history

Dakoda Pettigrew: American Insights — Lincoln at Independence Hall

The president-elect reached Philadelphia at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 1861. In response to warm greetings, Lincoln told a crowd that he hoped “to restore peace and harmony and prosperity to the country.” He added, however, “I shall do nothing inconsistent with the teachings of those holy and most sacred walls” of Independence Hall. “I have never asked anything that does not breathe from those walls,” Lincoln said. Paraphrasing Psalm 137, he added, “May my right hand forget its cunning and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I ever prove false to those teachings” of the Constitution and the Declaration.
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Through the Years, May 15

40 YEARS AGO: DRUMS WERE AVAILABLE — For those who always wanted to play a full set of drums, a ticket got them the opportunity in school carnival events. For a ticket, young and old alike pounded on the drums for a two minute period. Democrat file photo
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Revitalizing history

Down winding dirt roads between Jenkins and Cato, near the 150-year-old McKinney Cemetery and a stone’s toss from Rockhouse Creek, a piece of Barry County history is getting new life. At one point, Barry County had at least 115 rural one- or two-room school houses, one of which was the Hailey School House in Mineral Spring.
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Through the Years, May 1

50 YEARS AGO: FASCO’S PROPOSED CASSVILLE PLANT — This is the design drawing of the electric motor manufacturing plant FASCO Industries Inc., of Rochester, N. 1. proposes to build in Cassville. Company plans are to begin immediately after a two-proposition bond program passes here on May 21. The 150,000-square-foot steel and masonry structure would be located on approximately 45 acres purchased by the investments of local businesses in the amount of $50,000. Employment the first year is projected at 400 persons with a three-year growth to over 500 persons. Bond issues pending include a $250,000 water and sewer expansion program for the city of Cassville under a general obligation bond and a $3 million industrial revenue bond for plant construction and equipment. Neither will affect local tax levies. The large manufacturing complex will present this basic view from the Sales Barn Road just south of Cassville.
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Through the Years, April 24

30 YEARS AGO: WATCH THE BIRDIE--Cassville’s Flat Creek Emu Farm will soon be the subject of a video presentation designed to promote the fast rowing type of farming. In the photo above, Jerry Crowe, owner and a video crew doing the filming go over some of the subjects that are to be covered in this segment of the film. Crowe said the video will be used with other Flat Creek Emu promotions to anyone interested I purchasing the program. It will go through the Processes of raising the birds and their market value. All this was well and good, and proceeded well, until the mischievous birds began picking at the belts of the crew or breaking the equipment and sometimes picking their pockets of handkerchiefs.
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New view in absence of Hall Theatre

Demolition of the Hall Theatre at the corner of West and Eighth streets, which was destroyed in a March 1, 2022 blaze, has opened up a new view of the courthouse square and idea of what the future may hold for the location. Presently, the city of Cassville, which was allowed to demolish the structure after months of court proceedings, plans to convert the area into a parking lot.
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