Looking Back: Potpourri

​by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

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! 

Sarah and A. O. Tate posed for this photograph outside the temporary depot. Circa 1922.
Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society