Museum MinuteApril 22, 2021
Museum Minute Presents: This Week in History (According to Herrman’s Archives)
Latter part of April in the Year…
1911 – Because of a donation of a chain from the Howell Mercantile company and an aluminum cup from the Bates Co Gas Company, the drinking fountain at the commercial Bank frontage is ready for the summer season. Rich Hill.
1932 – The Butler City Council sets wages for the water and light plant crew. The superintendent gets $34 a week; the Fire Chief gets $17.50 and board above fire station per week.
1916 – Two different tornadoes strike Rockville, Papinville, & Prairie City killing 2. 14 year old Sarah Eddy, near Prairie City, and Dr. Bowden of Appleton City dies the next day.
1882 – Big east coast manufacturing and railroad tycoon, Jay Gould, and his wife, spend some time in Rich Hill, then his special train and entourage leave town.
1936 – Elmer “Oskaloosa” Todd, of Rich Hill, is escorted to Kansas City, by US Marshals, to explain to a judge why he sold some hard ‘likker’ to some Federal men last week.
1887 – There are 27 functioning Post Offices in Bates County.
1937 – The Bates Co Democrat newspaper prints, “The total payroll of the two Major League Baseball Leagues is an astronomical $3,200,000.00.”
1885 – Professor J. W. Brose has been hired by the Business Commercial College, of Butler, to be in charge of plain and ornamental penmanship, shorthand, and type writing.
1886 – A mass meeting of about 100 coal miners of the Rich Hill Coal Company meet at Shobe and vote 90 to 1 to adopt the 8 hour a day system.
1888 – George, the little son of Sam Phelps, is bitten by a dog, thought to be mad with hydrophobia. The boy is taken to a ‘mad stone’ owned by Mrs. Hornbuckle, near Prairie City. It is said the stone adhered to the wound three times. (OK, Readers, who knows what that means?)
1885 – Captain Edward P. Henry reminisces about his coming to the Butler area 19 years ago. He says there were only 5 small shanties in the town. He bought 213 acres adjoining the town and now has an orchard of 1300 fruit trees and the only carp pond in the county.
1904 – The Butler Masons & Oddfellows lodges announce their plans to build a three story hotel building, costing $30,000, on the northwest corner of the Butler square. (The Inn Building)
1895 – The M. S. Cowles Mercantile Company in Rich Hill is exhibiting an authentic Egyptian Mummy in their show window.
1880 – 225 teams of horses & mules and over 500 men are working dawn to dusk on the Lexington & Southern railroad from Cass Co to the Marais Des Cygne River.
1885 – The Butler City Council appoints saloonkeeper, J. W. Willis, as street commissioner.
1899 – A meeting is held at the Rich Hill Opera House to discuss river and bottomland improvement and/or drainage. U.S. Congressman D. DeArmond and W. O. Atkeson speak.
