After some self-scrutinizing, I have decided to expand my horizons -- you know, be more than I ever thought I could be. I surmised that if I gathered more skills, diversified if you will, I might become a more valuable commodity. I considered several options and finally came to a decision. I would try my hand as a newspaper reporter, "exempli gratia" Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
The next part of the process required a fair amount of thought. There were murders and bank robberies to cover and the ever-popular and abundant political issues. However, after much consideration, I have decided to report on the goings-on at city council meetings and what better place to start than with the city of Noel council meetings. However, I must interject this little caveat. The meetings to be reported on took place in the year 1922.
Saturday, April 8, in the year 1922, was most assuredly a date that would not live in infamy but it was an important day in one small Ozarks town. In the small Southwest Missouri town of Noel, it was the night of the first meeting of the newly-elected members of the Noel Township Board of Trustees.
The group of men, prominent within the community, met at "the usual meeting place," the office of board member H.C. Alexander. The position of temporary chairman was given to William Timberlake and, after some discussion and with due consideration, Timberlake was anointed mayor of Noel.
R.L. Tackitt was given the position of city clerk and, as compensation for that indispensable job, it was decided that he should receive the sum of $50 per year. A vote was also taken regarding compensation for the use of Alexander's office as a meeting place. It was decided that H.C. Alexander would receive a payment of $1 a month for the use of his office. Other board members included L.W. Smith and B.F. St. Clair -- by all accounts, all good and civic-minded men. The board discussed the timing of future meetings and it was decided that meetings would take place at 7:30 p.m. each and every Tuesday night.
With still more business matters to consider, the newly elected board moved on to other issues of importance. C.B. Morris was appointed to the position of treasurer and the person filling the important position of city marshal would be George Myers.
The minutes were dated April 8th, 1922, and signed by H.C. Alexander, temporary clerk. Below Alexander's signature appeared the signature of R.L. Tackitt, clerk and Wm. Timberlake, mayor.
This reporter -- I'm not convinced I like the sound of that -- now reports on the April 12 meeting of the city of Noel's board of trustees wherein very little business was discussed. City Marshal Myers was, however, instructed to stop local boys from jumping on the moving trains as the locomotives and their freight cars passed through town, splitting Main Street in two. Stepping away from my role as a reporter, I pondered an unasked question. Was it OK to jump on the motionless trains? City Clerk Tackitt was not in attendance but his wife Hazel performed admirably as she assumed the role of assistant clerk.
The next meeting to be reported on took place on April 25 in the usual place and at the usual time. The Board of Trustees took up an important matter at this meeting: dancing in public. Following several minutes of sometimes fiery banter, it was decided that a license fee of $3 per month would be charged to "public dance halls." This fee would, of course, be payable in advance.
Mayor Timberlake spoke following the vote on the public dance issue and issued a proclamation designating May 3rd and 4th as "cleanup days." Next, the issue of paying the city's outstanding bills was addressed and payments of $11.50 to John Hoover for repairing the town pump and $3.50 to Robert Tackitt for books were approved.
Two more business matters were taken up prior to the meeting's conclusion. It was decided that the Noel Power and Light Company would be "ordered" to place an additional light at the intersection of Main and Sulphur Streets. Additionally, the city marshal was directed to prohibit "loafing" in the post office. Why people might want to loaf in and about the post office is beyond me but then I'm just reporting the facts; just the facts.
The May 2 regular meeting took place at the agreed-upon time and at the regular place. Several important matters were on the agenda so the group of elected officials got right down to business. City Clerk Tackitt was instructed to send out notices to those residents of Noel who were delinquent in paying their "dog taxes." Clerk Tackitt said he would take care of that immediately.
Following some discussion, plans and specifications were adopted by the board for the installation of a culvert on Sulphur Street. It was acknowledged by all that the culvert was sorely needed. In keeping with civic improvement projects, it was unanimously agreed upon that a wagon, team of horses and experienced handler be hired. The wagon would be used to "haul rubbish away."
You may be asking yourself how in the world is this wanna-be reporter getting all this information about council meetings which took place some 98 years ago? Well, it started with a telephone call, a call from the current mayor of Noel, Louis Davis.
Mayor Davis knows I like to tell stories, especially ones about people and/or events that are greatly dated, old. So my interest was immediately piqued when he called and told me about several old books, ledgers that were discovered inside City Hall.
Mayor Davis suggested that I take a look at the books, thinking there may be something inside that might cause me to sit at my computer and type away on the keyboard. Well, he was right. The council meeting minutes which I have described were taken from one of those books, and there are several more books to peruse.
The city of Noel's board of trustees met on October 19th in the year 1922. All members were in attendance and only one issue was discussed; water, or the lack thereof. The Noel Mill and Power Company was given permission to stop the flow of water to the residents of Noel for several weekday hours and all day Sunday "on account of low water." Lacking any further business the council adjourned.
There now, I feel greatly more diversified than I did prior to writing this story; I mean reporting on the city of Noel council meetings of 1922. This story stands adjourned.
Stan Fine is a retired police officer and Verizon Security Department investigator who, after retiring in 2006, moved from Tampa, Fla., to Noel. Stan's connection to Noel can be traced back to his grandparents who lived most of their lives there. Stan began writing after the passing of his wife Robin in 2013. Opinions expressed are those of the author.