In 1974, a New Madrid school discovered what lay beneath its feet: pre-Columbian artifacts from the Mississippi Culture, excavated before construction began on the site. News on this date also included an alleged train depot holdup and final plans for the Butler County Centennial.
100 years ago
Aug. 23, 1924
• Two former Poplar Bluff men were arrested in Arkansas for alleged highway robbery.
A.M. House and R.P. Burch are accused of ambushing a Mr. Mason on a train platform in Hoxie on Aug. 16. Mason claimed they noticed he carried cash earlier in the day and waited until the platform was empty to strike — one man held his arms while the other went through his pockets and took $22.
In their defense, House and Burch stated all three men were gambling and Mason lost.
The suspects were found hiding in a cornfield and arrested without incident. House is known in Poplar Bluff as former restaurant owner who sold his business and moved 15 years ago. Burch told police he also used to live in Poplar Bluff.
75 years ago
Aug. 23, 1949
• Final plans for the Butler County Centennial are in place. The celebration kicks off at 1 p.m. Aug. 31 with a chorus of church bells, fire truck sirens and exploding “aerial bombs,” according to the Daily American Republic.
The centennial lasts four days and will include a 1,000-member band concert on the courthouse lawn, a Miss Centennial contest, parades, historical and industrial museum exhibits, and street dancing.
50 years ago
Aug. 23, 1974
• Pre-Columbian artifacts are on display at the New Madrid R-I Vocational Technical School. They were uncovered from the earth on which the building stands.
The Lilbourn Archaeological Site was “a large fortified Mississippian Indian ceremonial center abandoned about 500 years ago,” the DAR stated. Sources today now classify the Lilbourn Mound as a fortified settlement, and part of it remains visible today near the town of Lilbourn in New Madrid County.
The artifacts on display were excavated because school construction was about to destroy the site.
“The display at the New Madrid School emphasizes the ceramic arts, personal adornment, ceremonial activities and economic life” of the Mississippian culture. Included in the exhibit via photo only is what’s now known as the Lilbourn Mace, which the University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology states was carbon-dated to the mid-13th to early 15th century. It’s among the best-preserved Mississippian maces found to date in a range stretching from Georgia to Missouri.
The Lilbourn site was excavated by through grants and aid from the Missouri Archaeological Society, the Southeast Missouri Archaeological Society, and private donors.