50 years ago
June 20, 1973
— The dairy business in Barry County is one of the brighter spots in the agriculture picture, especially as we look back to past years. It will continue to be one of the major enterprises even though there are some problems facing the dairymen to-day, says Ken Morris, area farm management specialist. Many things about today’s dairyman would and (does) shock the dairymen of 20 years ago. Some of the changes which have come about are (1) The high cost of owning and operating the dairy business; (2) The numbers of cattle per farm; (3) The per cent of farms with only one kind of livestock, not a little of several kinds; (4) Organized single market outlets for milk; (5) Mechanization, substitution of machinery for labor; (6) Testing and records being kept; (7) Use of high quality forages and many other technological spin offs. Dairymen think more in terms of the dairy industry. Most apparently believe that more can be gained by group industry action than by individual action. Barry County is little different than other counties where there is some concentration of dairymen. There is a noticeable difference between Barry County and counties where there are only scattered here is dairy farms. Th-more tendency for dairymen to leave the sparsely populated dairy sections because of the lack of dairy services including milk machine companies and veterinarians. Dairy marketing income in Barry County at the latest Census (1969) amounted to $4,341,047. The typical dairyman must use income 75% of his to pay production expenses, he also spends out of the remainder for family living expenses.
— State agencies are taking a look at a particular stretch of Highway 37 just north of Purdy that is credited with being the location of several traffic accidents in the past few years. Involved in the investigation are the Missouri Highway Patrol and Highway Departments. Urgings from several area residents brought the initial investigations. Letters from Purdy to Governor Christopher Bond have also been acknowledged. Initial lookover of the site, which is a north entrance to Purdy off Highway 37 was prior to Memorial Day when Captain R. E. Swackhamer, commanding officer of Troop D of the patrol headquartered in Springfield, accompanied by Magistrate Judge John Baty, drove the route. Judge Baty acknowledged this week that he and Captain Swackhamer “reviewed the conditions on Highway 37 and spent considerable time reviewing the intersection of Business 37 and Highway 37 north of Purdy.” The official also said, “Calling upon my experience in driving daily on Route 37 from Monett to Cassville, I pointed out other locations where fatalities occurred and general hazards of the 19-mile route. The Highway Patrol officer, citing accident statistics for the highway, said, “Overall it appears to be an enforcement problem on this route and the officers will be instructed accordingly.” He also wrote the judge, “We can see nothing but more trouble at this location (the Purdy entrance) and probably the best solution would be to close this road and improve the next entrance south of that location. At least we recommend that be given further study.”
— Eleven major surfacing projects are slated for county highways according to Bill Maroney, area maintenance supervisor for the Missouri Highway Department. Maroney said the projects planned on state-maintained routes will proceed immediately as weather permits. The projects, which include a total of 50 miles include the following: Business Route 60 in Monett, four miles, from east end of Broadway to Route 60. Route U, six miles from Butterfield east. Route JJ, three miles, all from Route TT north. Route WW. three miles, all from Route 39 west. Route TT, six miles, all from Route 39 to Stone County line. Route F, five miles, from Route 86 to Route XX, Route XX, three miles from Mano south to Table Rock Lake. Route 112, six miles from Roaring River State Park west toward Seligman. Route DD, six miles, all from Route 37 west. Route 90, four miles from Route 37 at Washburn west. Route UU, four miles from Route 90 west, all. Treatments scheduled consists of mixing asphalt with aggregate on the roadway surface and spreading the mix over the surface to provide a smoother and more stable riding surface. During the mixing and laying operations fresh oil will be present on portions of the surface for short periods of time.
— The Barry County Rural Fire Department out of Cassville made two runs Saturday night as a result of residences being struck by lightning. At 10:30 p.m. the call was to the farm down H. E. Huckabee Flat Creek. midnight the Call was to the Tom Hall farm Highway east on 248. In both cases extensive electrical damage was reported. Resulting blazes were quickly extinguished leaving little damage.
40 years ago
June 15, 1983
— Long gone are the days of milk cans and milking a few dairy cows. Today’s dairy industry in Barry County is complex, narrowed down to big herds and involving operations that require large investments. And, most im-portantly, the value of the milk product alone pumps an estimated $12.4 million into the area’s economy. Value of the industry in the past three years has fluctuated between today’s figure and $14 million, according to Dr. Tony R. Rickard, area dairy specialist for the University of Missouri Extension Service. Barry County ranks ninth in total cow numbers owned by the approximately 165 dairy farm families, according to Rickard. The status has not changed in the past few years. Cow numbers, presently standing at 8,100 animals, is down about 300 from the 1981 figure. Rickard says cow numbers are computed at actual milking animals, not counting replacements. Barry County’s milk cow numbers represent about 3.3 percent Of the state total. Missouri ranks tenth in the United States for total cow numbers. Once-upona- time milk was marketed in Barry County by placing the product in 10-gallon cans. Todays sale is sold as either Grade A, which goes for fluid consumption, or as manufactured milk. The latter refers to that used for butter, cheese, cottage cheese, etc. Firms marketing milk produced in Barry County include: AMPI, Kraft, Pet, Mid-Am, Milnot and Vangard. Rickard says exact figures are not available for county production. However, using state figures can be used for estimating the impact of our 800 cows. The average annual production per cow in Missouri is 11,700 pounds of milk. Thus, production in the county would be approximately 95 million pounds.
— Decisions by the U.S. Postal Service to close the community unit at Jenkins, isn’t setting well with residents of the Barry County community on the banks of Flat Creek. The unit was closed on the same day the notice was received, June 10. Postal Service decisions regarding the bid operated facility came from Robert E. Hahn, district postal director from Springfield. Under the order, Jenkins patrons would be served out of the Aurora post office in Lawrence County. A contract carrier for rural service resides in Lawrence County. Patrons of the Jenkins area began a petition effort Monday that their mail be cased at Cassville and delivered from Cassville. Gene Fare, among those circulating the well-received petition, said the effort was directed at “retaining an identification with Barry County. Most of those talked to don’t want to have an Aurora address or have an ID that places them in Lawrence said. County,” Fare In addition to the identification factor, Fare said a major portion of the Jenkins elementary school district pupils attend the Cassville schools. “And,” he continued, “our telephone service is toll free to the county seat town and trade center, Cassville.” Three petition carriers, starting Monday, had little or no problem obtaining 67 signers. Included in addition to Fare are Leo Patton and Mark Hudson.
— An Exeter man and his teenage son, narrowly missed death by drowning after being thrown from a boat into the waters of Table Rock Lake. Ted Coatney, 35, and his son, Brian, 14, were pulled from the water after their boat hit a submerged object as they were traveling down the Kings River arm of the lake about 10 a.m. according to officers of Missouri Water Patrolman, Steve Crain. Vacationers, Dr. Walt Gardner of Crete, Neb., pulled them into his boat and treated them until they reached an Axley ambulance, which transported them to South Barry County Memorial Hospital in Cassville. Coatney remained hospitalized that evening in satisfactory condition. His son was released after treatment. Life jackets in the boat were not being worn by the father-son fishing partnership at the time of their accident. Crain said the following day he was called to drive to Lake Stockton to assist in a drowning of a 31-yearold man and his five-yearold son. In this instance also, five people in the boat carrying life saving devices were not wearing them.
30 years ago
June 9, 1993
— Residents of Sherwood Forest subdivision who have not paid their share of water line repairs will face the possibility of not having the city service provided for their homes. City council Monday night told the residents who have complained or failed to pay their part of fixing a water leak that their service will be disconnected. Council took the action in one of the shortest sessions on record, adjourning at 8 p.m. Present were mayor Rolland Meador, council members Jan Shore, Dennis Fischer, Rick Linebarger and Daryl Ledenham. Deputy city clerk Debby Skelton said the situation had been developing for several weeks. A two-inch water line serving the area outside the city limits developed a leak and was repaired by a private firm at the city’s instructions. Cassville paid the $150 costs of repairing the leak and pro-rated the cost back to residents of Sherwood, located at the north edge of the corporate limits. Skelton said council action Monday night resulted in complaints from some residents of the $4 charge for some 37 households in the subdivision.
— In a case of interest to Barry Countians, a Lawrence County judge has ruled that the city of Springfield does not have the right of eminent domain outside of Greene County. Judge Sam Jones ruled Springfield does not have authority to condemn parcels of land in Lawrence County that are in the path of a proposed natural gas pipeline. The same pipeline is scheduled to travel through Barry County. The $25 million project would require 248 different easements on its way to Springfield from McDonald County. Reports are that less than one-half of the easements have been secured by right-of-way representatives. Utility representatives said the decision would be appealed. The line is proposed to give Springfield a second source of natural gas. No legal action has been taken in Barry County involving easements for the proposed line. — Two area volleyball players are involved in National Junior Olympics competition. They are playing for a Webb City team in the competition. Included are Lurena Fielding of Washburn and Linda Sparkman of Purdy. Both will be sophomores next year in their respective schools.
