SATURDAY 75 years ago Sept. 30, 1948
• Robert Lee Reed, 38, of rural Harviell was arrested by Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Earl Bradley and Trooper A. Herman Hocker yesterday (Sept. 29) on behalf of Michigan authorities, Butler County Sheriff Bill Brent said this morning.
Brent said Reed was sought in Michigan for allegedly removing mortgaged property from the state and there is a Michigan warrant for his arrest.
• A large crew of workman, numbering about 100, has been assigned by owners of the “big inch” pipelines to remodel the pumping station at Fagus for more economical handling of natural gas. The crew will be there working on the project for 6-8 weeks.
Sept. 30, 1923 and Sept. 30, 1973 — No editions available.
SUNDAY 100 years ago Oct. 1, 1923
• The final curtain fell on the Butler County Fair Saturday night, marking the conclusion of Poplar Bluff’s most successful fair from every standpoint. W. Irl Brite, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, reported there were 6,400 paid admissions to the fair Saturday. This does not include the hundreds of children and others who were admitted without charge.
• The famous Gentry Brothers Circus is in the city today for two performances to be given at Boeving Park. The renowned show has been known from coast to coast for 31 years as the greatest kid circus in America and has added many wild animal acts and animal features to its show.
The circus will feature elephants, lions, trapeze artists, acrobats, tumblers, riding dogs and monkeys, plus clowns and a concert band.
75 years ago Oct. 1, 1948
• Poplar Bluff continues to keep itself ahead of most cities in its ability to care for its sick. Poplar Bluff has a hospital bed for every 63 people in the city, whereas for the rest of the country there is one bed per 286 people. The figures are for registered general hospitals, which account for nearly 93% of all admissions. Federal institutions are not included.
Poplar Bluff’s three general hospitals have a total of 178 beds. Brandon Hospital has 40, while Lucy Lee has 63 and Poplar Bluff Hospital has 75.
• Floyd Geary, 40, of rural Qulin sustained a severely lacerated right foot yesterday (Sept. 30) in an accident while chopping wood. He was taken to Poplar Bluff hospital, where attending physicians found he had severed a large artery in his foot, but he was able to be released after receiving first aid at the hospital.
50 years ago Oct. 1, 1973
• The Poplar Bluff High School SHO ME Marching Band took first place Saturday (Sept. 29) in the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival and also marched in the Veiled Propher Parade Saturday morning in St. Louis.
As a result of the band’s success at the festival, it has been selected to make a guest appearance at the Nov. 10 college football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Missouri Tigers.
• More than 1,500 people attended Saturday’s grand opening of the new Jackson Dodge dealership on Highway 67 north. The $200,000 auto dealership sits on a two-acre site and features a 13,200-square-foot building which includes offices and a showroom.
Dealership owner Harold Jackson attributed the large attendance to the appearance of Jeannie Wilson, the 26-year-old “Tell ‘Em Honey Sent Ya” spokeswoman featured in Dodge TV commercials.
MONDAY 100 years ago Oct. 2, 1923
• Paving and other improvement matters were the primary focus of Monday night’s (Oct. 1) Poplar Bluff City Council meeting.
The council voted to have the city engineer draw up plans and specifications to have Sixth Street paved between Lester and Main streets, Eighth Street paved between Vine and Lester and Cedar, Maple and Cherry streets paved between Sewer and Fifth streets. The council also voted to pave Bartlett Street and to seek bids for the paving of Short Fifth Street.
• The premium list of the Butler County Fair will be ready for payment on Wednesday, Oct. 3, according to Chamber of Commerce secretary W. Irl Brite. He said the premium list will total $1,500 and will be ready to pay out Wednesday morning.
75 years ago Oct. 2, 1948
• The Poplar Bluff Mules football team scored three touchdowns in a second-half rally to ultimately play Cape Central to a 19-19 tie in Poplar Bluff last night (Friday, Oct. 1). Left halfback Tommy Minetree scored all three touchdowns during the Mules rally, scoring on runs of 40 and 60 yards, respectively, and also catching a 67-yard scoring toss from Sonny Young.
• Ray Carney, 32, of Dexter died of injures he received when a pressure cooker exploded yesterday afternoon at the packing plant in Dexter. Carney was brought to Poplar Bluff Hospital at 3:30 p.m. Friday and died at 10:25 p.m. from burns he received in the explosion.
50 years ago Oct. 2, 1973
• The Poplar Bluff City Council approved a record city budget of $2,676,739 in projected expenditures when it met Monday night (Oct. 1) at City Hall.
The budget exceeds last year’s by nearly $1 million, largely because of additional funds received from federal revenue sharing and from the city’s 1-cent sales tax. Total revenue for fiscal year 1974 is anticipated to be $2,813,250.
• Tommy Everett Jones, 25, of Dexter who was wanted for escaping the Bernie jail, was arrested early this morning at a home in Poplar Bluff, authorities reported. Arresting officers included Butler County Sheriff Clyde Hendrix, deputies James Kimbrow and Jerry Taylor, plus Poplar Bluff Police Sgt. Keith Fortner and Patrolman Gene Bumpus.
Jones was being held at the Bernie jail on charges of burglary, stealing and carrying a concealed weapon when he walked out of the jail at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1.