Headlines were varied on this date in history. Butler County’s utilities changed hands in 1924, and financial support for polio patients dwindled in 1949 as the epidemic passed its peak. In 1974, a mysterious and massive fire destroyed a boat dealership.
100 years ago
Sept. 24, 1924
• Union Electric Light and Power Co. sold its Southeast Missouri holdings. In total, the utilities for over 20 towns have changed hands to the Community Light and Power Co. The price tag was $3 million, with an extra $2 million improvement plan reportedly in the works.
75 years ago
Sept. 24, 1949
• A fundraiser for local polio victims fell badly short this month. The Butler County Polio Epidemic Emergency Drive raised only $550 in two weeks, which officials said wouldn’t cover treatment for one serious polio case. The Butler County Chapter of the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis covered thousands in of medical bills through allotments from its parent organization, which has spent $14.5 million for patients this year.
“While it appears that the Polio epidemic in this area has passed its peak, it should be remembered that care must be given to the victims for months and even years after they are stricken,” the Daily American Republic said. As of Sept. 12, 16 cases had been reported in Butler County.
A thank-you letter from a polio patient’s family to the Butler County Chapter was published. Two-year-old Verlie Pennington was hospitalized for eight weeks, they said, “and it takes a lot of money to take care of anyone that long.”
50 years ago
Sept. 24, 1974
• A fire of undetermined origin destroyed a boat dealership yesterday.
The fire broke out in the Holiday Sales boat and liquor store around 3:30 p.m. while proprietor Carl Heuiser was out running errands. Firefighters believe it originated in a storeroom. The blaze destroyed or damaged 12 new motors, four new boats and two rigs owned by customers, plus the front office’s displays of alcohol and boat parts. Additionally, the intense heat warped steel beams in the structure and overloaded an electrical service line, which burned in half and fell across a car on Highway 60. No one was reported injured.
The building could cost up to $18,000 to replace.