BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS - Monett Times

2022-07-13 03:52:57 By : Ms. Daisy Xiong

In the third week of July 1962, The Monett Times started a photo feature “Interesting People With Interesting Jobs.” The first installment showed Wilfred Bremer working at Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, 101 Central. One of his duties was to check filled bottles of beverage against a 300-watt light to determine if any foreign objects might be in the bottle. Empty bottles were checked against two fluorescent tubes prior to filling. Bremer is shown at the filler machine, which filled and capped bottles. File photo/The Monett Times

EIGHTY YEARS AGO July 18-24, 1942

• Members of the Monett American Legion Post unanimously agreed the captured World War 1 trench mortar at the city park should be returned to Germany in a not too pleasant manner. Mayor V.B. Hall said he was in favor of selling it for scrap metal to be converted to weaponry, which was done.

• The bean and blackberry harvests added to the prosperity of this section this year, greater than in any previous year. All canneries in the county are running at full blast. Another good rain may extend the blackberry crop to bring as much as $100,000 into the county, practically all profit for farmers.

• At the July 21 meeting of the Monett Park Board, Milburn Walker was elected president and Leslie Mason as secretary. The group voted to follow the suggestion of the National Polio Foundation and have two 10 to 15 minute rest periods at the Monett city park swimming pool in the afternoon.

• The project of building 50 feet of additional concrete bleachers at the Jaycee Athletic Field got off to a real start on July 23 as 17 members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce dug the 18-inch deep footing for the 25-foot section of bleachers on the north side, before moving to the south side.

SIXTY YEARS AGO July 18-24, 1962

• C.E. Atwell announced plans to erect a colorful A-frame drivein restaurant on Highway 60, west of Highway 37. The new establishment will be Mr. T’s Drive-In, operated by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Thomas of St. Louis. Multi-colored “sandwich panels” will run from the peak of the roof to the foundation.

• More than 2,500 pounds of watermelon was consumed by some 300 Monett youngsters during the annual watermelon feed staged at the Jaycee Athletic Field on July 23, hosted by the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs. This was the ninth annual melon feed, held during the Little League and Pony League all-star games which climaxed the Jaycee summer baseball season.

• The Monett City Council approved plans with the Resource Conservation and Development Office for renovations on the Sportsman’s League Lake at South Park. Work will include rip-rapping the shore line, repairing the concrete structure for water control, installing tile drainage and seed bed preparation.

• National Guard Brigadier General O.T. Dalton came to Monett on July 19 to tour Guard “Helping Hand’ projects recently completed, including the new allpurpose athletic building constructed at the football field, as well as landscaping and road building by the old athletic field.

• The 53rd annual Monett Jaycees Carnival was held July 22-24 at the Municipal Parking lot at Sixth and Broadway. Over 30 booths lined both sides of Broadway on July 22 for the Monett Agriculture Appreciation Day, held in conjunction with the carnival.

• The annual Monett Junior Livestock Show was held at the Monett Livestock Pavilion on July 23. Nearly 200 head of cattle were shown at the livestock pavilion in the Industrial Park. Melissa Stine of Billings won the senior dairy showmanship award, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Henderson.

• Crowds took advantage of clear skies and a beautiful summer eve ning to attend the 62nd annual Jaycees carnival opening on July 22 at the south end of the South Park soccer fields. Junior Girls Scout Troop No. 489 staffed the dunking booth. The event ran through Saturday, July 25.

• In memory of Monett veterans Howard Threet, Thomas Wolfe and James Ballay, Bob’s Shoe Warehouse in Monett donated $250 to Vietnam Veterans Chapter 610 to help fund bringing the “Moving Wall” Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Carthage Oct. 17-21.

• After one year back in the baby business, Cox Monett Hospital marked the anniversary, noting 238 babies had been born, well above expectations. Twelve times the unit had been completely full, and deliveries divided between 124 girls and 114 boys.

• For the second year, the Monett Junior Livestock Show opened competition to all 19 southwest Missouri counties. Beset by evening showers, the later major contests ended up drawing numbers closer to record numbers from a decade ago. The Monett Chamber gave out 220 ribbons.

• Approximately 150 cyclists participated in the fourth annual Tour de Monett, serving as a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event had 40, 62 and 100-mile routes, with 32 riders completing the 100-mile course.

• The first Purdy Festival was held on July 21. In addition to vendors on Commercial Street, a livestock show, a pedal tractor pull, bathtub races and a slow-pitch softball tournament, the festival included the dedication of a new veterans memorial in the Genesis Memorial Park at town center.

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