50 years ago
March 7, 1973
— Officers are investigating an apparent break in at Roaring River State Park. Some $400 in novelty merchandise was found under a culvert by a group of youngsters last week. Consisting of hats, charms and other souvenir merchandise, it was apparently taken from a storeroom in the old lodge, according to Norman Chaney, concessionaire.
— Forest Office Moves Won’t Affect District The combination of Mark Twain and Clark National Forest headquarters in Missouri will “have no impact on the Cassville district,” according to Ranger Olen Yokum. Putting headquarters of Missouri’s two national forest areas under one roof is scheduled by the Washington, D. C. administration. Headquarters for Mark Twain has been in Springfield for the past several years. The move is being opposed by Sprinfield interests. Yokum said savings computed by the administration are figured to be nearly $400, 000 annually for the U. S. Forest Service. District headquarters will continue to be maintained here for the 69,000 acres of forest which spreads mostly in an eastward direction from Cassville, has a total of 600,000 acres. Mark Twain and Clark are the only two federal forest areas in Missouri. They stretch virtually across the southern half of the state.
Trout Day photo captions of opening day: 1973 — Secretary Kirkpatrick fires the opening gun as Conservation Agent Charles Marrs of Barry County observes. Kirkpatrick was making his sixth straight visit to Roaring River this year.
— Lights were everywhere at the Roaring River State Park at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Bright lights in the park stream area consisted of huge bonfires, and headlights from thousands of autos that went through the area. The temperature at the opening signal was a pleasant 50 degrees. Rain from noon on dampened afternoon fishing hopes for those who failed to fill their limits.
— Arthur Capps of Exeter displayed four beauties shortly after the opening signal at Roaring River last week. Capps delayed catching his fifth trout for a limit to enjoy the activities.
— The job of cleaning a nice rainbow was in process by Ernest German of Cassville. The cleaning station at Roaring River was about as crowded as the stream as anglers prepared their catches.
— Come on fish, hit that lure! This seems to be the concentration thoughts of Jeff Nickols, 8, a Cassville second grader. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Nickols managed his share of trout at the opening.
— The second heaviest stringer at Roaring River opening morning belonged to Leon Sanders, of Cassville. His five Rainbows weighed 12 and one-half pounds, including one six and one-quarter pounder. Nolan McNeill, C of C president, and Gaye Stumpft, secretary, were the weigh-in officials.
— Part of the official duties for these gentlemen during their annual Roaring River State Park opening trips is attendance at a fish fry hosted by park concessionaire Norman Chaney and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ledford of Eureka, Kansas. This year was no different for Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick, left, and Gerald B. Rowan, state park board chairman, right, as their well filled plates testily.
They were part of the 1,534 anglers who fished at the park opening day. About 1,400 of these were at streamside at the opening signal. A downpour of rain throughout the afternoon reduced the total number for March 1.
40 years ago
March 2, 1983
— Weather was perfect, the stream was full of fish, so conditions were ideal for a new Tuesday opening record at Roaring River State Park this week. That’s exactly what happened, as 2,150 anglers purchased daily tags for fishing before the day was over. Starting at a crisp 26 degrees, temperatures warmed to the 72-degree level in the afternoon. The warming process was quick under clear skies as the sun came over the state park hills that protect the Rainbow trout stream during early hours.
Streamside for the opening gun at 6:30 a.m. were 1,950 fisherpersons, just four short of the previous Tuesday opening record set in 1977. By 9:20 a.m. the number had grown to 2,016 according to a count by Loren Nickols, who was selling tags.
Top awards for lunkers during the day, presented by the Cassville Chamber of Commerce, went to: Dale Epperson, Miami, Okla. for a 9.13 pound beauty; Catherine Estes of Purdy with a 3.8 pound lunker and Kathlene Kliewer, 11 of Willard, for a one pounder. Bill and Virginia Ward, filling for the C of C at the weigh chores, were busy during the morning passing out lunker badges to 33 persons for trout three pounds or over.
Holding the large trout honor for a brief period was a Cassville youngman, Dennis Fischer, with a 9.9 pounder landed shortly after the opening gun. Action started about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning as C of C crews arrived to begin preparations of hot coffee to serve early arrivals. It’s a tradition at Roaring River to pick your favorite spot and hold it maybe for two hours before the opening. Lee Jones and R.G. Fisher, heading the hospitality effort, estimated crews poured about 50 gallons of coffee before the morning was over.
“We got excellent help from C of C members,” Jones said. The smooth as silk opening got underway promptly at 6:30 a.m. as Robert Alyward, Kansas City, chairman of the Missouri Conservation Commission fired the opening gun from the stream crossing near the old lodge. Agent Charles Marrs provided the pistol.
Tuesday’s opening indicates the popularity of Roaring River, when the 2,150 fisherpersons were on hand. Last year’s Monday started at 2,062 anglers.
The standing record at the park is 3,504 for a Sunday in 1981.
Park Ranger Charles Weathers said there were no incidents in the park during pre-opening hours. One camping facility burned down Monday night, but two occupants escaped without injury.
Early estimates that temperatures would get into the 60-degree range proved inaccurate as they got much warmer. People were in and out of the park all day,” according to Nickols. The Nickols family is in their first year as concession operators at the park. By noon Tuesday, Missouri’s trout streams had attracted 8,395 anglers to purchase daily tags.
— Among the earliest of limit takers was this nineyear- old angler. He is Mike Fisher of the Butterfield community. Mike, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fisher, was proud of his accomplishment.
— A Friday burglary at Cassville city hall is under investigation by local police according to Chief Ray Burnette. The break in was Thursday night in the office of city collector Opal Santee. Officer said the burglary was discovered Friday morning when officials noted the office door frame had been pulled out.
About $20 in change was taken. Mrs. Santee said no excessive amounts of money are ever left in the office as deposits are made daily.
— Donna Long of Cassville has been honored by OTASCO of Tulsa, Okla., for 25 years association with the local store owned by J.A. Hull. Mrs. Long was presented appropriate recognition by company officials here last week. She began employment with the firm shortly after Hull opened the business originally on the east side of the public square here.
— For the first time in several years, general gasoline prices in Cassville went below a dollar per gallon. Posted prices here this morning was 94.9 for regular grade and 99.9 for unleaded fuel. While not the lowest in the area, the price of gasoline fell below the dollar a gallon rate just after the start of trout season.
30 years ago
Feb. 24, 1993
— Groundwork was laid last week that will allow Barry County to borrow money in 1993 to pay monthly bills. This is the sixth consecutive year the county has paid their bills with loans.
County commissioners accept a bid from Community Bank of Shell Knob for loans issued at 5.5 percent interest.
Last year the county began borrowing money in March through Boatmen’s Bank.
According to Stumpff, the county may borrow a maximum of $30,300 a month for nine months of the year. That amount is based on anticipated property tax revenues in 1993 of $303,000, if 90 percent of the taxes are collected.
Under state law, counties can borrow up to 10 percent of their anticipated property tax revenue each month for nine months. Last year, Barry County borrowed the maximum amount allowed by law.
Stumpff said that loan has been paid off.
Property tax paid before December 31, 1992, totaled $329,953. The county has budgeted $859,087 for general revenue spending in 1993 and anticipates receiving $847,720.99 in revenue.
The county ended 1992 with a fund balance of $12,314.50. Stumpff said the county’s average monthly expenditures total about $48,000.
— A local man has received recognition for his entry in the Missouri Trout Stamp Design Competition. Larry Hayworth of Cassville was one of three artists to win honorable mention out of a field of 29 entries in the competition.
— On Monday, March 1, 1993, Roaring River State Park will be hosting its sixty-fifth Opening Day. The tradition began with the park’s opening in 1928 and continues in 1993.
This year’s opening gun will be fired by Secretary of State Judi Moriarty at 6:30 a.m. sharp, signaling the beginning of another season of trout fishing.
Since February 1, park crews have been busy opening up buildings and getting the park back in shape for seasonal visitors. Jack Nichols, park concessionaire, said his 28 cabins and 24 motel rooms have been booked since June. His staff, which numbers about 30, has been getting the lodge, restaurant, and cabins ready for Opening Day. This week, his employees have been unboxing inventory and restocking lodge shelves.
Pete Landstad, park superintendent, said the reservation area of the park’s campground was not full as of Tuesday. “Mondays are a strange opening,” Landstad said. “I don’t know what to expect. We’re predicting about 1700 to 1800 fishermen.”
— Roaring River State Park employees did not hibernate over the winter. They tackled several park projects during the off-season months, according to Park Superintendent Pete Landstad. Landstad said several park improvements were completed, including renovation work on the park’s amphitheater. Landstad said steps to the amphitheater were replaced and work was done to improve drainage in the area. Most O’ the park’s repairs took place on le interior of park buildings, and the exterior of some buildings were painted. Hatchery superintendent Jerry Dean kept his crews busy improving stream conditions. One streambank in the fly section of the river was eroding badly. Park crews worked to stabilize 360 feet of the bank with a gabion. According to Dean, a gabion is a plastic-coated wire basket filled with rock. Gabions are three feet by three feet by 360 feet. Dean said his crews also dredged a great deal in the fly-fishing area to make the holes deeper. “Dredging will create a better holding area and better fish habitat,” Dean said.
