Senath Mo.Class of '58  
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Rail Road & Growth
Most of the following was taken from a booklet titled
1882 - 1982 Senath Centennial
All of it was edited and rewritten
by Bob Corley in 2002
for entry into
The Class Of 1958 Web Site
-------------------------

1892 brought the arrival of the railroad
(known as Houck's Train)
to Senath.
It did more to stimulate the growth of this small town than any other single event.
The railroad was a spur from Malden, which extended to Byrd (Bucoda).
The train was known as Ham's Train.
It was later purchased by Frisco.
(Remember the "Old" Coal Train and its’ regular whistle sounding in the late forties?)
(Did you ever walk those tracks before they became "ancient" by the early sixties?)
(Did you ever put your car on those old tracks and travel them to Kennett?)

Before the railroad was built,
Senath residents had to go to Kennett to see a doctor,
or to Dexter or Cape Girardeau for flour or shoes.
Such trips were generally made on a mule or a wagon drawn by oxen.
Before roads (or the railroad) were built, a family who allowed their fire
to go out would be required to send someone in a dugout
to pole and push their way to a neighbor's home to borrow fire.

1900
Soon after the turn of the century,
Senath had a two-block business district.
It basically ran from east and west but also extended
three blocks north, and one block south.

Around 1900 the northeast block of buildings in Senath
was constructed primarily by two men,
Jim Douglass and John M. Kar.

1910 found the "Old" city hall being completed.

   1913,  J.  1.  Caneer built the southwest block and
the Hotel  Bertha was completed.
The present ( as of 1982) City Hall Building was originally a furniture store.
It was built about 1903 by C. P. McDaniel.
(Ancestor to our classmate James McDaniel)
It later would become the site of a funeral home and would later become
the (first) Richman Theater.
In 1982 it was the Senath City Hall.
The Bank of Senath and the "Old" opera house were on the southeast block.
Above  what was once known as
The Famous Joe Kamp Store building
is inscribed in brick the (still-discernible in 1982)
words
"Opera House.

Beginning in 1907 the second story of this building
  was occupied the local telephone exchange.
Also, the local chapter of The Eastern  Star had regular meetings there.
Access to the second story was by a dark steep staircase.
It was dirty and(reportedly) very scary.

Around 1945 the  north east block housed among others
Willie Dee Ballinger’s Variety Store
(Father of our classmate Doug (Clois) Ballinger)
together with
Roy Gateley's -Airline Gas Station
Airline Cafe
Hezzie Highfill's Mercantile,
The US Post Office,
Utley's Drug Store
and the hotel.

Other businesses included:
Caneer Drug Store,
Harkey's  Grocery,
O'Connor's  Meat Market,
L.  A. Montgomery Dry Goods,
Gib Smith's Pool Hall and Liquor Store,
Uther Bird’s Garage,
Arthur Davis Drug Store,
The Owl Drug Store,
Caneer Grocery,
Williamson Hardware.

The post office seemed destined to move around.
After the death of Asenath Douglas it was in the northwest block.
Later it moved north of the present street light
in the funeral home building.
Then it was moved to near the Old (Richman) "Dixie" Theater,
(Remember going to the Old "Dixie" Theater in the late forties?)
(Remember when Dale Davis Sr. (The Lions Club) sponsored Golden Gloves there)
(Remember how good Dale Davis Jr. was at boxing in the mid fifties)
(Donald Smith was not so bad either)
and finally to  its  present  location  near City Hall.


By the mid to late forties, a loft above the "Old Booker Grocery" store was
occupied by a Mr. Wilcox. He made studio photographs there.

Many graduates of The Class of 1958
began grade school with some of the same class members in 1946.
Most of us can all recall the town in its " real heyday."
Like the busy time at Christmas
and the Christmas Parade of 1949.
(Remember, you could hardly find a place to stand on the sidewalk)
(I remember standing in front of Wilkin’s Drug Store - Where were you?)

All of us were fortunate to have had the opportunity
to grow up in such a great little farm town community.
Hopefully, as you look back over the many years,
and think of this place called "home"
you will relive many fond memories
of those we new and shared time together with
"so many years ago".

During Senath's 100 years, there have been many other businesses.
They include (but are not limited to) two banks,
two hotels, two hardware stores,
three drug stores, many grocery stores, dry good stores,
service  stations,  restaurants, taverns

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