^{Tidbits from old Newspapers}

Articles from Chaffee Signals.

1907-J. J. Astor was born 1861 in Collinsville, IL, growing to manhood there. His father was a brewer by trade and J.J. Astor decided to follow the same trade, going to East St. Louis in 1876; he learned that trade in the Hines Brewery. He worked in different breweries until 1894 when he entered the grocery business for himself, and continued in this business until 1896, when he went into the hotel business.

He came to Chaffee in July 1907 and purchased the Astoria Hotel building which was under construction by the Chaffee Real Estate Company. He opened the hotel to the public in September 1907, and leased it in 1908 for one year but had to take it over before the end of the lease.

He then moved his family here. He paid $40,000 for the unfinished hotel here, and fitted it up at an entire cost of $65,000. He next put in am electric plant and began furnishing lights to business houses, which lost him $200 a month. In 1911 he contracted with the city to furnish a number of street lights, and he continued the service. In August of 1913 he sold his entire plant to the Missouri Public Utilities Company for $8,000, and gave them possession as soon as the new company moved into town with their wires, which was early December.

The Astoria was one of the best equipped, best lighted and most comfortable in the state. It contained 56 rooms, and every room was an outside room, none of them being less than 10 ft by 12.

Mr. Astor has probably done as much for Chaffee as any man who has in any way been connected with its history, and can always be relied on to encourage any movement that will help in the growth and development of this city. In March he leased the hotel to A. S. Richey of Tennessee, and who is an ideal hotel man. Mr. Astor intends engaging in truck farming and has leased the farm of Joe Witt near town for that purpose. He will employ a skilled Italian to manage the farm.

The Astoria Hotel burned to the ground on December 14, 1913. Supposedly the fire started in the Utilities Plant.

1910 - J. A Frates was division Supt. of the Frisco Railroad. Frates street is named after him.

1913 - Population of Chaffee was 3,200.  Local merchant J. Winer had just taken out a license to sell oleo margarine. It was selling for 22 cents a pound.  Eli Payne opened a bowling alley in the Metz building adjoining Finley’s Drug Store.

1915 - Advertisement that appeared in Chaffee Signal. “Grandma used sage tea and sulphur to darken her gray hair and bring back color, gloss and thickness”.

Our basketball team went to Sikeston to play. The game was against us by a score of 99-11. This was the first time Chaffee boys had played on an indoor court and they were outclassed.

1919 - Union Hotel Company of Chaffee, composed of Frisco employees, is going to build a fine hotel in Chaffee; it will cost $85,000 and will be on the corner of Main and Yoakum, company will be incorporated and shares are selling for $100 par value, no one except Frisco employees of Cape and River Divisions will be allowed to take stock.

1926 - Basement was being dug for a new two-story brick business building by Wylie and Packwood, local real estate and insurance agent.

1933 - The return of legalized beer was marked by an orderly parade in Chaffee, consisting of a number of trucks led by a local band. They drove about the streets and played such old time popular airs as “How Dry I Am” and “Happy Days Are Here Again.” Three retailers had secured legal permits to handle the beverage.

1941 - Average old age pension check (Social Security) was $12.82.

1944 - The newly organized Chaffee War Dads will have a rally at the high school gymnasium which will be open to the public. War Dads and Mothers and families of men and women now serving in the armed forces are especially invited. The program will include patriotic music and singing, which will be furnished by local talent. Rev. E. D. Owen of Sikeston will deliver a patriotic address.

In 1947 the War Dad Organization started a fund to erect a memorial monument in Circle Park which had the names of those who have lost their lives in the wars. The monument was dedicated in May of 1947.

1952 - Virgil Turner opens Dairy Queen at 208 S. Main. Before the year was over Woodrow and Katie Proctor had bought it.

1953 - The Frisco coal chute south of the passenger station was dynamited. It was not needed, as all Frisco trains had been dieselized. The chute was put into use in 1930.

1963 - In an article in July, 1963, Ernest N. Johnson retires. It states he was born in 1892 at Briders Mill which was located across the road from Maxine’s Drive In on West Yoakum.

1967 - Phones changed from “Tulip 7” to “887”.

Special Thanks

Members of the Chaffee Historical Society have been busy preparing for Chaffee’s 100^th birthday.  We wish to express a “Thank You” to John Smith for all the work he does for us. He just finished painting the outside of the museum and it looks great.

Our Brick Memorial Walkway in front of our Museum is a beautiful addition to our community and we must offer a “Thank You” to Ronnie Eichhorn and Ray Dowd for always being ready to lay our bricks.

For those of you with an internet connection, take a look at our website at www.chaffeehistory.com.  Jerry Stroup is our Webmaster and we do appreciate his efforts in keeping the site up to date with new content.

A lot of our members have put a lot of hard work into keeping the museum going and we are very proud of what has been accomplished over the past nine years.

Chaffee Historical Society Centennial History Book

Betty Mirly and Jerry Stroup have been working on a Chaffee Historical Society Centennial book this past year. It is finished and we will be offering it for sale.

On the front cover is a picture of our beautiful Circle Park and Gazebo. It’s a 200 page book with old and new history, pictures and many ads, some in memory or in honor of someone and business ads.

We are very proud of this book and the effort it took to put it together has been worth it. We believe you will enjoy it.

The book sells for $25.00.  Add $3.00 for shipping and handling.

Brick Walkway

We are still selling bricks and our Historical Walkway is growing everyday. We get a lot of compliments on this project. It’s a great way to make sure your history goes down in Chaffee forever.

The bricks sell for $50 each. You get three lines with 15 letters across. If you wish to purchase a brick and have it placed in the walkway for the Centennial, be sure and get you order in now.

Ornaments

We have ornaments for sale again. The new one is our Centennial Ornament depicting the old and new engines. They sell for $10.00. Add $1.00 for shipping and handling.

Historical Society Dues

There are several of our members who have not yet paid their dues for this year, please help us keep our Museum open.  We hope to increase our membership to 200 members so please join with us and help us reach our goal.  This money helps in the costs of maintaining our museum.

Dues are

Single_______________________$12.00

Family______________________$18.00

Send Money To:

Chaffee Historical Society

P. O. Box 185

Chaffee, MO 63740

 

 

Chaffee Historical Society

Box 185

Chaffee MO 63740

Web Site:  www.chaffeehistory.com