Senath Mo.Class of '58
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Town Fathers

The following article was extracted from
 The
Booklet Titled
1882 - 1982 SENATH CENTENNIAL
-----------------------------
Senath had a newspaper in 1902 - 1903 when J. C. Chunn published
The Senath Star from Ravenden Springs, Arkansas.

J. H. Bradley and W.  G.  Bray published the Senath Sentinel in 1906.

 John R. Mann published the Senath Leader from 1912 - 1919.  
Kern, after World War II in 1920, published the Senath Leader.
He also ran the Dixie Theater.
He was a Republican, as was W. Thrower with the Tribune.

J. P. Martin later published the Senath Leader.
 In 1946 Dennis Bacon and Gus Short began publishing
The Dunklin County Press.

This newspaper remains in print today (1982)
under the ownership of Jamie and Wayne Bruce.

By 1897, with the congregation of so many people in a small area.
 The need for some kind of government became apparent and paramount.

The village elected a board of directors -
a town board to conduct the town's business.
Elected were
 J.M.  Douglass  - chairman,
A. Caneer  - clerk,
J. 1.Caneer - treasurer,

R. C. Bruce, W. B. Landreth and J. W. Parker.
 Adopted
 the first article of the by-laws of the city of Kennett.
Together they spent about ten years revising and re-writing the remaining ordinances to fit Senath's needs.

In January of 1903, there were 529 Senath residents.
Besides ordinances and by-laws, other orders of business facing the early city fathers were the construction of a calaboose and constructing wooden sidewalks.

The appointment of a marshal at $20 per month was a serious decision.
 The salary increased to $25 in 1899, and up to $40 in 1903.
The sidewalks remained a problem until 1910 when the concrete walks were laid.

  Uneven foundations, water drainage, and the inability to pay for individual
Constructions were a constant source of discussion for twenty years.

 Their proudest achievement was the building of the sidewalk westward
about three-fourths of a mile to the old Mission School.


 (One dark night a prankster stuffed a long black stocking
and dragged it across the new sidewalk,  
A lady, probably believing it to be a snake, became frightened
and broke her leg trying to escape.)

Seventy-three voters elected R. C. Bruce as The City Board Chairman in 1903.
 In February 1903, R.C. Bruce was elected mayor of the new city of Senath.  
George Ray was elected city clerk,
 J. A. Bradley the city attorney
and
 J. S.  Bullington, the marshal.

Also in 1903, the city began transactions with
a telephone company, and the town had this service beginning in 1907.

There were doctors in Senath's early days -
Dr. Chaney
W. W. White
 and
Dr.  Burks
Dr. Burks preceded Dr. Hughes, Dr. Speidel and young Dr. Speidel.

This writer wishes to acknowledge the use of source material:
History of Dunklin County ………………………………. by Mary Smyth-Davis
Dunklin County Historical Society - Vols. I and ll, printed by Thrower Publishing Co.
History of Southeast Missouri ……………………………. by R. S. Douglass
The writer is especially grateful to Nola Johnson Osburn for the opportunity to read material which she has (as of the date of this writing) that is not available elsewhere.  


ELIZABETH DOUGLASS GATELEY  
May 22,1982

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