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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society This week I am asking you, the readers of this column, to do the work! I’m asking you to “look back.” As another school year draws to a close, the Class of 2024 will take with them a ton of memories; some good, some maybe not so good, some happy, some sad and some they might wish to forget! How about you? What do you remember most about your high school years? Marching band, choir, music contest when we spent the day at CMSU (now UCM); football and basketball games; the junior and senior plays and speech contest; or perhaps the last day of school when we went to the Kansas City Zoo? I remember those zoo trips. The entire high school fit easily on three school buses! What are you remembering about those years? Whether in Grain Valley, or wherever you attended high school, the memories are there. Today, I’m remembering a great teacher. I think there were fewer than fifteen high school teachers when I graduated 60 years ago. Good or bad, there was only one shop teacher, one business teacher, one English teacher; well, you get the picture. There were four history teachers, because there were two coaches and two administrators: Coach Master, football, track and freshman Civics; Mr. Murry, superintendent and World History; Mr. Malone, principal and American History; and Mr. Wiggins, basketball and science & mathematics. Of all my high school teachers, I learned the most from Mr. Wiggins. Perhaps, that was because I needed to learn the most in math, chemistry and physics. My limited knowledge of science is how I was able to understand what people meant when they said, “It’s all Greek to me.” But Mr. Wiggins made you want to learn what a trinomial was and the importance of learning the periodic table in chemistry class. He made it both interesting and fun, especially when we had labs. And he didn’t hold it against me when I nearly burned down our lab. I struck a match, lighted my Bunsen Burner, blew out the match and threw it in the trash can. Little did I know the trash can contained sulfur powder remains from the previous day. Flames leaped at least two or three feet into the air and while they immediately went out, it scared the entire class for just a second or two. Over the years, Mr. Wiggins remined me of the event many times! Always with a laugh and a smile… Some teachers believed a textbook should be chosen by the number of chapters in the book. Thirty-four seemed to be the perfect number; one for every week of the school year, less the week before Christmas break and the last week of the year. But I remember that when Mr. Wiggins passed out our chemistry books he told us he didn’t care how many chapters we would cover, but he did care that every student understood the chapter; all nine of us. He would get us through the important chapters first, and the others after we had ALL conquered those. Back “in the day” we learned algebra using slide rules and we learned about acceleration from ticker tape experiments. And we knew about Archimedes principle. Years later I taught my own students in my FACS class (Family and Consumer Sciences) to measure shortening by water displacement! And I explained about acids and bases when we made biscuits from scratch! Ironically, when I got my first teaching job in Oak Grove, Randol Wiggins was my principal. He just kept on teaching me. I hope I followed at least some of his good examples. He was one of the great ones! GVHS Chemistry Class, 1963. Photo credit Grain Valley Historical Society
Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society, open on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM or by appointment. You can see the 1959 slide rule I inherited from my brother, along with a protractor and compass used in Mr. Wiggin’s algebra classes.
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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society My father used to have a saying, "There are more Johnsons than cockleburs in Eastern Jackson County.” I knew he was referring to the large number of Johnsons that lived around us and now I have a better understanding of the old saying. David Johnson purchased the “south West quarter of the South East quarter of Section fifteen (15), Township forty-nine (49), Range thirty (30) Jackson County, Missouri” on May 20, 1850. By the time the 1860 census was completed, he and his wife Frances Elizabeth (Cook) Johnson had fourteen (14) children. David died at the age of 44 on March 13, 1862 in Lexington, Missouri. He was a soldier in the Civil War and we can only speculate that he might have been fighting for the Confederacy since he was born in Virginia. His death certificate lists pneumonia as the cause of death. A small portion of the land he purchased in 1850 is where Grain Valley North Middle School and the Early Childhood Center are now located. When my classmate, Nancy Norris, came to Grain Valley last week to attend the Grain Valley High School Alumni Banquet, she gifted the Historical Society with the old Abstract of Title to the land which her parents Robert and Evelyn Norris purchased on September 28, 1955. I have many more hours to probe into the abstracts before I know exactly how it got from David Johnson, to Bob Norris, to Joe Ben Stone, and eventually to the Grain Valley School District. I believe the Johnson holdings were quite large and at one time included the land where Harmon Electronics was begun in the late 1950s. Afterall, Mildred Harmon (Mrs. Robert Harmon) was a Johnson at birth! This will call for a visit to the Johnson-Chiddix Cemetery on Murphy School Road and the Oakland Cemetery on Truman Road where I will hopefully find the connection between Jesse David Johnson (Mildred’s dad) and the original David Johnson from the 1850 abstract! Stay tuned. Headstone of David Johnson
Chiddix Johnson Cemetery, Murphy School Road Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Last Saturday evening, the Grain Valley High School Alumni Association held their (almost) annual Alumni Banquet. World War II and the recent pandemic have prevented us from meeting every year since the founding in 1909. But over the past 115 years, Grain Valley alumni have missed fewer than five years coming together to celebrate a true rite of passage, high school graduation. In some instances, we can count among our classmates teachers at every level of education, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs of every type. There were moms and dads, and lots of grandparents at our gathering. We had representatives from several states, including New Mexico, Wyoming, Alaska, Texas, and yes, Costas (Class of 1966) was here from Australia! But mostly, we can count among our classmates a group of lifelong friends and genuinely good people. And although we don’t see each other often, sharing our high school years gives us a bond that last forever. This year, the oldest alumnus in attendance was John Robert Washburn, Class of 1953. Others from the 50s included Janice Thompson Butler, Donald Uptegrove, Donna Mann, Donald Perry and Clyde and Don Nebgen. (I apologize for anyone I left out). But what I really wanted to talk about this week was the banquet location. With very few exceptions, the banquet has always been at the high school, unless you considered the cafeteria from 1954 through 1995 to be at the elementary school. Some years, it was held upstairs in the library in the 1925 school. And some years, the banquet was held in the gymnasium, but in recent years it has been in the high school commons. This year, due to construction of the new gymnasium at the high school, the event was held at North Middle School. Memories were shared, dinner was enjoyed, and scholarships were awarded to three soon to be alumni: Megan Davies, granddaughter of Ron Davies (Class of 1962); Carson Sallee, grandson of Beverly (Wolfe) and Carl Sallee (Class of 1966), and Evan Dennard, son of Mary (Tapense) Dennard (Class of 2005). And speaking of location, Nancy (Class of 1964) and Terri Norris (Class of 1967) were in town for the event and they brought me the abstract for the land which was owned by their family during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Next week, I will give you the history of that land, now home to North Middle School, the Early Childhood Center and perhaps someday, Grain Valley North! Visit the Historical Society and see old yearbooksand the artifacts from Grain Valley High School. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society A few years ago, I was able to establish that this photograph was taken after 1912. Each time I look at it, I try to find other clues as to the exact year. So far, the “exact” year still eludes me. However, here’s what I do know. These two building are on Lot 10 and Lot 11 of the Graves and Ashcraft Addition. They were built in 1912 by Edward Williams. Mr. Williams owned several lots in the original town, on the east side of Broadway (now Main Street). They included his home on the southeast corner of Broadway and Walnut Street. The Williams Building, Circa 1912
The buildings originally housed a car dealership, which probably sold the latest style Model T, or was it Model A (I don’t know much about cars), as well as buggy parts and wheels. I only wish I could read the sign over the door of the building on Lot 10. Was the photo taken in April? Probably not, but it is the April photograph in the 2024 Grain Valley Historical Society calendar. I further believe the photo was taken prior to 1920 because the Grain Valley property tax records that year tell us the building on the left was them owned by Edward E. Storms. An old medicine bottle on exhibit at the Historical Society is from Storms Pharmacy. I remember these two building from the early 1950s. The old pharmacy was then Casey’s Drug Store. They sold over the counter medicines and first aid supplies; however, there were no prescription drugs. I especially remember the soda fountain that had hand dipped ice cream cones! The building on the right housed the U. S. Post Office in a small room at the front and the rear portion was a restaurant with a number of different proprietors over the years. When Grace Mickel ran it they had a yummy chicken dinner special every Sunday. (Valley News , June 4, 2020 and May 9. 2022) Today, both buildings are owned by The Bank of Grain Valley. The old drug store is an annex and storage space for the bank. The building on the left is now The Pottery Palace. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
Irene Costigan Snow Roy Gosney Herman Stokes Pearl Johnson Kaufman Jewell Johnson Graham Lorena Ketterman Ina Harris Mitchell Rosalie Phillips Hostetter Lawrence Cannon May Bailey Sallie Beggs Williams Housewives, teacher, technician, cashier, farmer, and barber. The students in the Class of 1924 pursued a variety of vocations after graduation from Grain Valley High School. Five classmates stayed in Grain Valley while four headed off to Kansas City. One became a farmer’s wife near Odessa, Missouri, and Rosalie Hostetter traveled all the way to Joplin, Missouri, where she became a technician; what type of technician, I do not know! If you are very new to our town, Lawrence Cannon may be the only surname you recognize. In the late 1880s the Cannon family owned a tract of land south of the railroad track that runs through our town. Thus, Cannon was one of the early additions to Grain Valley and Cannon Street runs through the addition. J. W. Cannon, Lawrence’s father, was the notary public that signed the document making Grain Valley a town in 1878. (Valley News, August 6, 2020) Lawrence went on to become a teacher in Kansas City. If you live North of town, you may recognize the Ketterman name, as well. The road was probably named for her parents who came to the area from West Virginia in the early 1900s. Zachariah David and Florence Elvessa owned a farmed on Ketterman Road where they raised their 11 children. Three other names may be recognizable to long-time Grain Valley residents. Irene Costigan was part of the Dennis & Martha (O’Connell) Costigan family that still have relatives in this area. Her father was Joseph Patrick Costigan and one of her brothers was Harold Costigan, the WW II veteran that survived the Bataan Death March in 1942. Irene married Ralph Snow and raised three children Leanna (Cogan), Leon Snow, and Alice Snow. Another long-time resident Jewell Johnson. She married Edgar Graham (Class of 1922) and they owned an apple orchard on Buckner Tarsney Road (between Duncan and Pink Hill) for several years during the 1950s and early 1960s. Finally, Ina Harris Mitchell lived with her family on Harris Street, just south of the railroad tracks. She married Bill Mitchell, a Scotsman, who was employed by Sni-A-Bar Farms. In addition to raising their three daughters, Ina was a clerk at more than one grocery store in Grain Valley. Her friendly face and warm smile welcomed many of us to Minter’s and later Frantz’s Grocery Store when we were growing up in Grain Valley. There are still many Harris offspring in Grain Valley, including my neighbor and her grandson, Richard Danner. As for the other members of the Class of 1924, I’m not sure. If my Class of 1962 Algebra II class hasn’t failed me, the class size has increased about 3200% in the past 100 years. I hope some of the 2024 graduates will stick around our town and become a part of our past as a legacy for our future. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society As the Grain Valley Police Department prepares to move to their new facility on R. D. Mize Road, I stumbled across several articles in the Historical Society archives dated January, 1999; twenty-five years ago. The Examiner, January 5, 1999: “A Grain Valley citizen committee working on planning the new community center and City Hall met with Architect George D. Lafferty and Sub-contractor Ford N. Bohl of Bohl and Associates Monday to discuss development goals for the 9-acre tract of land south of Interstate 70.” The article went on to describe a municipal complex that would include a combination City Hall and police department and a community center with a gymnasium, banquet area and kitchen. They also decided to include a community pool in the $3.5 million budget for the project. According to further articles in The Examiner and The Pointe (Grain Valley’s local newspaper at that time) the population had nearly tripled, to 6000, since 1990. With the growing town, it was widely felt that these amenities were needed. On January 12, 1999 the Board of Aldermen authorized Mayor Connie Marin to contract with FS & I Architects Inc, to plan, design and build a Community Center and City Hall. Over the next few weeks, plans were solidified and on February 23, 1999, The Examiner, ran a story announcing the approval of the plans that would go to a vote of the people. Obviously, the voters said yes and by late fall, 1999, construction began. Fast forward 25-years and we find a population that has nearly tripled once again. (16,178 in 2022). It is no wonder that a new and separate Police Station is needed. The Open House and ribbon cutting for the new station will take place on May 8, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Come for the open house and be a part of Grain Valley history. Maybe someone will write about this event in another 25 years, but it is for sure it won’t be me!
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Having never seen a plat plan for the Warren Addition to Grain Valley, I am making several assumptions regarding the exact location within the town. I believe it was a small addition that stretched from Charlotte Street west to E. E. Kirby Road and from Walnut Street north to Yennie. Some readers may recall from a very early article in The Valley News, Charlotte Street was named for Charlotte (Onsley) Warren, the wife of Elsworth Warren, William Durwood Warren’s younger brother. According to the 1920 U. S. Census, William Durwood Warren and his wife Madge had a home on Walnut Street. According to the Grain Valley Property Tax records they paid taxes on Lot 14 and 15 of the Warren Addition from 1920 through 1945, the only years for which I have records. And finally, I remember from my youth, the Warrens lived in this house on Walnut Street. In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, several larger homes were built in “the west end of town.” They balanced the few larger homes along Broadway (Main Street) just north of downtown. W.D. Warren died in 1962. His wife continued to live in the home until lived there until her death in 1970 at age 87. Their daughter Deloris (Warren) Mollenkamp and her family lived next door (on the east side of Charlotte Street.) I don’t remember too much about the home after that time. I do remember Lona Bloss Wyatt lived there in the 1990. I know some remodeling was done during those years, mostly just painting, a new roof, front porch repair and shutters. Today, the house remains a stately older home on Walnut Street with over 100 years of history within the walls. The Warren House, circa 1920. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society A few weeks ago I wrote about a house on Walnut Street in the Davis Place Addition. If you recall, Davis Place included 250 feet along the northern edge (walnut Street), 597 feet along the eastern edge (adjoining the Finnell addition), 267.5 feet along the southern edge adjacent to the railroad, and 670.5 feet along the western edge (farm land). Again, early tax records show the home on lot 10, Davis Place, was owned by Dennis & Martha Costigan from at least as early as 1920 until 1935. In 1936 and the succeeding year, the taxes were paid by Robert Costigan. In 1938 the taxes were paid by Oscar Heidelberger and in 1940 the taxes were paid by Ruth (Heidelberger) and Roy Brown. It was in this home that the Brown children were raised; next door to their Aunt Hazel (Kiff) and Tom Heidelberger and across the street from the grandmother, Margret (McAlexander) Heidelberger. The first photograph below is labeled “Feb. 1928.” It was later changed to “Jan.” Pictured are Dennis Costigan with his step-granddaughter, Nadine O’Connell with the caption, “Ready for Ireland.” Following her graduation from Grain Valley High School, Nadine did indeed travel to Ireland. The final photo below was taken recently; another home in Grain Valley to live on for over 100 years. It is good to know that these old homes have survived for over a century. It is also nice to drive around town and see that they are being well maintained and many are being remodeled and rehabilitated for the next hundred years! Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Along Walnut Street, Circa Early 1900s
According to the Grain Valley Property Tax book, in 1920, this house was owned by A. O Thieme. His land was described as “f .25/100 S. Beginning NW Corner Lot 6 Davis Place W. 80 feet S. 140 ft. #. 80 ft. N. 140 ft to beginning. It was listed as “Grain Valley Irregular,“ meaning it was not part of any platted addition. Also written in the tax book was the following information: Section 35, Township 49, Range 30. In 1920, Mr. Thieme paid $6.00 in taxes on this house, occupied by Mrs. Vermillion. By 1924, the house was owned by Mrs. Mary C. Banks and W. H. Gardner and the tax was only $4.50. The tax levy was 25-cents which I can only assume was on each $100 of assessed valuation. By 1933, still listed as “irregular,” the property must have been split as Mr. Gardner paid $4 on part of the property and Albert M White also paid $4 for his share. It remained that way for a few years. Mr. White ran a grocery store on the east side of Main Street. Fast forward to the 1940s and these two properties were owned by Aurlie Wylee and Charles R. Steele. Taxes on the house in the photograph were paid by Mr. Wylee. The last record I have for 1944 shows the property was still listed as” irregular” and the taxes of $3.30 were paid by Fred M. Roberts. Last week, while taking a walk on Walnut Street, I saw a former classmate, Mike Feagans. He and his wife are the current occupants of this cute old house. He told me his daughter had wondered why there were two front doors. Mike was able to tell her about “the parlor.” We didn’t discuss taxes, but I’m thinking they pay a bit more than $3.30! by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Today I left the post office and took a walk, over to Front Street and west a couple of blocks. I turned North, back to Walnut. I proceeded further North on Thieme to Yennie, Yennie to Gregg Street, then South, back to the post office. Along the route, I took several photographs of houses in Grain Valley that are at least 100 years old. I have many more old homes to write about. But, when I began to write my article, I realized that all of the background information is at the Historical Society. That’s a problem because the museum is closed for a couple of weeks while the 25-year-old carpeting is being removed and new laminate flooring is being installed. So, while you usually learn about the historical society calendar page at the end of the month, this time the March photo description is early! Downtown Grain Valley
A view from Front Street, Circa 1950 Beginning on the left, Grain Valley had a pool hall in town during much of the 1940s and 1950s. I was never in the pool hall, as only men played pool in public. At least that was true in Grain Valley. In the early 1950s Dr. Charles Himmler had his office on the second floor. Dr. Himmler was a chiropractor and he also did eye exams. (He prescribed my first pair of glasses in 1959.) Next we see the Bank of Grain Valley, built in 1905. The door at the rear opened to stairs that lead to a meeting room. I recall that the Eastern Star met there and I have been told that the VFW also used the space. During World War II, various women’s groups met there to knit sweaters, hats, and gloves and make quilts to pack into gift boxes sent to local men stationed overseas. The third building is actually across Main Street. Over the years, that building has had a variety of businesses from hotel and marina to plastics plant, pawn shop, and tattoo parlor. The next building with the gas pumps out front was Huff’s Garage when this photograph was taken. In the late 1920s and 30s it was also a small hotel. Visitors to Sni-A-Bar Farms often stayed there while studying the agricultural experiments taking place on the farm. The upstairs rooms were converted to two or three apartments in the 1940s and 50s. Finally, we get a very small glimpse of the hardware store, Circa 1902. It burned, along with the Huff Building in December, 1959. The Historical Society will reopen on Wednesday, March 27 at 10:00 AM. Come visit and see our new floor! |
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