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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society As the City of Grain Valley continues on their quest to revitalize the downtown district, I continue to look for more history of the past. What can and should be restored? What should be remembered about downtown, or forgotten! One of the first pieces of history I found when I began the process of cataloging the artifacts given to the Grain Valley Historical Society was an old town directory. It was in a box with other “older stuff.” When I received it there was no information; no name of the doner, no explanation of the contents and certainly no dates. It was a treasure of artifacts, but no details. In my quest to learn more about the Historical Society Building, I studied the directory in an attempt to learn what business might have occupied the building at 506 Main Street. My first guess is Bill’s Market, if “Bill” is Bill Minter. I cannot wait until the Recorder of Deeds Historic Section reopens at the Jackson County Courthouse. Meanwhile, you might enjoy reading about some of the businesses in Grain Valley. Regarding the date of this directory, more research is needed. When was James Porter Rumbo (my great uncle) mayor? Was William Tucker the same William Tucker that taught at the high school? What year did Floyd Sharp come to Grain Valley and buy the lumber yard? When was the population of Grain Valley 362? And finally, why didn’t they put a date on this directory? I’m guessing the late 1930s but keep reading this column and I’ll keep looking for the answers! Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
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