11 former mayors attend prayer breakfast

The progress of Poplar Bluff today stands on the shoulders of the men and women who have stepped up and served the community as its mayors and city council members, Rep. Jeff Shawan said Wednesday morning.

He spoke during the mayor’s prayer breakfast at Mt. Calvary Powerhouse Church, where recently elected Mayor Robert Smith (see main story) and 11 former city mayor’s were recognized.

“Being on the city council is not an easy job. Nearly everything you do is going to make somebody happy, going to make somebody unhappy,” said Shawan, (R-Poplar Bluff). “It’s public service. But look at where we’ve come and what our future appears that it’s going to be. It’s because of these men and women who are here today.”

Smith has been on the council through the success of making Highway 67 north four lanes, and now proposals to expand Highway 67 south for the benefit of the town. He has seen the completion of both parts of Shelby Road, and the development of the Eight Points shopping center.

In the 50 years since Poplar Bluff began selecting mayors from its city council, many projects have seen success through the work of mayors like Smith, according to Shawan.

Attending the event were Harold Jackson, who at 90, was the oldest living former mayor. Elected in 1971, he was the town’s third mayor.

Gaylen Sanders, elected in 1978, was the town’s 10th mayor.

Also attending were Bill Foster, Bruce Holloway, Calvin Rutledge, Mark Massingham, Betty Absheer, Chris Rushin, Scott Faughn, Susan McVey and Ed DeGaris.

Absheer was the first woman mayor, elected to the position in 1993, and the city’s longest serving council member. Massingham, Rushin and Faughn were each the youngest mayors at the time they were elected, 1990, 1997 and 2002 respectively.

Jackson helped the city retain the Troop E headquarters, which the governor at the time wanted to move to Sikeston. A pilot, Jackson recalled flying the city attorney to Jefferson City to file a lawsuit against the governor, which the city ultimately won.

“It wasn’t just me. I was determined, but the people, the population, were the people who were determined it would not leave,” Jackson said, adding that 34 families had people who worked at the headquarters at the time. “How many had kids in school, attended church, were neighbors. I said, we can’t lose them. We cannot lose them.”

A donation of 32 acres of land from a local doctor made the new headquarters possible.

Poplar Bluff’s growth is about more than one person, he added.

“It’s almost unbelievable. Community support is what this is. Don’t give the credit to one person. It wasn’t one person’s doing. It was the community, and they loved doing it. I’m proud to be a citizen of this city,” he said, adding of the town’s future, “It’s going to catch St. Louis before you turn around. If we live long enough, we’ll catch them and I hope we do.”

Sanders recalled signing the paperwork to create a new fire station, now Fire Station 1 downtown, and purchase a new fire truck. It was also the year stop lights were put in at Mansion Mall, where Walmart was located at the time.

“We’ve all worked together toward one goal, and that’s for the betterment of Poplar Bluff,” said Sanders, 80.

Holloway was involved in the creation of the city’s historic preservation commission, which helped save Poplar Bluff’s brick streets and led to the creation of the history museum.

McVey, who was mayor in 2007, 2008 and 2018, was part of the project to build a railroad spur at the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park, as well as Eight Points, Shelby Road, the addition of new fire trucks and widening of Oak Grove Road.

Rushin, 29 when he served as mayor, was part of the city’s efforts to renovate and expand the library, expand 911 services, build the Black River Coliseum and expand Ozark Ridge Golf Course. The city also completed a flood wall for the south end at that time.

“Mainly, we wanted to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Poplar Bluff,” Rushin said. “During my time on the council, it was just another building block to where we are today. This city has a tremendous future ahead of it. It just keeps getting better today.”

Massingham was on the council when Briggs and Stratton chose to locate in Poplar Bluff.

“It was a community effort,” Massingham recalled. “It took a lot more than just the council to make that happen.”