The Holt County Historical Society will host an afternoon of Forest City history Sunday, July 22, at 1 p.m. in the historic city hall there. Forest City historian, Mayor Greg Book, completed the renovation and repairs of the stately building built in the early 1900s and will share the interesting history.
The building was constructed by a local contractor, Andrew Tochterman, with bricks produced on the site by the Seven Brothers Brick Co. of Forest City. A local bond issue in June 1900 provided funding. The first Forest City mayor, George Weber, donated land for a city hall between 1901-1904. The building also served as the opera house along with many local meetings and programs held there through the years. It is now the site of the Holt County Music Hall of Fame.
The city hall was placed on the Missouri National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is one of three located in Holt County to receive that honor. The others are the Holt County Historical Society Chicago Burlington and Quincy Depot in Mound City, Missouri, and the St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Parochial School in Corning, Missouri.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend; there is no admission fee. Those attending are reminded to visit the Forest City Drug Store that is open that day, noon to 4 p.m. offering homemade ice cream along with other ice cream treats and fountain drinks.