150 years ago (1873)
Let all read the advertisement of Mr. Henry Larimore's great sale of shorthorn cattle, to take place at his
farm. It is useless for us to speak in terms of praise for Mr. Larimore's cattle, since there's not a
stockman in the west who does not know of them already. We will only say that this is the best chance
the people of Missouri ever had to procure thoroughbred cattle such as Mr. Larimore will offer for sale
on that day. [Henry Larimore is an ancestor of three prominent central Missouri businessmen. He is the
grandfather of Henry Hitt Larimore, a lawyer in Mexico and general attorney and Interstate Commerce
Counsel for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He is also the great grandfather of Curtis Forrest 'Red' Whaley
of Whaley's Drugstore in Jefferson City. A portion of Highway 54 in southern Callaway County is named
for Red Whaley. He is also the great, great grandfather of J.O. Wise, Jr. of Wise Bros. in Kingdom City.]
125 years ago (1898)
The Missouri and Kansas telephone line will soon be completed to Fulton. A force of men began work
Monday stringing wires from Fulton. The work is expected to be completed to this city and the line open
for business by May 13. This same company is building a long distance line from St. Louis to Kansas City.
It is now in operation from Sedalia to Kansas City, but that part of the line will be rebuilt at once and put
it in first class condition. Poles have been distributed all along the proposed route from St. Louis to
Sedalia and a large force of workmen are putting them up.
The high price of wheat and flour is hard on the pocketbook. What's the matter with cornbread?
Properly cooked, it is a most palatable and nourishing article of diet. It is more digestible than the
wheaten loaf and is equally adapted to the requirements of the laborer and the man of sedentary
habits. Southern farmhands live and work year round on bacon and corn "pone," and there is no more
vigorous men than they. A little more cornbread and a little less of dyspeptic biscuit would be a real gain
to the nation. Let us sell our wheat abroad and join in consuming that grain which flourishes here in its
greatest perfection. No working man need to suffer because the price of flour has gone so high.
100 years ago (1923)
Members of the Nature Study Club of Synodical College went on a field trip to a place south of town
known as "Dark Hollow." Ecological conditions, plant life and birds were observed by the members
under the direction of Miss Fowler, head of the science department at the college. The class enjoyed
breakfast in the woods before returning to campus. Those making the trip were: Martha Crews,
Margaret White, Kathryn Christian, Velma Pierce, Ruby Williamson, Ruth Wilson, Elizabeth Offutt, Sarah
Wilson, Helen Hurd and Miss Fowler.
Mokane High commencement exercises were held at the Methodist church. Dr. R. H. Crossfield, of
William Woods College, Fulton, gave the address. The class history was given by Esther Tate; the class
colors by Leanna Davis; the class poem by Marian Ewens and the class prophecy by Ola Dail. Mildred
Parmer played a piano solo. Whitley Cannell gave an essay on "The American Scholar." Carl Glover
presented the following with diplomas: Christa Connor, Marian Ewens, Leanna Davis, Ola Dail, Mildred
Parmer, Esther Tate, Carroll Powell, Curtis Wise, James Carver, Whitley Cannell, Harry Ferris, Earl and
Roy Dickson and Adam Davis. This is the largest graduating class in the history of Mokane High. The class
colors were green and gold. The class motto is "Gangway! We're Coming!"
75 years ago (1948)
Rat Control Campaign is Planned Here. Rats cause an estimated $100,000 damage a year in the city
(Fulton) as well as spreading diseases throughout the community. Mayor J. Frank Hensley presided at
the meeting held at the courthouse. He appointed Ernest Wagner, manager of the Missouri Hybrid Corn
Co. here, as chairman of a committee that will direct the campaign. It is proposed to use red squill bait,
which is poisonous only to rats. It is not poisonous to any other type of animal or to human beings,
according to Joe Caldwell of the Department of the Interior, fish and wildlife division. It has been
estimated that it will cost approximately 25 cents per dwelling. Persons using the bait will be asked to
share the cost of the campaign. City dumps provide one of the best breeding grounds for rats. This
phase of the campaign ties in with the general clean-up of the dumps recently proposed by the Fulton
Woman's Council. There will be three steps in the campaign to rid the city of rats. The first will be the
placing of poison and cleanup afterwards. The second will be to eliminate trash and other breeding
places. The third will be rat proofing buildings.
50 years ago (1973)
Mrs. Louise Sanning with the law firm, Holt, Krumm and Hamilton, was elected first runner up Legal
Secretary of the Year at the state convention. Recommendations for the judges are prepared for the
nominee by her local chapter and her employer. Mrs. Dorothy Reifsteck, chapter president of the
Boone-Callaway Legal Secretaries Association, said, "If one word was used in describing our candidate, it
would be dependable. She can always be counted on to perform any task. Last fall, our chapter
sponsored a snack stand at the primary election festivities. She not only transported a 200 pound
popcorn machine to the event, but also a station load of neighborhood children to sell the popcorn to
the crowd."
25 years ago (1998)
Michael Henry Foster, son of Dot and Henry Foster of Fulton, has accepted the position of applications
engineer with American Computer Innovations in Amherst, Massachusetts. He will fly throughout the
United States installing the company's software. His first field assignment is in Rutland, Vermont.