When was Grain Valley established? I supposed that would depend on how we interrupt our history. Some of you may recall an article I wrote two years ago about the original town (July 23. 2020). Part of that article included the statement on file with the Jackson County Recorder of Deeds:
     Know all men by those present that I James F. Lucas of the County of Logan in the State of Illinois do by those present set apart four acres of land located in the County of Jackson and the State of Missouri described as follows, that is to say, commencing fifty-eight feet south of northwest corner of the east quarter of the southwest quarter of Section (35) thirty-five, Township (49) forty-nine, Range 30, hence seven hundred and fifteen feet, hence east four hundred and forty feet, hence south to the railroad hence following the railroad due West one hundred and twenty feet hence south to the southern limits of the town hence West to the place of beginning making in all four acres more or less all of said tract of land situated on the Kansas City-St. Louis and (  ? )  railroad. For the ( ?  ) and purpose and profit of the town of Grain Valley.  The aforesaid town being laid off by Joseph Peters given under my hand and seal this fifth day of September A.D. 1878.  James H Cannon.
 
       For those of us who were around in 1978, we will remember the weekend celebration of our centennial. There was a parade with old-cars, horse drawn carriages, music, old-fashioned clothing,  and Tom Heidelberger and Ruby Johnson were named the Centennial King & Queen.  I remember! It made the newspaper!
     Last week, Grain Valley received a matching grant from Missouri Main Street. We hope you will soon see the results of that grant as the city and the business owners strive to revitalize the historic downtown area.  It was at that time that I saw a sticker with the words, “GRAIN VALLEY, EST. 1884.”  What? 1884? How can this be. However, a bit of internet searching led me to learn that our town was incorporated on July 11, 1884. Finally, Grain Valley became a 4th class city in 1945.
     So when did we become Grain Valley? I’m going with 1878! I’m celebrating our Sesquicentennial on September 5, 2028!
     After a certain age I realize I may not be around in 2028, but if I am I will celebrate then, too! And If I’m around in 2045 (which is highly doubtful, but who knows, I may live to be 99!) I will celebrate them. I never want to miss the opportunity for a good party!!!
     It’s not a party, but it will be fun. First Fridays, June 3, July 1, and August 5 will welcome the Friday Night food trucks to the downtown district. The Historical Society will be opened from 4 PM until 8:30pm. Stop in, enjoy our air-conditioning while you eat your dinner, visit our exhibits, and purchase a Grain Valley (established in 1878) tee-shirt! 

     When I was younger, I learned to spell just about anything (except French words, and frankly who cares about any of them but quiche?). I rarely erred in using the correct form of verbs and making those subjects and verbs agree.
     I took pride in knowing what should be capitalized, how to punctuate correctly, the differences in homonyms, and that I should move prepositions away from the end of sentences.
     In fact, I made a living of sorts as a Grammar Guru.  I taught English and journalism, and later I worked in communications. If a participle was caught dangling, I righted it. I paid attention to the order of adjectives and moved other modifiers into the exact right place in sentences. Direct address question?  Pshaw!  I had your answer, Scarlett.
     And then I met Autocorrect (and later his cousin Grammarly), and my skill set took a trip to Canada or another fine place where people have cool accents and everybody gets good, inexpensive health care.
     It started innocently enough, with Mr. Autocorrect catching a misspelled word, that actually could have been the word ‘misspelled’, which for some reason gives me trouble. I was immediately attracted.
     New love is always flawless, right?  We overlook annoying habits and talk to our friends about our crush. I was crushing hard on Autocorrect, and he reciprocated pretty well…at first.     
     My texts were becoming error free. It was the little things, like an extra space materializing when I had neglected to insert it that strengthened our relationship. He learned to correct my sister’s and a couple of friend’s unusually spelled names when I dictated into my phone and even suggested emojis to accompany my words to make sure my receivers knew exactly how I felt.
    We were getting along swimmingly, and I even started to feel guilty about how I was using him, sometimes just tapping in the start or a semblance of a word and letting him do his correctional magic.
    But just like the day where a new love’s cologne that used to smell like the beach to you now smells like fish rotting on that beach, trouble arose. Autocorrect began to assume things about me that just were not true.
    He changed the word plan to fang, so that my text told a co-worker I would like to have a fang moving forward. To this day, she covers her neck when around me, afraid I have become a vampire. Autocorrect didn’t like MO for Missouri and changed it to NO, freezing my online order at the delivery address phase. I am pretty serious about online orders.
   Autocorrect didn’t like my colorful language, erasing a few choice curse words and replacing them with family friendly verbiage.  That’s when I headed into settings and shut him off. 
     I missed him for a day or two, but slowly my spelling knowledge returned, and I decided I was okay with some flawed capitalization.
     My recovery was almost complete when one fine day about a year ago, the program I was working in suddenly offered Grammarly’s good advice for sentence phrasing. “Oh, yes, I see how that adverb would be better placed just right there, thank you,” and just like that I was crushing again. 
     Grammarly was a little sneakier in reeling me deeper into my feelings. Squiggly yellow lines drew my attention to the need for a better word choice. And I dutifully made the corrections, even enjoying the weekly report I got for my efforts.  Grammarly smiled at me with his happy yellow face, and I flirted right back.
   At first the weekly reports had me ranked as an overachiever, always in the high 90’s.  Then slowly my numbers began to drop. And Grammarly wanted a “bribe” of sorts to make me feel better.
    “I have several suggestions for moving your writing from good to excellent,” he said.  He offered me the benefit of the computational linguists and their fancy algorithms to better analyze my apparently weak sentences.
     A constant thorn in my side, Grammarly would hint that there were three more errors in the passage I had just typed, subtly disguised with a hazy screen over the correction.  Like a love-sick teen wondering why her date never called her back, I worked lots of extra time, ruminating on what Grammarly had found that I didn’t. Was it a stronger synonym?  A suggested introductory clause to promote sentence variety?
    One day I spent about 30 minutes reviewing about four paragraphs to see if I could self-correct Grammarly’s grim countenance. I was talking to myself, phoning a friend, researching answers, and sweating bullets over a potential error. I was in trouble.
    Recent interactions in account, and after hearing about a particularly terrifying Dr. Laura podcast on toxic relationships, I ended my time with Grammarly. But the pain of lost love still exists within me (and yes, I am fully aware I started that sentence with a conjunction). 
    To help me heal, I have signed up for a Daily Dose of Grammar, sharpening my skills in increments. Wordle has helped me remember all the five letter words I used to know, and the four letter ones remain ever present for me anyway. However, subtle reminders of my past loves exist all around me.
    Last week at the license bureau, a frustrated clerk confided in me that she wished their data screens had Autocorrect.  I just smiled, myself wishing I knew her well enough to warn her against his charms. Instead I said, “ You are doing a perfectly fine job,” knowing with certainty those modifiers were not dangling at all.

     May is the time to make melons a must-have on your menu! May thru September, melons are in peak season, providing a juicy and diverse fruit to enjoy all summer long. While all melons have soft, juicy fruit with a sweet fragrant flavor, their appearance varies widely. Watermelons are part of the gourd family. Rinds range from bright to deep green and they have a crunchy, reddish-pink interior. Honeydew and cantaloupe are known as muskmelons. While honeydew has a smooth, pale green rind and honey-flavored fruit, a cantaloupe has a more fibrous rind with light orange fruit.
     The secret to picking a perfect melon is in the weight and smell. A juicy, ripe melon will feel heavy and firm. Ripe melons should have an intense musky aroma near the stem.
     Biting into a juicy melon can be a refreshing experience and packs a punch of nutrition! Melons are about 90% water, which makes them a summer staple to help prevent dehydration. Melons also contain vitamins A and C, which help support our immune system.
     While melons are often enjoyed sliced for a meal or snack, they are incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Melons can be cut up and used in salsas or to infuse water. Throw watermelon slices on the grill for a unique spin on this sweet fruit. Don’t throw out the rind! Save watermelon rinds to make tasty pickles for your next barbeque. Melons also lend well to salads, like this refreshing melon salad recipe:
 
Mixed Melon, Cucumber and Feta Salad
Serves 6 (2/3 cup each)
 
All you need:
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Hy-Vee honey
1 shallot, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, plus additional for garnish
½ small cantaloupe, seeded, peeled and sliced
2 cups Hy-Vee Short Cuts watermelon
5 mini cucumbers, cut into ribbons
1 (8-oz) pkg Soirée traditional feta chunk cheese, cubed
Pink or black peppercorns, crushed, for garnish
 
All you do:

1. Whisk together vinegar and honey in a small bowl until combined. Add shallot and ¼ cup mint; gently stir to combine. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Combine cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber ribbons and feta on a large platter. Remove shallot from dressing; arrange shallot slices on top. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish with peppercorns and additional mint, if desired.

 
Recipe source: May 2022 Hy-Vee Seasons magazine

     In the July 22, 2020 edition of the Valley News, I wrote about the Williams’ Building.  Constructed in 1912, the spacious garage was equipped for handling the work of the machines of the community and of tourist parties. Today, 110 years later, the build still stands. It is a part of the “historical” downtown area of Grain Valley.
 
 
West Side of Main Street
Historic Downtown Grain Valley
 
     In 1919, the following article appeared on the “Grain Valley News” page in the Oak Grove Banner.
 
Building Being Repaired
 
“The Williams Building, formerly occupied by Huff and Baumgardner Garage is being renovated. New shelves are being put up and arrangements are being made to use the building for a store. As to what line of business will occupy this store has not been published. But rumors have established butcher shops, dry goods stores, furniture stores and grocery stores, but so far no  one has moved in.”
 (If the wording or grammar seems strange, please know if it is copied as written in 1919.)                                          
​
     Today, the Williams Building is occupied by an annex to The Bank of Grain Valley and The Pottery Palace. But over the last century, this building has housed many businesses. When it was renovated in 1919, the left half of the building became Storms’ Drug Store. Edward Storms and later his son George “Ellis” Storms were the pharmacists.  In those times,  the fundamental role of pharmacists as a healthcare practitioner was to check and distribute drugs to doctors for medication that had been prescribed to patients. A college degree was not required for this occupation. In the 1950s Jim Casey bought the drug store. Casey’s had no “prescription” drugs, only band-aids, gauze and ointments, aspirin, cough syrups, and ex-lax, personal grooming products, miscellaneous items, beer and a soda fountain (literally all of life’s little necessities)! I remember on other owner for a year or so. Shortly after the last drug store closed, it was bought by the Bank of Grain Valley.
     At some point the post office was moved to the right side of the building. It was there that I bought 3-cent stamps! The U. S. Post Office occupied a very small area at the front. Patrons entered the door into a short hall way. On the left, you could go into the post office. At the end of the hall, the door led to Grace Mickel’s restaurant. Those were the days when coffee was a nickel, vegetable beef soup or ham and beans soup were 50-cents and a piece of homemade pie was a quarter! Those were the “good ole’ days,” for sure!

     I picked up a drive through meal for my daughter the other night as we rushed from one event to another in a very busy week, and while not tempted to have a full meal, I decided to treat myself to a kid’s portion. With the meal came a little bottle of chocolate milk, which I downed quickly, and the cutest book entitled, “Bear Wants More.”
     My daughter had a great time reading it aloud to me between her hurried bites. She sounded just like me reading a kid’s book to her little girl self, and we both decided she would have been thrilled to get that paperback in a kid’s meal.
     Besides really pretty illustrations, the book had lovely predictable rhymes, just enough figurative language not to be sappy, and a hint for me. Not sure how to tell you all this, but I may, just may, be a bear.
     In the story Bear wakes up after his long winter hibernation, and he is hungry. I don’t know if the six or so hours I sometimes sleep at night counts as a hibernation, but I do wake up hungry.  In fairness, I also text hungry, drive hungry, work hungry, and shower hungry. Basically I am hungry.
     Bear tries a little “salad”, in fact nibbling on his lawn down to the last blade.  And the book’s refrain then comes into play, when the next line reads, “But Bear wants more!”
     I also eat salad, maybe not first thing after a nap, but I try. I love a good romaine lettuce, maybe a little fresh spinach, or even iceberg if forced, well-rinsed and chilled from the refrigerator. And like Bear, I want more. 
    I want a little more dressing than the two tablespoons I am supposed to have, maybe a sprinkle of cheese, and few sunflower seed kernels, something to make it crunchy like won ton strips, and maybe even some ham or turkey or a hard-boiled egg. Suddenly, it’s not a salad, but more like a three course meal.
     Bear has a mouse friend, one who can eat all he wants, and he leads him to get some strawberries.  Bear eats a bunch, but as you might already guess, he wants more.
    I have mouse friends whom I both love and despise at the same time because of their well-functioning metabolisms, and I also eat fruit. And I always want more. Two or three strawberries are not enough. I can slice a whole pineapple for my family to share, but what should last a couple of days usually doesn’t, because I want more.
     Bear’s adventures also include eating too much clover (which I have not tried but am seriously thinking about), some fish, and some honey cakes. Honey cakes?  Is it possible there is a dessert I have not heard about?
      Bear gets pretty full, and his tummy aches, so he stretches out, and a nap ensues. Much to the delight of his animal friends, he snores through his nap, only to wake up to find he still wants more.
    With this additional evidence, I am now almost 100% sure I am a bear. I had a pre-Mother’s Day dinner, came home and slept, undoubtedly snored, and still wanting more, had a great Mother’s Day brunch the next day to boot.
     Then, like a rinse and repeat shampoo commercial, I took a nap (not in a den, but in a fully darkened room with threats to my family to keep noise levels down), woke up and had dinner.  Basically I slept and ate for two whole days, so very, very bear like.
     On the last page of the book are upcoming episodes to look for, like Bear Feels Sick (so did I, after all that food), and Bear Can’t Sleep, surely a mirroring tale of my insomnia episodes.
     The only clues I have that I might not be the bear’s twin sister are that he has some really fine fur, and my hair no longer grows like I would like it to; he has some pretty fierce claws, and I at least try to keep my nails manicured; and he is content in the woods, whereas my idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service.
     As my daughter finished reading about Bear to me, I smiled and said, “ I myself might be a bear, huh?” and she contemplated it for a minute.
     “Maybe,” she said, “But I have always thought of you more as a lioness or maybe a penguin.” 
    Too tired to explore her reasoning behind equating me with a voracious meat-eater or a wobbly iceberg dweller, I am going with lioness.  At least there would likely be a steak involved, just a little light snack before my nap.

     I travel quite a bit to speak on technology/cyber security and I'm always worried that somebody is watching me with a hidden camera. Call it paranoid or perhaps thinking I'm James Bond when I travel. When you think of hidden cameras, you probably think of the latest spy movies, but because of technology hidden cameras are becoming more common and can be set up by anyone.
     These devices can possibly be set up anywhere you stay from your home, rented apartments, hotel rooms, even your office, and that Airbnb you're staying in this spring or summer. In today's Internet-connected world, you never know who might be spying on you and your family. Here are some quick and easy tips to help you find hidden cameras where you're staying as well as other tips to stay safe.
     I'm by no means a celebrity, but for even the average person you should be worried about Wi-Fi cameras. The good news is that cameras are pretty inexpensive, and they can connect to any Wi-Fi connection which allows anyone who has a smartphone and the camera app to monitor homes and offices. There are property owners who use them to protect from damage or theft which makes Wi-Fi cameras a great thing. On the flip side, you could have an abusive partner a prankster, or an extortionist who will take advantage of this technology.
     Much like AirTags have been transformed by abusers to track your movements, people will pervert tech to take advantage of you. You might think it's fiction, but a recent survey of Airbnb users showed that 11% of people who have stayed at one have come across a hidden camera. What's even worse, Wi-Fi cameras can be as small as 2 millimeters.

How can you detect hidden cameras?
     Use the old fashion method of physically checking your surroundings. When you stay in a new place put your detective hat on. I always open drawers, look at lamps and paintings just like in the spy movies, and I suggest you do the same any place you stay. Are there holes in the wall? Are there objects pointed at the bed? Strange things in the bathroom that don't belong? If you're looking for that red light identifier of a camera, you won't find it. The purpose of small Wi-Fi cameras is to stay hidden.

Use your smartphone.
     You know you can ditch any special equipment and use your smartphone camera and the built-in flashlight. To use this trick it has to be dark so turn off the lights and close the curtains. Point your smartphone where you think the hidden camera is and you should see a glare on the screen of your smartphone. Sometimes your smartphone won't let you use the flashlight, which means you will have to use a separate flashlight. Also, there are brands of spy cameras that use infrared to record in the dark. If you use your smartphone camera in the dark to find an infrared camera, it should show up as a pulsing dot.

What to do if you detect a hidden camera.
     Truth be told, webcam spying isn't going to occur when you're staying in larger hotel chains. If you find something that looks like a camera, take a photo of it and do an image search to verify it is indeed a camera. If it is indeed a camera, contact the local authorities, the administrator of the place you're staying. Most places have rules against hidden cameras. I know it sounds obvious, but it's best if you leave the property immediately.

It's always better to be safe than sorry.
     I've given you tips to make sure you don't fall victim to a prankster or a landlord who may be filming you without permission. Whenever you're on the road for business or personal, there are more dangers than hidden cameras. Here are some tips to help you stay safe whenever you're in unfamiliar surroundings:

• Keep your smartphone charged all of the time.
• Turn on Find My Device to help locate lost devices and you.
• A smartwatch that is the same brand as your phone can help you keep connected to your devices.
• Download travel apps to help your trip go more smoothly, such as maps, dictionaries, and translators.
• Don’t leave valuable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers unattended.
• Never use public computers or terminals for private messaging, logging in to accounts, or online shopping. This includes computers that may be at an AirBnB.
• Use your own hotspot to surf the web. If you don't have access to one, Use a VPN to protect your data from hackers and from prying eyes.
• Cover that peephole. There is technology such as 'peephole reversers' that can be used to film in your room.

     Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@callintegralnow.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.
     Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com

     ​Dennis Patrick Costigan, from Ireland, married Martha Elizabeth Richardson O’Connell, a widow, in St. Louis in 1881. He came to Grain Valley around 1886 to work on the railroad. Soon after, his wife and their children joined him. The family included Alice, James and John T. O’Connell, children from her first marriage; and Charles, Patrick, Martha Katherine, and Michael Costigan.  Ellen, William and Maggie Mae were born after they came to Grain Valley.
     Joseph Patrick Costigan was born January 5, 1883 in St. Louis. On March 16, 1904 he married Mary Frances Taylor and they had seven children.  Two sons, Charlie and Harold, received agricultural degrees from the University of Missouri. After graduation, Harold joined the Army and was an unfortunate participant of the Bataan Death March during World War II. (September 8, 2019 article in The Valley News)
     Like his father, Patrick worked for the railroad, on a crew that repaired and replaced the Chicago & Alton tracks in western Missouri. The following article appeared on the Grain Valley News page of The Oak Grove Banner in April of 1921.
 
     Costigan May Recover
 
     “If Patrick J. Costigan of Grain Valley recovers from injuries received last Week, it will be a case of surgery which will find a place in the books. It seems now that Mr. Costigan will recover to a much greater extent than expected if not entirely.           
     Mr. Costigan is a railway worker at Grain Valley. He stepped to one side of the track to let a fast train pass when an iron pipe fell from the rapidly moving train and struck him in the side of the head. The skull was crushed and the brain protruded. He was brought to the Independence Sanitarium where a surgical operation was performed by the Doctors Twyman. A part of the skull was removed and a part raised so that it would no longer impinge on the brain.
     For some time Mr. Costigan could not talk but could read written messages. One side was paralyzed. Now he is beginning to recover his speech and can move the paralyzed arm a little and seems to be getting better every day. Mr. Costigan has a wife and six children.”

     He lived at home for some time after that, then in various institutions until his death in 1954. A seventh child, Dale, was born in 1923.  Dale’s son, also named Patrick Costigan is currently president of the Oak Grove Historical Society. I sure Pat can tell you  “the rest of the story.”

 
    As the saying goes, the only two certain things in life are death and taxes.  However, in my ripe old age and with my habitual nature, there are a few things I know about myself for certain as well.
     You can count on me to be at work unless I am terribly sick or supporting my kiddo in one of her ventures. You can count on me to pray for you if you ask. You can count on me to have a car trunk full of emergency items because I am convinced I will have one.
     You can count on me to side with the underdog and root for Missouri sports teams.  You can count on me to probably have too much sweetener in my coffee or tea but to still need that caffeine badly enough to drink it. You can count on me to be dressed in layers because, like Goldilocks, I am either too hot or too cold and rarely just right.
     You can count on me to have really great stocking stuffers due to my dollar aisle obsession and extra dessert on hand in case someone drops by unexpectedly. And you can count on me to cut a big slice of said dessert for you and practically force you to eat it, because dessert is love, right? From here, it pretty much goes downhill.
     You can count on me to spill a drop of whatever I am eating or drinking on a clean, newly pressed white shirt. I am particularly good at just dribbling a little bit of coffee, leaving a spot in a very embarrassing place.
     And it won’t be on a day I am staying at home with no meetings.  My stained white shirt days are always special appointment days. You can also count on that shirt to carry the stain through the wash because I forgot to treat it, as well.
    You can also count on me to remember what someone wore but not his or her name. I met a beautiful lady at a recent party, the guest of mutual friends.  She wore a sort of golden chiffon flowy dress and had on a pair of high heels that looked like they were made of piano wire. She was so princess like, she took away even my grown up breath.
    When the party hostess and I talked about the event, I mentioned her princess friend, but embarrassingly, could not come up with a name.  Not a first letter, not a hint, not a trace of name recognition. 
    You can also count on me to remember all the lyrics to a 70’s song that has faded way into the recesses of everybody else’s mind.  And I will be able to tell you that lyric in pressure situations, unlike the contestant in a recent game show challenge.
    The subject was Melanie’s song Brand New Key.  They played a snippet of the song and asked the contestant to finish the phrase. $3K was on the line, and she blew it, all while I was gleefully singing, “I think we should get together and try them on to see” and not pocketing a dime.
    You can count on me to tell you a joke that I have told you before, since I only have a repertoire of three, two of which I can’t tell in mixed company.
     Some of the things you can count on with me have to do with paperwork. I guarantee you I will arrive one document short of what I need to complete any licensing process. I can also guarantee you I will find the receipt I need the day after I return the item it accompanied. You can count on me to have about 20 uncorralled scraps of paper with important lists and notes on them, having a regular rodeo in the wild west of my giant purse, another thing you can count on me to carry.
    You can count on me having 20/20 hindsight.  My best party planning is done a day or two after I have hosted one. That’s when I will finally go through a magazine and see the perfect signature cocktail or appetizer recipe. And I will save said recipes somewhere (probably with the missing receipt), so that I can once again not use them at the next party.
   I might be able to find the receipt or recipe if I was better organized, but you can also count on me to have started a massive organization project that will go unfinished. To date, I have tried using file folders, envelopes, baskets, and dividers for paperwork and haven’t had much success. I resisted the urge to buy clear plastic stacking bins, despite multiple Pinterest pins.
   One of the latest additions to things to count on with this old gal is that my hearing doesn’t serve me the way it once did, and I don’t catch everything. For example, just this week, someone wished me a happy birthday. 
    I was surprised to hear it because my birthday is several months away, and this person didn’t know me. I replied by saying I was anxiously awaiting my special day and that I had already given my husband some clues about what I might like for a present.
   “Wow!  You guys exchange presents for Earth Day? Most people don’t even celebrate it! That is so cool!”  Oh! EARTH Day!
    Well, apparently you can also count on me to be too embarrassed when I mishear something like that to even make a correction.
    Not that I have given tons of thought to my passing, but sometimes after a funeral, I wonder what they will say about me when the time comes.  Will they line up with accolades?  Detail one of my epic organizational projects finally completed (because that is likely what will finally do me in…)? 
     I would be happy if they said, “You could always count on her,” and just left it at that.
 
 

From 101 years ago: “The Grain Valley News,” from The Oak Grove Banner
 
Personal Paragraphs (quoted as written)
            HUFF TIRE CO., Grain Valley,
          Mo.
            White Rose Gasoline at Huff
          Bros. new filling station
            SNI-A-BAR BANKING CO. the
          progressive, conservitive bank of
          Grain Valley.
            FOR SALE---one mare. For par-
          ticulars see Lee Seymour
 
I am guessing “progressive conservitive” might have had a different meaning  to Grain Valley folks 101 years ago. Perhaps because “conservitive” when spelled with an “I” doesn’t mean conservative?
 
And more news from the papers of April, 1921
 
W. H. Loring has returned home from St. Joseph hospital, Kansas City, where he had a cataract removed from one of his eyes. The operation failed to improve Mr. Loring’s eye sight. (Mr. & Mrs. Loring owned the hardware store)
 
The Senior Class play of the Grain Valley High School will be given Friday evening, April 15th in the Royal Play House.  It is a three-act comedy, entitled “And Home Came Ted.”
 
BARN FOR SALE - - 28 X 28 feet. Outside good grade pine, inside mostly native lumber. Contains crib 10x12x8 feet granary 6x8x5 feet, one good box stall and four double stalls. An excellent barn for farm. See Lloyd Williams, Grain Valley.
 
The Grain  Valley town board elected on April 5, has organized with the following officers: Chairman, A. O. Tate; Clerk F. W. Stump; Marshal, C. H. Johnson; Treasurer, D. C. Herrington; Street Commissioner, Albert Hoehn.
 
The following two articles appeared in the Banner in 1921. This would have been just after the original Chicago & Alton Depot burned. The postmaster, A. O. Tate was working out of a box car. The 1922 depot was moved from east of Main Street on the south side of the railroad tracks to west of Main Street on the north side of the tracks.  During that time, Mr. Tate worked from an old boxcar.
 
Evidently The Banner proofreader had not yet determined if “post office” was one word or two words. Nor did they know when it should be capitalized. (Post office is two words, capitalized only after the name of the town.)
 
Postoffice To Be Moved.
            The Grain Valley postoffice will be moved about the first of May to the brick building formerly occupied by the Grain Valley Light & Power Co. This will be a much larger and better building than the present location and more convenient to the depot and business houses. The building now occupied by the post office is to be moved off the railroad right-of-way.
 
            The change in location of the Grain Valley post office has been postponed until about May 16th to allow time for the sale and removal of the electric light plant, which now occupies the building to which the post office will be moved.
 
            And, buy the way, “Mrs. A.O. Tate who was injured in an automobile accident at Santa Ana, California, about two weeks ago, is reported to be improving rapidly and the family is expected to return to their home in Grain Valley in the near future.”
 
            And yes, these articles did appear 101 years ago.  It seems the newspapers from 1922 are currently on loan to the newspaper in Oak Grove!