Volume 2, Number 5 - Fall 1965
Minutes of Fifth Annual Meeting of the White River Valley Historical Society
The annual meeting of the White River Valley Historical Society began at 2 p.m., Sunday, 6 June 1965, at Rockbridge, Missouri, with Mr. Claude Hibbard presiding.
Historian Elmo Ingenthron reviewed the Society’s beginnings in June 1961 and mentioned the historical markers placed by the Society at Rockbridge and Powersite. He then introduced the new editor, Mrs. Jewell Mehus. Mrs. Mehus discussed plans for future issues of the Quarterly and urged members to submit material.
Mr. Hibbard introduced Mrs. Ruby Robins, director from Ozark County, who spoke on the name "Ozark" and other place names. In her speech, Mrs. Robins pointed out that often "Ozark" was correctly identified as coming from the French "aux arcs," but incorrectly interpreted as meaning "land of the bows." "Arcs" in this instance, she said, means not bows, but gateway since the French, in using the term, were shortening the Indian word "Arkansas." The first known reference to "Ozark" in print was in 1809 when Bradbury used it in his Travels in the Mississippi Valley. Schoolcraft also used the name in 1819, and Featherstone (?), in an 1834 publication, explained where the name came from. Mrs. Robins went on to say that Ozark County is the only county in the United States with that name. The county was organized in 1841 and, in 1843, the name was changed to Decatur County. Two years later, citizens, over 100 of them, signed a petition to have the name changed back to Ozark County, making it the only county in the state to be named three times. There is a town named Ozark in Alabama, named by the postmaster who had visited here; an Ozark, Arkansas; an Ozark in southern Illinois, which is a ghost town now; an Ozark, Wisconsin; and Ozark, Missouri, the county seat of Christian County. Mrs. Robins also gave interesting highlights on the place names "Romance," "High Romance," "Theodosia," formerly "Lutie," "Tecumseh," etc., and "Rockbridge," which was formerly the county seat village a short distance from the present Rockbridge. Mrs. Robins concluded her talk by giving examples of the need for an area library for records, and by expressing a plea for authenticity in historical matters. She said all of us should discourage the myths circulated as history.
The president then requested the report of the Nominating Committee. Mr. Ingenthron presented the committee’s recommendations for officers for 1965-66:
President - Dr. O. Myking Mehus
1st Vice-president - Mrs. Kenneth Ford
2nd Vice-president - Mr. Albert D. Cummings
Secretary - Miss Belle Mosley
Historian - Mr. Elmo Ingenthron
Director for Stone County -Mrs. Mary Scott Hair
Director for Christian County -Mr. Gene Geer
Director for Greene County -Mrs. Lucile Morris Upton.
The office of Treasurer is filled by appointment of the board, Mr. Ingenthron explained, and Mrs. Dorothy Standlee now holds that office. The addition of a director from Greene County was recommended so that Greene County would be represented on the Society’s Board. After the slate of officers was presented, discussion centered around the definition of "White River Valley." No precise definition being decided upon, and the motion having been seconded by Mr. Schaffitzel, members voted to accept the slate offered by the Nominating Committee.
The Treasurer’s report for the year just ending was read by Mrs. Mehus, and there followed a motion by Mrs. Betty Ingenthron and seconded by Mr. Hicks, that annual dues be raised from $1.00 to $2.00, effective 1 July 1966. It was brought out in the discussion that present dues barely pay the expenses of publishing the Quarterly, and that ours is the only known unsubsidized society with dues as low as $1.00 and that, since time would be needed to inform all members of the change in dues, the effective date should be one year from now. Motion carried.
Mr. J. E. Curry was asked to work on our publication to allow the Society to use a cheaper postal rate than the one now permitted us by the Post Office Department. It was pointed out that all other known historical societies are allowed to use the bulk rate. Mr. Hicks moved that we go on record as asking, through Mr. Curry, for Congressman Hall’s assistance in the matter. Motion was seconded by Mr. Cummings, and carried by vote of the members.
Mr. Cummings then spoke of the outstanding contributions made by Mary Scott Hair on behalf of the Society, and proposed her name as an Honorary Member. Motion seconded by Mrs. Cummings, and carried by members’ vote.
Meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorothy Cummings
Secretary pro tem.
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