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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society 506 Main Street
Frequent readers of “Looking Back” will recognize this photograph that appeared on the July 2024 calendar page. I only wish I knew more about the Worthmore Shoe Store. As previously stated, my research indicates it was taken between 1912 and 1915. The Williams Building, on the left, was built in 1910. Because the Worthmore Shoe sign in only a banner and not permanently attached to the building, it is impossible to determine who might have owned the building or ran the store. According to a 1904 Grain Valley City Directory, George Kreigel owned a shoe repair shop, but again, there is no documentation, yet, to connect Mr. Kreigel to this location. I can tell you that at some point the wooden structure was replaced by the brick building that occupies 506 Main Street today. This is the current location of the Grain Valley Historical Society. I hope to make a trip to the Jackson County Recorder of Deeds office in the near future to determine the lot 9 owner when the current brick structure was built. I hope to have an answer for you soon! If you are reading this on July 25, I hope to see you TONIGHT. The Grain Valley Historical Society is hosting our annual Ice Cream Social, 506 Main Street 5:00pm - 8:00pm. All you can eat, $6 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 12! Come enjoy a good old fashion evening!
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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
Vacating my home after 56 years had made me ponder about why I’ve kept so many “things.” For many years it has been my goal to get rid of 5 “things” every day. With that goal in mind I had pretty much emptied the attic and the basement, except for my seven Christmas trees and boxes and boxes of decorations. I really thought moving would be a piece of cake. And then I remembered the collections; not just mine, but my ancestors! I still had some of Grandmother Rumbo’s cut-glass collection, Grandmother Napier’s Scottish tea accoutrements and kilt pins, and Aunt Opal’s tiny vases which Uncle Clyde kept filled with roses in the summertime. Then there was still my mother’s bone china tea cup collection, the playing cards from every airline she ever flew on and most of the states she and dad had visited, the drawer of handkerchiefs, and the embroidered pillowcases and hand crocheted doilies. It made me think of all the “things” that people have collected over the years. I don’t know about other parts of the country, but in Grain Valley, my mother’s friends all had collections! I’m pretty sure my mother wasn’t the only one to collect cups and saucers. I remember Anna Maude Caldwell, who lived on Main Street, 2 houses north of Yennie, had a china cabinet full of them in her dining room. I only remember her using them when it was her turn to host the ladies for pinochle. Aunt Opal also had cups and saucers. Following World War II American soldiers brought Hummel figurines home from Germany. They became very popular for many years. Although they are still considered collectables, their popularity in waning and their value has decreased among collectors. A popular 1950s collection was salt & pepper shakers. When I went with my aunt to visit Hazel Heidelberger for coffee, an almost daily midmorning event, I was fascinated by her collection. I think they occupied every available shelf in her kitchen. She had some pretty ones and she also had some unique ones; I especially remember the outhouse from “The Ozarks.” You had to open the door to get the shakers from inside! She had fruit, flowers, birds, bears, and hillbillies to name a few. Many were from different states. Whenever we traveled, we often came home with a souvenir salt & pepper set for Hazel! Another popular collection in the 1950s and 60s was souvenir spoons. I do believe they could be purchased in every National Park, State Capitol, and tourist trap in the United States. I don’t recall knowing anyone with a big collection, but I do remember seeing them at every souvenir shop we entered on a trip to Canada in the early 1960s. Of course, we can’t forget the popular mushrooms from the 1970s and the pet rock fad that lasted about six months, just prior to Christmas in 1975. In 1978, Samuel J. Butcher released the Original 21 Precious Moments figurines to worldwide acclaim and a new collecting and gift-giving tradition was born. The Precious Moments Collectors’ Club was born in 1981 and grew to over 400,000 members worldwide. In 1989, Mr. Butcher opened the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri. And the rest, as they say, is history. Today, according to the internet the ten most popular collectables are: 1) antique furniture, 2) vinyl records, 3) comic books, 4) coins & currency, 5) classic cars, 6) trading cards, 7) dolls and toys, 8) stamps, 9) wine, and 10) fine art and jewelry. And I ask you, where are books on this list? By mid-September, I am planning to feature a display at the Historical Society of “Collectables Over the Years.” They will be items donated by Grain Valley citizens. Come visit any Wednesday from 10 AM to 3 PM and see some of the old Grain Valley Collectables! by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
Some days you “just got nothin’ to write about” and this is one of those days. I haven’t been at the Historical Society for a couple of weeks to get inspired by something I see there or something I read. So, please bear with me as I reminisce about “the good old days" of summer, growing up in Grain Valley. Perhaps it will prompt you to remember your growing up years, be it the 1950s, 60s, 70s, or even a summer in the present century! The last day of school marked the beginning of summer and if that wasn’t it then certainly Memorial Day was just a few days away. In our family, it was “Decoration Day” and we were up early and off to decorate the graves of some ancestors I had never met, but was told they had been my aunt or grandparents or some such relation. I particularly remember visiting the grave of my baby brother, although he would have been older than me by four and a half years. Somehow, I was always sad that I never knew him, but I had another older brother who was living and so all was good! After “paying respects” and leaving flowers at no less than three or four cemeteries, we gathered with the family for a picnic at my aunt’s house. That was always good because it included chocolate pie! June was filled with riding bikes, playing in the sand box or helping mom, grandmother and my aunt in the garden. I even remember helping Uncle Clyde plant beans. He paid me 1-cent for every two feet, my feet, which paid more because they were small. I remember walking it off twice, but it only came up 46 feet, or 23-cents, so I charged him two cents tax and went home with a quarter; big money in 1951! July was a great month. There wasn’t only the Fourth of July and another family picnic (this time the featured dessert was homemade ice cream), there was also Vacation Bible School. It lasted two weeks and that meant two weeks seeing my friends every day. That was a big deal when you lived on a farm and didn’t have close neighbors to play with each day. We didn’t have super heroes back then, but I can remember being “Pioneers for Christ,” a Western theme, and a nautical theme where Guy Burnett and Woody Graham built a gang plank to walk from the Church aisle to the alter. In my later years (10-17) August was filled with 4-H activities and fairs; the local Achievement Day, the County 4-H Fair, the Jackson County Fair and the Missouri State Fair. Life didn’t get any better that showing our cattle in a 95-degree show ring with absolutely no shade! We were dressed in blue jeans, long sleeve western shirts, complete with boots and a cowboy hat. I guess we thought we looked so cool the August heat didn’t matter. The only downside to the Missouri State Fair was that it was the week before school started up again. But we still had a few days of summer because in the 1950s and 60s, school did not start until AFTER Labor Day. I hope this has generated some great childhood memories for you. If you need more encouragement to “look back”, come to the Historical Society’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 25th from 5 to 8 PM. Enjoy homemade ice cream and desserts. We will be on the patio next to our building (506 Main Street, Downtown Grain Valley) or you can escape the heat an eat inside! Hope to see you there. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society If you read this column on a regular basis then you know it did not appear in the June 27th edition of the Valley News. I make no excuses; it was simple a lack of time management on my part. I will, however, give you an explanation. I moved from the house I’ve called home for the past 56 years. I no longer live north of Grain Valley. I now live on the Southside! While it is difficult to leave my home, the history nerd in me is looking at the good side. An 1889 plat map of Jackson County shows that the owner of the acreage at the southeast corner of Buckner Tarsney Road and Duncan Road was MM Herrington. That was Merrick Herrington, my maternal great-great grandfather. I am moving to the south side of Grain Valley to live on land that was once part of Sni-A-Bar Farms. My paternal grandfather brought his family, including my father to Grain Valley, specifically to Sni-A-Bar Farms in 1922. He managed the estate of William Rockhill Nelson from 1922 until the dispersal in 1945. So, if it were not for the Nelson Estate, my father would not have come to Missouri, married my mother, and as they say, the rest is history! I feel fortunate that if the growth of Grain Valley is part of my decision to move, I can at least feel a genuine connection to my new home! Had I written an article last week, it would have been about the June calendar page. June Calendar Page
The Grain Valley Café The old café in downtown Grain Valley is now the pottery shop on the west side of Main Street, but until the mid 1950's it was a restaurant. Since I wrote the story about the cafe in June of 2020, I have learned the folks out front were all family member of Grace Mickel. Mrs. Mickel ran the café and was the wonderful cook there. Those were the days when coffee was a nickel, vegetable beef soup or ham and bean soup were 50-cents, and a piece of homemade pie was a quarter! I think many of us would refer to them as the “good ole’ days,” for sure! Editor's Note: This column first appeared in Grain Valley News on December 12, 2019.
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Four years after the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804, the federal government established an Indian outpost at Fort Osage to protect and promote trade with the Indians. Early pioneers began to settle in this area. Missouri became the twenty-first state on August 10, 1821 and in 1825 Jackson County was bought from the Osage tribe and divided into 9 townships. In 1834 Sni-a-Bar township was organized. In 1842 Robert St. Clair brought his wife and 6 children from Kentucky. He was one of the first to record ownership of land in the area. In fact, he built a 12-room house on a 1000-acre farm in the area which became Pink Hill in 1854. In addition to the farm, Robert and his sons, Hasten and Charles, ran one of three general stores at Pink Hill In 1854 a post office was established in the store and Charles St. Clair carried the mail from Independence. That same year the first school house was built on the north end of Main Street. Later the post office was moved to another general store owned by J.W. Mann. That post office existed until 1903 when it was destroyed by fire. After that time, Pink Hill residents, depending upon their exact location, got their mail from Grain Valley, Oak Grove or Levasy. By 1854, when Pink Hill was chartered, several other families had come to the area, mostly from Virginia and Kentucky. As mentioned in the previous issue of Valley News, George Love and David Neer had the 10 acres surveyed when the town was established. Of course, R. G. Pinkard was there, along with Rosamah Sanders and Asa Booker and it is assumed that most were married men with families. In addition, Squire William Wells had a woodworking store and brothers Lee and Michael Womacks were the blacksmiths. The Historical Atlas of Jackson County also included Phillip and Tobe Starns’ woodworking store, A. G. Knight’s drug store, and three salons, one owned by Pinkard. Residential homes were owned by James Adams, Joseph E. W. Kabrick, Al and Lin Kent, Charley Phillips, George R. and Ann E. Carlyle, Mertie Blackburn, Jim Ed Mundy, Dr. J. D. Wood (later founder and president of the Bank of Independence) and Dr. O. C. Shelby The Chicago and Alton Railroad surveyed Pink Hill land, but the railroad never came. The Civil War came instead. Most of the citizens came to the area from Kentucky or Virginia. They were southern sympathizes making Quantrill and his men feel at home in Sni-a-Bar Township. The region had so many bushwhackers that Union forces never ventured into the area. On August 25, 1863, Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr. issued Order No. 11 forcing the evacuation of rural areas in four counties in western Missouri. Northern soldiers marched through Pink Hill, taking livestock, grain and food; burning homes and forcing everyone to leave. Virginia St. Clair Clarkson, one of those forced to leave, was quoted as saying “I stood on the front porch of the house and counted 13 chimneys, all that was left of 13 homes.” Residents moved to Lexington and other location to await the end of the war. Some returned to build tiny cabins to replace what had been plantation-like homes. Others never returned. The town existed for 24 years, from 1854 to 1878, the year the Chicago & Alton Railroad complete tracks to Kansas City. Grain Valley was established in 1878. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Before I leave the topic of GVHS football stadiums, I have two photographs to share with readers. They were taken nearly 50 years ago and I found them in the 1978 yearbook. In my attempt to locate a good photograph of the football or track team on the field located behind the Grain Valley Community Center, I was unsuccessful. However, I did find the marching band lined up on the old field. 1977-78 Marching Band Grain Valley High School The field ran east to west and this photograph was taken from the north side of the field. In the fall of 1977, the track had evidently not been added. The land just south of the field was obviously still farmland, as cattle can be seen grazing. It would be another nearly 20 years before the field was moved to Eagles Parkway, and another 25 years before the Community Center was completed to the right of this field. The baseball field now exist where the cattle once roamed. The Concession and Press Box
Photo from the 1978 Treasure Chest The photo above was labeled Industrial Arts Club. It makes one wonder if they might have built the structure. However, I believe it was constructed by volunteers from the booster club! The two windows at the bottom were used by the classes or various school clubs and organizations to sell concessions at the football games. I vaguely remember going to a few games and buying hotdogs from a crockpot, cold popcorn from a 2- pound bag, and soda pop poured from 2-liter bottles into plastic cups with ice from a bag. The top windows were where the PA announcer sat with the spotters and statisticians. Compared to the huge press box at the present field and the modern concession stand and rest rooms, it really makes you question if these were “…the good old days!” Editors Note: This week, we are featuring a Looking Back article originally published November 16, 2019. Enjoy this feature from the Looking Back vault!
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society One could say the East Kansas City Airport in Grain Valley began out of necessity. In the early 1950s a number of private airplane owners learned they would no longer have a home for their planes. The Heart of America Airport located on U. S. 40 Highway near the Little Blue River was closed and the property was turned into a trailer park. At that time several of the private plane owners and pilots decided they would purchase land and construct their own airport. Some of the original 11 stockholders were Frank V. Mawby, lawyer; Walter Jennings, lawyer; Jack Barnhart, Barnhart Construction; Bill Perkins, Perkins Restaurants, Earl Wade, manufacturer, and Ruffs Wilson, electrical contractor, to name a few. Together, they formed an organization which resembled a well-run flying club, but instead of just owning airplanes, the group owned the airport. Much work was done by the group to incorporate, draw up sound and workable rules for operation, find land, secure the title, layout the runways, line up local financing, bulldoze the runways, build the hangars and other facilities, and last but certainly not least, convince the townsfolks and the city fathers that the airport would be an asset to the community. A parcel of 80 acres was found on the western edge of Grain Valley on Kirby Road at the end of Walnut Street. In the 1800s this land was owned by Britton Capelle. By the early 1900s it was part of the E. E. Kirby Orchards. The corporation purchased the land from Tom Cairns, owner of Cairns Flowers in Independence, Missouri. The airport started with two runways, one running east to west and a second runway running northeast to southwest. Barnhart Construction Company did the grading for the runways and Jack Barnhart built the first small hangars. By 1978, the cooperative airport association included some 39 members. Over the years many improvements have been made. Asphalt was installed in the older hangars; numerous new hangars were built, and runways lights were installed that can be turned on by the planes’ radios. In addition, an aircraft maintenance hangar, a radio communications area, and a radio repair service shop were added. The current airport has a business office, a main lobby, restrooms, and a pilot’s lounge. Much of the information for this article was furnished by John Washburn of Grain Valley. Although not an original stockholder, he was one of the very early stockholders. He served on the Board of Directors for many years and served a term as its President. The Grain Valley Airport Co-operative was officially incorporated in 1956. Its’ uniqueness is still relevant today. It is one of the very few in the nation that is a privately owned/public use airport and is a testament to the average American businessman. No government aid was forthcoming for this private enterprise—there is no city, county, state or federal money invested. Mr. Robert Williams is one of the seventy-five to eight current owners. In visiting with Mr. Williams, I learned that the FAA has been involved with the airport over the years, mainly with antenna radio contact to ensure planes land at the proper angle. He also views the airport as “a large green space, like a park.” He pointed out another important feature. The airport is largely agricultural, noting the large hay crop that is cut each year. The current manager, Robert Hackett, has been in his position for over a decade. He tells me the airport has planes available for flying lessons, rides, charters and field trips. The airport also boasts a team of mechanics known for their excellent work. The Grain Valley Historical Society Museum is located at 506 South Main Street and online at www.grainvalleyhistory.com. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society When Grain Valley High School introduced football in 1923 I believe their field was on the north side of the 1909 brick school. My belief is based on some old photographs and what I remember being told years ago. (I am old, but I really don’t remember much about football games in our town until the 1950s) 1932 Grain Valley Football Team I do remember the football field west of the school. In researching this article, I found the following story in the 1949 Treasure Chest (yearbook): In the twenty years between 1928-29 and 1948-49 no Grain Valley eleven-man football team ever won more than three games in any one season. The 1948 football team very decisively broke that jinx, winning eight games out of nine played. Grain Valley really went all out for football during the 1948 season. At a very considerable expense, a new lighted football field was made available. This required the purchase, by the Board of Education, of more land adjacent to the original school field, the grading of the land and the erection of the lights. The Grain Valley Parent Teachers Association contributed $500 to the fund as well as sponsoring a benefit play for the lights. On September 1, about thirty-six boys answered the call for football practice, A great deal of new equipment fired the boys with the determination to show the community we were grateful for their efforts. After the necessary required practice the important night rolled around. The sidelines were filled with more people than (had) ever attended a football game here before. Oak Grove, our opponent for the evening, came on to the field followed shortly by the blue and white Valley squad. Whistles blew, the game started—and such a game! Grain Valley literally swept them off their feet. When the final whistle blew the score read—Grain Valley 39, Oak Grove 0. 1948 Grain Valley Football Team
Photograph from the 1949 Treasure Chest Do you recognize any names from the 1948 squad? Eugene Affolter, Dick Bradford, Gene Butler, Charles Ray Brown, Reid Butler, Larry Ellis, Melvin Foltz, Kenneth Gibler, Paul Graham, Jimmie Stephenson and Alvin Story. Reading this article from the old Treasure Chest, one thing stuck out in my mind. Our team was referred to as “the blue and white Valley squad.” The recent adoption of the term “Valley” in reference to our school is not new. It was used 76 years ago, at least in this football story! NEXT WEEK I was recently encouraged to write about the football field behind the community center but then my research led to this story. NEXT WEEK, I will tell you about the original Moody Murry Field! The 2024 Historical Society calendar featured this photograph, the West side of Main Street in Downtown Grain Valley. It deserves a lot more research than I have been able to accomplish. Hopefully, when it’s winter and there is snow on the ground, I’ll find time to check out a few more details.
First, does anyone recognize the car or the two ladies walking West on Front Street? Does anyone know the year the Bank of Grain Valley was renovated and the windows were covered? Does anyone recollect what year the Drug Store closed? Does anyone recall when the Sni-A-Bar Bank building was demolished? At this point, all I can say for sure is the Christian Church burned in 1978. Here’s what I do know. (Left to right) The Bank of Grain Valley opened in 1905 with 10 local citizens investing $1,000 each. The group was led by the Warren, Webb, and Cannon families. It is the oldest building in town at 119 years! Next is the Grain Valley Drug Store housed in the original Williams building. It was built around 1910 with bricks made right here in Grain Valley. Next is another business that was part of the original Williams building. The U.S. Post Office was housed there until the late 1960s. Growing up, I always remember a restaurant there with various proprietors. The current Historical Society is in the building at 506 Main. In this photograph, the building was used by an upholsterer. It had previously been a general store and a grocery store. Just past the alley there was a restaurant, and Ryan’s Locker Plant. Again, more research is required before I know what might have been there in the 1970s. Finally, we see the once stately Sni-A-Bar Bank building next to the Christian Church. And that, my friends, is a glimpse of Downtown Grain Valley in the seventies! If you can add any information, PLEASE drop by the Historical Society on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM and record your memories! You are also invited to visit on First Fridays from 4:00pm - 8:00pm next Friday, June 7th, where we will have a train mural and some artifacts in our building to recognize the founding of our town. Bring your phones and cameras and take photos at the Historical Society and at several participating locations in DOWNTOWN GRAIN VALLEY! by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Since today is the last day of the 2023-34 school year, I thought it might be fun to check up on the Class of 1924. Just under 350 students walked across the stage of the 5,800 seat Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri, on Monday night. Each graduate received only 10 tickets to accommodate close friends and family. The eleven graduates in the Class of 1924 were the next to last to graduate from the gymnasium in the original brick building which burned in November of 1925. Those eleven graduates were Irene Costigan Snow, Roy Gosney, Herman Stokes, Pearl Johnson Kauffman, Jewell Johnson Graham, Lorena Ketterman, Lawrence Cannon, Rosalie Phillips Hostetter, Ina Harris Mitchell, Sallie Beggs Williams and Mae Bailey. From the 1938 Student, Grain Valley High School yearbook, I learned that six were still living in Grain Valley, if you counted Roy Gosney. The Gosney family lived on Colburn Road and had an Oak Grove address, but they were in the Grain Valley School District. (That’s the case for many of our students in 2024). Of the eight girls in the class all were listed as housewives except Rosalie who was a “Technician” (whatever that meant) living in Joplin, Missouri. Irene Costigan married Ralph Snow and raised her family in Grain Valley. Pearl and her husband lived on the family farm north of town on Ketterman Road. Jewell Johnson married Edgar Graham (Class of 1922) and they had an apple orchard on Buckner Tarsney Road during much of the 1940s and 50s. And Ina Harris (one of the four Harris Sisters) married Bill Mitchell. She worked as a checker for both Minter and Frantz Grocery Stores. She and Bill also raised three daughters, all GVHS graduates. There were only three boys in the class. Roy (Gosney) stayed on the farm, Herman Stokes moved to Kansas City and opened his own barber shop and Lawrence Cannon became a teacher, also residing in Kansas City. Perhaps some of you recognize one or more of these names. Who knows, you may be living next door to one of their relatives. You might have attended GVHS with one of their children or grandchildren. 1909 Grain Valley School. Site of Graduation for the Class of 1924.
Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society |
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