Days Gone By – July 30, 2015
20 YEARS 1995
Heat advisories and warnings have become common across Southeast Missouri in recent days with heat indexes reaching 120 degrees and higher. According to radio stations in the area, temperatures have climbed to at least 99 degrees each day and have topped out at 102 degrees.
The Odyssey cars arrived at the Doe Run Raceway. Every Sunday, these fast little cars compete on the one-tenth of a mile track west of Doe Run.
30 YEARS 1985
John Davis, 14-year old son of Helen and Bill Burt of rural Farmington, brought honor to Farmington by qualifying for participation in the Junior Olympics in Iowa City, Iowa in August.
Efforts to gain an extension from the Department of Corrections permitting the Southeast Missouri Community Treatment Center’s (SMCTC) community corrections residential facility to remain at its location on the grounds of the Farmington State Hospital continued as the deadline for vacating the facility grew nearer, endangering the future of the program and more than 20 jobs in the Farmington community.
40 YEARS 1975
Rain, hail and cyclonic wind hit Farmington and residents might have experienced one or all three depending where in the area they lived. The hardest hit was residents caught in a narrow trough stretching from west to east just north of Holmes Tom Boy market on North Washington Street to East Columbia Street.
Mrs. Raymond Davis of Delassus considers herself lucky to be alive after having a very traumatic experience during an electrical storm. Mrs. Davis was awakened when a bolt of lightning struck the wiring in her house, burned out a fan, a TV and a freezer which was filled with meat. It then hit Mrs. Davis, causing a severe pain in her left arm and left her in a state of shock. She spent a couple of days in the hospital, but at the time was reported to be recovering.
Kenneth W. Graham of Farmington was among students at the University of Missouri-Columbia nominated for listing in the 1974-75 issue of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.”
50 YEARS 1965
C. H. Cozean, long-time Farmington businessman, was named to the State Board of Embalming of the Division of Registration and Examination of the State of Missouri Department of Education by Governor Warren E. Hearnes. Cozean replaced Mrs. Christine Landiss Beall of Malden as a member of the Board.
Dr. Douglas K. Ross, DDS, opened an office of general dentistry at 215 E. Columbia St. Dr. Ross is a native of St. Francois County and graduated from Ironton High School in 1956.
Rita Cole was crowned queen of the Farmington Old Settlement Festival. Miss Cole is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oral Cole and was sponsored by the VFW. The other two candidates were Nancy Cozean, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Cozean and Karen McDaniel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lindell McDaniel.
60 YEARS 1955
Advertisements show six packages of Koolaid for 25 cents, Betty Crocker cake mixes for 25 cents each and a 5-pound bag of sugar for 49 cents.
July 22 was the opening of several planned Fox Super Gasoline stations in the Missouri and Illinois areas. The new ultra-modern one in St. Francois County would be located on U.S. Highway 67 opposite the Scism Ford Motor Company. The new station would be managed by C.E. Britewell and open from 8 a.m. to midnight. This and other similar stations were being promoted by Farrell Fox and his two brothers, Irwin and Sam.
70 YEARS 1945
A deal was made whereby Arthur Petry and William Wulfers, both of Cape Girardeau, purchased the Buren Furniture Store at Farmington from Roy Buren who has operated it very successfully. Mr. Buren is moving to a point 15 miles north of Festus where he has purchased the White Horse Antique Shop.
Playing at the Ritz Theatre was Bob Hope in the Technicolor comedy called “The Princess and the Pirate.”
