September 21, 1945

• Workmen have started razing the South Methodist Church building on South Main Street. The building and lot have been purchased by M. O. McElhiney, who expects to erect a brick business house. The church, constructed about 1896, has been unused since the consolidation of the two local Methodist Churches. Recently, the public library has been using the building. The books will be moved to the Memorial Building.

• Rock Port citizens sunburned their tonsils Monday about noon watching an airplane crisscross the sky above town. The pilot, Capt. Robert Graf, had gone to Ft. Leavenworth to carry out the final details preceding his discharge. Finding some time on his hands, he took over a P-51, one of the army’s fastest pursuit planes, and flew it to Rock Port in 13 minutes. This plane has a speed of 300 miles an hour.

• Swept up in the debris when President Truman abolished the Office of War Information was this fragment of research intelligence: “In Caesar’s time,” said a report that was never published, “the cost of killing a man was 75 cents; in the Napoleonic Wars it was $3,000; in the American Civil War it was about $5,000; in WWI it was $21,000 to $25,000; and in WWII it was $50,000.”

September 24, 1970

• Mrs. Clyde (Donna) Shineflew was honored for her 25 years of service at the Bank of Atchison County during a surprise party September 16 at Les’s Restaurant in St. Joseph. The party was held in conjunction with the Group Three Bankers meeting that same day. Mrs. Shineflew was presented with a diamond ring on behalf of the bank.

• The smallest baby ever born at the Maryville Hospital to live, less than two pounds at birth, is now a mother. Mrs. James Stephens, the former Shirley Jean Tolby, gave birth to a seven pound son September 9. That baby was given the name Charles Ellis. One set of great-grandparents includes Mrs. Pearl Tolby of Rock Port. Great-great-grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. John Atkins of Fairfax.

• A house will be intentionally burned September 24 by the Rock Port Volunteer Fire Department as part of a training course they are now undertaking with fire departments from Tarkio, Westboro, Fairfax, and Watson. The house to be burned is next to Highway 136, just west of the Rock Creek bridge, known as the old Uncle Ern Stapel house, located south across the street from the old creamery.

September 21, 1995

• Mitchell Minter celebrated his first birthday on Wednesday, September 13, at his home with ice cream and cake and several of the special people in his life.

• Mr. David Jarrett is the new band teacher at RPHS. He is originally from Evansville, Indiana. He majored in music therapy and music education in college and taught in Neponset, Illinois, and Kansas City, Kansas.

• An area resident, Mr. Audley Daniel Jackson, was inducted into the Missouri River Rats Hall of Fame on August 13, 1995, in a ceremony aboard the Spirit of Brownville. The Missouri River Rat Reunion is an organization that was formed in 1983 by a group of people who had a special interest in the Missouri River and the dredge, Captain Meriweather Lewis.