50 years ago
June 12, 1974
— DOUBLE FLOODS FOLLOW HEAVY WEEKEND RAINFALL
Mop-up and. clean-up of double flood damage in Cassville continues after a deluge of 10 inches of rain ell in the area in the past week. Included in the neaviest hit sections of the area was Roaring River State Park. Thursday night and again Saturday afternoon, flash flooding was evident throughout south Barry County. Damage estimates to roads, public facilities, private property and businesses were not available at presstime. Highest water of flooding arrived in Cassville at 11:50 p.m. Thursday. Emergency crews from the city, Highway Patrol and highway department were on patrol as were law enforcement officers, to evacuate the Fair Street area of town adjoining Flat Creek. Heavy rains to the west of Cassville sent rivers of water down 11th Street and two draining ditches crossing center-town. Businesses between Second and Third Streets, Jim’s Floorcovering, Cassville Distributing and James Auto, received water in their buildings. Spectators driving in the area pushed water in the structures at different times. High waters surrounded Town House Motel and Dinner House. The motel office was flooded with inches of water for a brief time. No rooms in the facility received water damage. Dave Davidson said two inches more rise would have put water in the restaurant. All Flat Creek bridges, except the principal highway crossing were flooded and blocked by debris. Heaviest of damage in Cassville was to Little League baseball park fences, which were washed out. The playing area was covered with debris, piled two feet deep against the backstop. Main Street between 10th and 11th was flooded both Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. During these flood periods, five and one-half and three inch rainfalls were reported at Roaring River. An unusual overflow of water crossed city route 37 at the Kenney Addition in the south part of town Thursday. evening. Park Road Courts on Highway 112 received damage from run-off from the hillside behind the units. Driveways and some water and sewer lines were demolished or uncovered in the city. Roaring River was : evacuated at 10:30 p.m. Thursday and again Saturday afternoon about 2 p.m. Rock and steelnet dams installed at the park several years ago above the trout hatchery at Roaring River for protection, were washed out by the Thursday flood. Heavy water in the Washburn area Saturday forced Dry Hollow above the Highway 112 bridge in the park for the first time in history. James Woods, park superintendent, said all utilities at the park were out for a lengthy period. The facility was closed for the weekend, but state crews arrived Monday to commence a clean-up. Woods and Norman Channey, park concessionaire, said the camping and public facilities would be open by the weekend. Conservation Commission crews are also expected to assess damage to the trout stream. High waters in the park made the lower area resemble times when Bass Lake provided a reservoir in this area of the park. This converted camping area was virtually ripped apart by the fast moving waters. Damage at the park was assessed at nearly $100,000 by James Wilson, state director. Two sections of a boulder retaining wall on the Park Center side of Dry Hollow were washed by rushing waters. Woods said equipment and supplies from the city of Cassville assisted park crews in getting water supplies restored at the park. The rushing waters at both Cassville and Roaring River missed by just a few days the record levels of water recorded here in the June 13, 1964 floods. Army Corps of Engineers officials expected a peak of Table Rock Lake later this week at somewhere near the 931 flood stage level. Lake residents were advised to keep in constant touch with water levels and watch facilities such as boat docks and other property closely. Gates at both Table Rock and Beaver reservoirs were open since the flooding started. Accompanying the storms was a limited amount of wind. More heavy winds that struck areas west of Barry County did not reach this area. Some lightning damage to buildings and cattle was reported.
40 years ago
June 14, 1984
— WAREHOUSE GOING UP
Construction is underway on a warehouse structure for G&L buildings near Cassville. Owners, Leon Sanders and Gene Swadley, say the 3,000 square foot structure will be a start of their new steel building firm. Located at theintersectionofHighway 37 and Rodeo Road northwest of Cassville, the firm plans construction of steel buildings for residential, commercial and storage.
— SCHOOL BOUNDARY DECISION FAVORS EXETER
Meeting in Mountain Grove last week, a special board of arbitration has ruled in favor of the Exeter school district on a boundary decision. The three-member board said an area in the Thomas Hollow community would remain part of the Exeter district. Persons in the area had petitioned for a boundary election, with the April ballots in the Southwest of Washburn district favoring the change and Exeter returning a negative ballot. Involved are about seven students that have been attending Southwest. Disinterested school people from West Plains, Seymour and Stockton made up the board. The area involved in the petition and election process is part of the old Wayne district. According to information here, when the former district was dissolved, persons were given the opportunity to attend the district of their choice, which at that time was Exeter. Officials of the two Barry County districts involved attended the meeting which was set by the Missouri Department of Education. The process followed is standard when boundary issues pass in one district and fail in another
30 years ago
June 1, 1994
— LIBRARY, SENIOR CITIZENS CONSIDER NEW BUILDINGS
Two agencies in Cassville, Barry-Lawrence County Library and Cassville Senior Citizens Center acknowledged this week they were actively involved in planning for the possibility of new buildings. Carolyn Bowen, president Friends of the Library and Ray Vaughan, chairman of a Senior Citizen Center building committee, said plans were in hand for new buildings that would involve relocation of both facilities. The Cassville library branch is in the 1000 block of Main Street. The senior center is at Seventh and East Streets. Both entities would be involved in property gifts from Able 2 Products of Cassville, with locations at Fair and 13th Street locations. The seniors have been presented a five acre tract by firm owner Jerry Watley. The library would receive property where the present plant is located. Mrs. Bowen said the library group has plans in hand for a new facility that was intended to replace the existing structure on Main Street. The location’s involvement with Cassville flood plain regulations, makes it impossible to secure available grant funds toward construction of a $300,000 structure. Friends of the Library say the present building of Able 2 Products would not be adaptable for conversion for their use. Therefore the structure would be demolished, with Watley participating in these costs. Final determinations of the project would be decided by the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library board of directors with administrative offices in Monett. David Donnig is librarian. Marion Stubblefield directs the Cassville branch. Vaughan said this week the senior’s project would include a 7,500 square foot facility, approximately 64×120 feet facing Fair Street. The property they now own runs eastward to Flat Creek. It too has been filled to meet more desirable building locations. Senior plans call for an expenditure in excess of $100,000. Vaughan said the building committee is working on grant and other financing possibilities. On the building committee are Max Fields, Crump Taylor, Bill Easley, Stan Kelley, Gary Fields, Herschel Stehlik and Dwight Samuel. The senior’s board of directors will determine a target date of beginning the new project. Included are Dean Primrose, Don Parsons, Ellen McCaughan, Rosella DeCocq, Donna Phillips, Beulah Gresham and Thelma House. Vaughan said the old property, acquired in 1983, no longer provided proper access or parking facili-ties, primary reasons for abandoning the site. The building was acquired from the old Cassville MFA and converted to the facility that provides meals and meeting facilities for the organization. Elaine Tripp is director of the cen-ter. Library friends include Dr. Chip Kammerlohr, vice-president; Ruby Reese, treasurer and Gayle LeCompte, secretary. The library, evolving from the old Cassville city library, came under Barry County organization in 1948. The regional concept of the two-county area was accomplished in 1954. The present site was donated to the organization by the Landis family.
— U.S. FOREST POST IN AREA IS UNCERTAIN
A post in the Cassville district of Mark Twain National Forest is uncertain at this time as the transfer of the assistant ranger of the Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs district has been announced. Pat Irwin, who has been with the local district, is going to a newly opened area at Houston in Texas county. Mrs. Irwin, who has been in the Cassville offices six and one-half years, will be on the new job July 1l. The Irwin family resides in the Mano community. What personnel changes the transfer will cause in the Forest Service is not known at this time. Garry Houf, acting district ranger of Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs was not in his office following the Memorial Day holiday and would not be back until Monday. Houf is serving in the MTNF post vacated by the retirement of Paul Martin in January. Irwin will be ranger of the Houston/Rolla district of MTNF. The offices were announced just recently by the forest headquarters in Rolla. The Houston office, nearly adjacent to the Rolla headquarters, is being opened while other forest assignments are being reduced. Remaining at the Cassville offices, the western part of the district are Chuck Miner, recreational technician and Rick Linebarger, realty specialists. They are the only Forest Service professionals remaining in what is the old Cassville district of MTNF. Linebarger is in a shared service assignment working in the Ava, Cassville, Willow Springs and Houston districts.
