Traffic surge in 1925: How a six-month-old highway became a safety concern

Traffic booms and high-speed chases are the headlines of yesteryear. In 1925, a six-month-old highway reached record numbers of drivers, creating potential hazards at a bridge and rail crossing. In 1975, a teenager led police on a 105 mph chase, and in 1950 the Mules basketball team had a different kind of drive — driving to the basket for an eight-game winning streak.

100 years ago

Jan. 28, 1925

• Traffic on an east Poplar Bluff highway has quadrupled in six months, creating safety concerns at rail crossings and bridges.

Highway No. 16 from Poplar Bluff to Bird’s Point opened last year to 300 vehicles per day. Now there are 1,200 drivers daily, a benchmark the State Highway Department didn’t expect to reach for years. This volume is greater than Highway No. 9 between Sikeston and Cape Girardeau.

The road carries traffic smoothly except for a bridge over the Black River and a rail crossing on Vine Street. County Highway Engineer E.C. Nickey recommended bridging the Missouri Pacific railroad at Oak Street to clear train traffic and obscuring topography. No solution is forthcoming for the Black River bridge, which will soon be operating beyond its capacity.

75 years ago

Jan. 28, 1950

• Poplar Bluff basketball is on a roll. At a packed home gym, the Mules A Team rounded off its eight-game winning streak against the Doniphan Dons with a 35-31 victory last night. The team has won nine games and lost only three this season. The B Team won its eighth victory as well, scoring 39-26 in an earlier game. This was also the first time the Mules won a game without going over 40 points.

50 years ago

Jan. 28, 1975

• A Williamsville teenager led the Poplar Bluff Police Department on a wild, high-speed, nighttime chase.

William Thomas Dee Jr., 17, was spotted speeding down the center of Highway 67 South around 9 p.m. Jan. 26. Patrolman Steve Fowler attempted to stop him by the junior high school, but Dee turned his ‘69 Pontiac Tempest east on Maud Street, weaving in and out of traffic and nearly causing an accident. He ran two more stop signs at Ninth and Main streets, causing another near-miss, and eventually looped back to Main Street and sped north.

Fowler continued pursuing Dee on Main Street, exceeding 105 mph, until the pavement gave way to gravel. Dee finally stopped a mile later.

Dee was released on a $200 bond. Dee faces four charges relating to reckless driving and resisting arrest. An unnamed passenger was also freed.