the Yellowstone River by
steamboat. He would go up the river in the spring and buy furs from the Indians. After leaving Cote Sans
Dessein, she moved to New Bloomfield where she married Jackson Lynes in 1845 when she was 23 years
old. She had been considered an old maid. They had 9 children, 5 of whom still live. Her husband was a
merchant who purchased most of his stock in Philadelphia, PA. He made many trips to Philadelphia and
always bought his wife a novelty. She had the first sewing machine in Callaway County. This machine is
still in the family. She had one of the first coal oil lamps ever made. She also had a piece of the 'Atlantic
cable,' the first attempt to lay a cable under the Atlantic. She had a photograph of a relative made in
1832. She was 22 years old when the first telegram was delivered. The writer had to pay 25c for its
delivery. For many years, she traveled in a wagon and always kept a pot of coal in the wagon as matches
were scarce at that time.
75 years ago (1947)
Big Rabbit Business. A big trailer truck pulled in front of Earl Pott's Service Station. You would never
guess what was in it. Rabbits. You would never guess how many were in the truck-214 dozen (2,568).
That's the number the driver had when he left southern Missouri. How many he has when he gets to
Minnesota remains to be seen. Regular runs are being made with rabbits. In Minnesota, they are turned
over to the State Game Commission and used for breeding purposes.
50 years ago (1972)
College Fund Drive. Ovid Bell, team captain, receives a check from Bob Gilmore of Gilmore Motor
Company. Like many others in Fulton, Gilmore has pledged his support to keep the Fulton colleges
strong. The Fund Drive will conclude with a workers' luncheon at William Woods College.
The highest award in Scouting, the Eagle award, will be presented to Dan Vargas and Tom Binger,
members of the local Kiwanis Troop 50. Dan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Esteban Vargas, a sophomore at
Fulton High and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Tom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Binger,
a sophomore at Fulton High and a member of Court Street Methodist Church.
25 years ago (1997)
First place trophy winners Nathan Bradley and Jeremy Polston led the North Callaway Speech Team to a
second place overall score at the Hale Invitational Speech Contest. Seven teams participated in 10
categories. Slater finished first with 83 points. North Callaway finished with 65 points. North Callaway
had 20 entries with 12 advancing to the final round of the competition. They included Jeremy Polston, 1st
place poetry reading and Nathan Bradley, 1st place radio announcing.