History
My last article relating the story of Sterling, once a community, now a place only in name, led me to a nearby community that has fared a bit better in recognition, but not much. Three miles west of Willow Springs, the Pine Grove community retains its identity among many Willow Springs residents...
In my previous article, “Lowell McMurtrey, WSHS Alumnus, Teacher, and POW,” I mentioned that researching newspaper accounts and the records preserved by the State Historical Society of Missouri gave me a different perspective of my former teacher. A more personal, human understanding, which I...
Like several towns in Howell County, Sterling owed its existence to the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis Railroad. Officially created with a post office, railroad officials supposedly named the railroad construction camp for "John Sterling, who had come from Illinois, entered land there, and...
My freshman year in 1961, I heard the sophomores talk about how hard the new World History teacher was and how much homework he assigned. Some girls said they were afraid of him. One guy told me Mr. McMurtrey slammed a burly upperclassman against a locker for mouthing off.
Lowell McMurtrey...
Pursuing further my pastime collecting early stories of Howell County, we dip southward this week along the Arkansas border for the recollections of Ben Elder, a well-known pioneer character until he died in 1934. On the occasion of his death, Elder was remembered as a storyteller, much of it...
With the coming of fall, my mind returns to Howell County football of the 1960s. Although I am a Willow Bear, with scars earned over six years on Palenske Field, I don’t mind tipping my hat to some of the players and teams from the eastern part of the county.
Before the Liberty Eagles, the...
One of the pioneer merchants of our county, though once a prominent citizen, is forgotten by some county histories. I believe he deserves some documentation. I first noted his name in a listing of the county's first postmasters, and he was mentioned having a store at the south junction of today's...
Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is pleased to announce that several divisions of his office participated in the Missouri Bicentennial Time Capsule project. Created by the Missouri Bicentennial Commission, the capsule will hold items contributed by organizations,...
Ever since seeing Hailey Mills in the original movie Parent Trap, I’ve had a whimsical attraction to summer camps. It wasn’t just an eighth-grade infatuation with a teenage movie star; I liked the whole ambience of distant wooded areas, lakes, campfires, and swimming, And, as I have written...
My journey into writing local history was initiated over thirty years ago by a dear friend and co-worker, Sergeant Gerald Groves. He and his wife Charlotte had embarked on a project that would span many years, writing a history of any community in Howell County that once had a post office. Gerald...