Washington County Tidbits 1960-69

Tidbits are newspaper articles, etc. which mention names, places, and other information possibly useful to the researcher.


E-mail your Washington County, MO Tidbit to Larry Flesher,


Submitted by Thomas Fea

From an unknown Montana newspaper, ca March 5, 1960:

C. B. Turnbull, Fairfield, Dies. Funeral services were held Friday at 2 p.m. in the Fairfield Community Church for Chilton B. Turnbull, 75, who died Monday evening in Teton Memorial Hospital following a lingering illness.

Turnbull was born June 24, 1884, in Potosi, Missouri to William Grant Turnbull and Catherine Fea Turnbull. He was the second youngest of seven brothers and three sisters. He came west to Washington State as a young man in 1901.

He married Leola E. Neill on July 6, 1909 in Spokane, Wash. He and his family made their home in Newport, Wash., where he co-owned and operated Bell and Turnbull Hardware store until moving to Montana in 1916 when he homesteaded five miles west of Fairfield.

He was a past worshipful master of Fairfield Lodge A.F. & A.M. No. 127 and also belonged to the Scottish Rite in Great Falls where he was a 32nd degree Mason.

He was elected to the Board of Commissioners of the Greenfield Irrigation District in April, 1945, and continued to serve until April, 1954.

He was a member of the Selective Service Board for the past 12 years, having been appointed in 1948 by Louis B. Herschberg. He also served on the county ASC board.

He was survived by his widow, Leola; two sons, Earl and Kenneth, Fairfield, one daughter, Mrs. Melvin Bueling, also of Fairfield; one granddaughter, Janis Bueling, Berkeley, Calif; a grandson, Gary Bueling, Bozeman; one brother, Grant of Spokane, and several nieces and nephews.

Submitted by Sharon Hartzell Smith

In the Independent Journal Newspaper, Thursday, Oct. 10 1963

10 Years Ago, October 15, 1953
Leslie E. Brown was named new Conservation Agent for Washington County, to succeed Bill Fowler who transferred to Jefferson County...Mrs. Clyde Kimberlin was installed president of the County Home Ec Council...C. E. Newcomer was installed president of the County Farm Bureau...Rev. A. C. Fulbright, pastor of the Potosi Methodist Church for the past four years, was transferred to Wagner Memorial Church, St. Louis, to be succeeded in Potosi by Rev. O. A. Bowers, former pastor of the Marvin Park Methodist Church, St. Louis.

15 Years Ago, October 14, 1948
The Rev. J. H. Cook, parish priest of St. Joseph's Church, Tiff, for the past 25 years, was transferred to St. Columhill Parish, St. Louis to be succeeded at Tiff by The Rev. A.H. Hoorman, from St. Stephen's Parish, St. Louis...Lt. Commander A. E. (Eddie) Simmons spoke to P.H.S. students on on his recent experience as an observer with the U.S. delegation in Palestine...James(Sonny) Henry, 5 yr old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Henry, Richwoods, was pictured in the St. Louis "Post Dispatch" operating a diesel tractor...Max Simpson of Potosi enrolled in the University of Kansas, majoring in architecture.

25 Years Ago, October 13, 1938
Dr. John G. Christy, of Festus, Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, offered to sponsor an application for state aid in erecting a suitable memorial for Moses Austin in Potosi...Rev. Thompson E. Davis, pastor of the Potosi Presbyterian Church, accepted a call to Calhoun, Ga....Don't fail to see Will Rogers in 'Handy Andy' at the Plaza Theatre Wednesday and Thursday." Officers elected by the Potosi Grade School History Club were Emery Wilson, president; Juanita McAtee, vice-president; Bernice Bass, secretary; and Mary Catherine Campbell, treasurer. Officers of theschool's Science Club were Carolyn Moutray, president; Paul J. Richeson, vice-president; Mabel Lou Nickelson, secretary; and Yvonne Mouser, treasurer.

35 Years Ago, October 10, 1928
"Quite a number of people from this place went to St. Louis Tuesday to attend the deciding game between the Cardinals and the Yankees in the World series. The Cards blew up about the middle of the game and lost it, just as they have lost the three previous successive games. They were outclassed by the Yankees"..."Mrs. Ralph Blount has a beautiful new Buick coupe. It is about the swellest gas buggy in town"..."The manufacturers's trade designs on automobiles are changing so much it is hard these days to tell the make of the car you see without a close inspection."....."The leaves are falling - the melancholy days."...."A large number of Peoria people attended the poultry play given by the Purina Mills of St. Louis at Belgrade Friday night."...."Miss Hazel Walton of Belgrade, who is attending business college in St. Louis, spent the weekend at home with her parents Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Walton."

50 Years Ago, October 22, 1913
"Oh you high cost of living come down"...."The maple trees are flaunting their gorgeous fall raiment."...."The forming of the concrete walls of thenew Baptist Church is making good progress."...." 'Uncle Gib' Blount, the Berryman mail carrier, came in Monday with a new carriage-top mail hack.'Uncle Gib' always has a good conveyance and team."...."Builder Clyde Strayer has the contract for building a new dwelling for R. P. Hornsey in the east end of town, and will begin operations in a few days."...."The 'mover' is passing through Potosi quite frequently this fall. He generally has a packof tow-headed children in the wagon and a dog died underneath."...."Is the hog law being enforced in Potosi? Last Sunday ye editor noted twenty porkers, actual count, large and small, in the east end of town, and every one of them was rooting up the soil in regular 'root hog or die' style."

60 Years Ago, October 21, 1903
"How time and prosperity does change things. In recent years at this season if a load of cord wood was brought to town there would usually be a colored gentleman following close behind with a saw and buck, making offers to cut that wood at once. We have had a cord of wood lying behind our office for two weeks, and if it is ever going to be cut it looks like we will have to sail in and do it ourself."...."The average pay of school teachers in St. Louis County is $65.03 per month, which is the highest rate paid in any county in the state with the exception of Buchanon."....."The 'Flinch' craze has taken hold of Potosi good and hard."...."Will Settle's cottage in the north end of town is nearing completion."...."Thanksgiving and turkey draweth nigh. We wouldn't mind giving a nice little puff for a nice little turkey"..."The fall style of ladies hats is a poke - that is, the hat pokes out about a yard in front and skyward a foot or two."...

65 Years Ago, October 19, 1898
"Just hold on a while longer, old Potosi and Washington County, don't despair of of having a boom."..."The frost was on the pumpkin several mornings during the past week."..."We learn that Dr. G. T. Pool, of this place, has sold his practice and good-will to Dr. J. P. Townsend, of Preston, Ill., and that Dr. Pool will shortly leave Potosi for New York, where he will take a post-graduate course in medicine and surgery."..."Edmond Casey informs us that he recently sold a bill of lumber calling for 40,000 feet to the Dyas Lead Co., which is putting up a large smelter in the northern part of the county, near the Cyclone Mines. This smelter will be built under the plan of those used in the Joplin district and will cost in the neighborhood of $5,000. It is reported that the mines in that part of the county are producing heavily at present."

(This article has Dyas Lead Co. I don't know if this is a misprint, or if it should be another name).


The Chillicothe Constitution, August 7, 1967
Belgrade, MO

Two Washington County Missouri youths were killed early today in a one car accident that was not discovered until about five hours after it happened. The Highway Patrol identified the victims as Larry L. Rulo of Belgrade and Donald L. Stevenson of Courtois, Mo., both 17. Their car missed a curve on County Route C near Belgrade and overturned. Rulo remained in the car; Stevenson was thrown out of the vehicle. Investigators said they had not determined which of the youths was driving.

Submitted by Sharon Hartzell Smith

From the Independent Journal July 10, 1969

Teacher's Institute
A familiar summer scene in Washington County in days gone by was the Teacher's Institute, where schoolteachers, and prospective teachers, gathered under the guidance of prominent 'pedagogues' for advanced summer studies. One such institute was this one held at the B.C.I. building at Caledonia, about 1915, under the guidance of Prof. J. W. McKinney, at left of second row. The photo was loaned to the "I-J" th rough Mrs. Edythe Bean, who also provided identification of most of the students, along with their home towns at the time of the institute, and present hometowns. The group included: Front Row, from left: Lawrence Townsend, then of Belleview, now deceased; Homer Maxwell, Belgrade (now in St. Louis); Irvin Vineyard (who now operates Vineyard's Hotel, Flat River); Paul McNabb, Belgrade (now in Phoenix, Az); Dewey Imboden, now of Bismarck; Unidentified (possible George Huckstep); and a Koupal, of Belgrade; Second Row: Prof. J. W. McKinney, now deceased; Effie Sullivan Rutledge (now a retired teacher in Flint, Mich.; Genevieve Garrett Kinderd, St. Louis; Bertha Kirkpatrick Stephens, now of West Plains; Jeanette Casey Cordia, Richwoods, now of St. Louis; Pearl Nevels Thebeau, Fletcher; Engledow Boas, Mineral Point; Pearl Kitchell Crocker, Ironton; and Lena Rutledge Maxwell, Caledonia. Back Row: Edythe Bean, Caledonia, now of Potosi; Hester Mallow; Mabel Kirkpatrick, now of West Plains; Bessie Wells; Lizzie Battreal, Richwoods; Elizabeth Broombaugh Roderique, Richwoods; Myrtle Hawkins Carr, now of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Maud Hawkins Hays Summit, now deceased; and Nettie Hatridge, Belleview.

Potosi Independent Journal, undated, 1969

Free Cigarettes For Servicemen
American servicemen in Viet Nam will receive 600 free packs of cigarettes through a special promotion at Courtois I.G.A., Potosi. Here George Courtois hands the check for the cigarettes to Dan Lenhardt, area sales representative for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, sponsors of the promotion. During the recent special sales event, Courtois offered to send a free pack of cigarettes to servicemen for each carton bought from a special display. The check presented this past week will send the cigarettes on their way, with the compliments of Courtois and his customers.

Return to the 'Tidbits' page

Return to the Washington County homepage


Larry Flesher, Washington County, MO

lflesher@yahoo.com