100 years ago Nov. 16, 1923
• Residential building is moving north and into the suburbs as seen by a boom centered along the new St. Louis concrete highway. All lots along the road commonly known as the Turn Around have been sold, with the exception of three, according to real estate agent George Seifert, who owned the biggest part of the land along the road prior to the boom. Seifert expects the three unsold lots to be sold before the end of the month.
• W.A. Collins, former Arkansas man, is being held in the Butler County jail on charges of tranporting mortgaged livestock out of the state of Arkansas. He was arrested near Qulin by Constable W.A. Porch and brought here today. Collins denies the charges and said the mortgage has been paid. Authorities from Paragould, Arkansas are expected tonight or tomorrow (Nov. 17) to take him back to Arkansas.
75 years ago Nov. 16, 1948
• The Poplar Bluff City Council approved final plans for construction of a new fire station when it met last night (Nov. 15) and will advertise for contractors’ bids in the near future. The new station is to be built at the side of the water tower at the junction of U.S. highways 60 and 67.
• The bases for 400 parking meters have been shipped here and an engineer from the parking meter company is expected soon to start installing them. The city council has decided to place meters on Fifth Street, Bartlett Street and all other streets in the downtown business district. Meters also will be installed in the vicinity of Poplar Bluff and Lucy Lee hospitals.
• In another item of business from last night’s city council meeting, new electric stop-and-go lights have been ordered for the intersection of Second Street and Pine Boulevard and the intersection of Fifth Street and Pine.
50 years ago Nov. 16, 1973
• Faced with the prospect of winter school closings necessitated by a shortage of heating gas in the current energy crisis, the Poplar Bluff R-I school board heard reports on the situation last night (Nov. 15) from school administrators and their advisers.
Lacking any definitive information which might lead to solutions to local problems, the board agreed contingency plans should be made to govern operations in the event of prolonged school closings. Superintendent Fred M. Morrow said such plans will be prepared and presented at the next regular school board meeting.
• Rush hour traffic was tied up on Highway 67 at 4:40 p.m. yesterday (Nov. 15) by collisions involving two pickup trucks and a car. Lawrence Wright and Elizabeth Ann Mathis owned the trucks involved (a 1972 Ford and 1973 Chevrolet, respectively), while Lester Barker owned the car, a 1962 Chevrolet.