RECOLLECTIONS

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

— 40 Years Ago

The Pea Ridge Graphic entered into its fifth year of publication Thursday, Jan. 1, 1970, . The paper was started in 1966 by Tri-State Publishers, and then purchased one year later by the new publishers, Earle and Billie Jines.

Fire assessments for rural residents were sent out shortly after the start of the new year. Rural Pea Ridge area residents were assessed $6 per year, with assessments due the first part of the year. Residents using city water paid the same amount, $6, but were charged on a volunteer basis to the water bill each month, at 50 cents per month. These dues were the only income of the Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department.

The white Christmas of 1979 was pictured on the front page of the new year’s first edition. The wet snow began falling shortly after dark Christmas Eve and accumulated to two to three inches by bedtime.

30 Years Ago

The new American flag sent from the Capitol at the request of Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt to fly over the Benton County Courthouse was pictured.

Dorris Leak, in an article entitled Serendipity, pled for the Pea Ridge community to “wake up and get busy” and realize the importance of the library in the area. She submitted a numbered list of people who enjoy the library’s existence, including students, housewives, children and senior citizens.

Navy Lt. Comdr. Benjamin F. Withers III, son of Benjamin Withers II of Garfield, completed theAviation Safety Command Course. The four-week course was conducted at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif.

20 Years Ago

Temperatures did not rise above freezing for five days over the Christmas holiday and dipped to minus 10 degrees or less on two mornings. The freezing temperatures deprived some city residents of water for nearly a week as a result of pipe damage.

Pea Ridge Mayor Mary Rogers said the City Council considered adoption of the Southern Building Code, or portions of it, early that new year. The code is a comprehensive manual accepted by most city governments in the southeast United States and governs minimum standards in residential, business and industrial construction.

Preliminary construction on the Seligman water well, expected to be 2,200 feet deep, began the first of the year. Seligman officials were counting on the deepest water well in Missouri to provide sufficient water for years to come.

10 Years Ago

The first edition of the new millennium’s TIMES showed the 9,000-square-foot building being erected to house a Dollar General Store, which was to be completed in mid-February.

Freedom Freewill Baptist Church celebrated 50 years. Former and current pastors preached at the all day service celebration.

Listed as number one in the list of editor Beckie Tyson’s top 10 news events of the previous year, 1999, was the double murder occurring on Weston Street Oct. 30.

Number two was two methamphetamine lab busts, one on Lee Town Road and the other on Benton County Highway 40. Construction of the new high school made number three.

Church, Pages 2 on 12/30/2009