1948: First Wolf Hunt at Gallatin, MO, Nets Only 1 Predator
In January of 1948, Gallatin’s first wolf hunt was held. The hunt had a two-fold purpose. One purpose was to rid the community of the wolves which preyed on game, sheep and cattle. The other purpose was to donate the bounty money to the March of Dimes campaign....
Post World War II: Gallatin’s Housing Problem for Veterans
The ending of World War II was the beginning of a new set of problems for Gallatin veterans. The vets were coming home, but there wasn’t any “home” for them to return to. A Gallatin survey revealed there were at least 25 new houses needed since there...
Post World War II: Veterans Offered Farm Training
On-the-job training offered veterans who want to learn to farm after WWII. As more veterans returned home, many didn’t have jobs and wanted to farm. Factory work and clerical work didn’t appeal to the boys who were raised on farms. To help solve this...
1947: Voters Approve Daviess County Library; Relocates in 1995
The Daviess County Library was established as a county library by the voters in the spring of 1947. Miss Leona Funk was the first librarian followed by Mrs. Ross (Ina) Naylor, Betty Price, and then Jan Johnson (who retired in September, 2016, succeeded by Allison...
1947: Marketing Plan Means Pennies Worth Dollars at Gallatin
On April 16-17, 1947, Gallatin merchants tried a gimmick that brought many people to Gallatin to shop. The gimmick was the 1939 penny. On these two days if you had a penny bearing this date you could trade it for some merchandise at the local store. Some items listed...
1947 Map: Admiral Cruzen’s South Pole Exploration
This 1947 map helps explain the 3-pronged approach to exploring the South Pole led by Admiral Cruzen.
Hollywood Cowboy ‘Wild Bill Elliott’ Hails from Pattonsburg, MO
Most B-western historians today consider Wild Bill Elliott (born at Pattonsburg, MO, in 1904) the successor to the realistic westerns of his hero, silent star William S. Hart. Ironically, Hart retired in 1925, the same year that Elliott made his first picture. On the...
Pattonsburg’s Gordon Nance as ‘Wild Bill Elliott’
Gordon A. Nance was born Oct. 16, 1904, on a farm near Pattonsburg, MO. In 1946, he was rated as the No. 2 Western movie star in America, topped only by Roy Rogers. Gordon was the son of Leroy Nance and Maude Auldridge Nance. He loved horses and was proficient at...
1946: Gallatin Flying Club Erects Airport Hanger
World War II: Scrap Paper Drive Coordinated at Courthouse
In 1945, clothing and wastepaper drives were necessary for the World War II defense. Clothing was desperately needed. President Roosevelt stated that as many war victims had died from exposure and lack of clothing as had died from starvation. This could be solved to a...
Oak Ridge Church Known as ‘The Country Church’
The Oak Ridge Church was known as the “Country Church.”
Gasoline Sold by Galpin Auto, Knight Oil Co., and Others
Galpin Auto Supply, owned by J.P. and Mildred Galpin, once operated in Gallatin, MO.
World War II: 4 Local Soldiers Buried in Belgium, Netherlands
Thousands of white marble crosses and Stars of David, row after row, overlook the American War Cemeteries in Belgium and the Netherlands. Four of those crosses belong to Daviess County men – Patrick Leffler, Paul Reno, Hartford Worley and Donald Wilmot. In 2016 Teresa...
World War II: Jesse Reynolds Recognized as Missouri’s Oldest Pearl Harbor Survivor
Jesse Reynolds, age 100, of Gallatin, MO, passed away May 5, 2016, at the Leavenworth VA Community Living Center. Missouri VFW officials considered Jesse Reynolds to be Missouri’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor. He was recognized for his long service to the...
World War II: Milkweed Pod Drive Offered Cash to Children
In late 1944, some school children had a hand in fighting during World War II, to some degree, by gathering milkweed pods. Early organization and preliminary planning was done in order to organize a contest to see who could gather the most pods. The contest would...
World War II: Teacher Shortage Hits Rural Schools Hardest
In the days of World War II there was a teacher shortage due to various reasons. Some of the male teachers had been called to service while others had resigned to take on higher paying jobs in industrial plants where war necessities were made. As a result many small...
World War II: Household Fuel Shortages in the mid-1940s
Due to World War II, fuel was in short supply on the home front. Prior to the winter months and anticipating a shortage, people were urged to start preparing for it to avoid being left out in the cold. This included wood, fuel oil and coal. Those people who heated...
World War II: Many Rivers to Cross for Patton’s 3rd Army
Lawrence (L.D.) Jefferson sailed out of New York City on his 21st birthday, May 30, with about 20,000 other service men aboard the Queen Elizabeth. They landed in Scotland on D-Day, June 7, 1944. They took a train to England and got their equipment ready to go over....
World War II: ‘Hometown News’ in Newspapers in 1943
Newspaper items were an important way for servicemen and servicewomen to keep in touch with the folks back home. The following are examples of “Hometown News” printed in local newspapers in Daviess County, MO, primarily the Gallatin North Missourian as...
Visit the 1889 Squirrel Cage Jail, located 2 blocks west of the Daviess County Courthouse in Gallatin, MO. This historic relic is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a visitors’ center — by appointment,
Trudi Burton, ph: 660.663.7342
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