These days, Saturday night is nothing special in Cassville, not like it once was 70 or so years ago when the town, at least parts of the square, was hopping with activities.
Of particular interest was the south side of the square. That was where the Cassville Democrat published for decades after the fire of 1893 destroyed the west side of the public square and the upstairs location of the newspaper. With banks, and a few other businesses on the other sides, the south was the heaviest of operations.
The later the hour reached on Saturday night, it seemed the rowdier activities would reach. The most likely primary cause was the Nighthawk Café.
Steps up
To reach the long, narrow configuration of the business, there was a flight of stairs from which many customers caused a disturbance after hoisting a few in excess and came tumbling down, either on their rump or head. And, it wasn’t always the male of our species, often there was a customer in a skirt that was being ejected.
The Nighthawk was adjacent to the Music Store of Carl Mitchell. The next in line was K.E. Brown’s Jewelry Store, then the South Side Barber Shop and then the Cassville Democrat office. Later, the Corner Store, after a number of owners, it was where several excursions began as it served as the bus station for this area.
While the activities around parts of the square often went through the hour of midnight, the paper wasn’t one of those that remained open at that late hour. But the late-hour activities were often observed behind the hooked screen door of those days. Not that this would have stopped any entry, but we felt safe.
Machines
Not being connected with K.E. (Sue’s dad) yet, it was always interesting to see him operate either his popcorn or peanut machines, which were positioned on the sidewalk between his store and the Nighthawk. He seemed always to sense a problem brewing next door and would sometimes move his machines a little bit farther west to avoid any damage resulting to his pride and joy, both selfmade.
K.E. held on to the machines until a twoday sale in 1993, after he suffered a stroke. Both machines brought top dollar from collectors.
Also unique was his lemonade stand that he operated exclusively at the Old Soldiers and Settlers Reunion on an annual basis. Parts of this manually operated contraption are now part of the décor in the homes of his grandchildren; Bruce and Shelley.
Upstairs
During this era, the upstairs of many town buildings were in use.
Above the Music Store, frequent dances for couples and young people were an entertainment feature of the community. Owners of the downstairs business often furnished a radio or Victrola for the music. Sometimes, participants brought their favorite records to the event.
Willis Insurance, one of the oldest consecutive businesses in Cassville— along with the Cassville Democrat—had offices above the barbershop, reached by a flight of stairs adjacent to the Democrat office.
Westward in the block was the Chester Daniels Variety Store, then Mrs. Nolan’s Ozark Theater, and finally in early days, Lynn Mitchell’s Ford Agency. Above this building were Dr. Jim Rudd’s office and Fields Photo, among several others in and out principally because of the steep flight of stairs, which was closed in later years.
Saturday drawings
Cassville wasn’t the only town using the promotion of Saturday drawings for cash money and later merchandise prizes, but some local merchants possibly chipped-in more than others because they consistently attracted the largest crowds.
Anytime people were in town they could register for the up-coming drawing that was held on the west side of the square in front of Lynn Mitchell’s Insurance Office in what was then the Community Building and later Hall Theater.
Band Concerts
In these days, band concerts were fairly regular on Saturday nights, featuring the city band in early times or the high school band when LaNola Hodge was the director.
Drug store
The north side of the square wasn’t to be completely outdone during the late Saturday nights. Wooten Drug Store was among businesses whose hours were extended on Saturday nights, often until midnight to serve the public.
Fountain service proved quite popular with the young people, especially those whose parents didn’t require their being home before the late hour. Their interest in what was going on at particular locations around the square was every bit as sharp as their adult counterparts.
Come to think of it, there aren’t any memories of confrontations between any youngsters of any consequence either of a local nature or mixed communities in those days.
There might have been some in later times, but not in the days of the Nighthawk.
Bob Mitchell is the former editor and publisher of the Cassville Democrat. He is a 2017 inductee to both the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame and Missouri Southern State University’s Regional Media Hall of Fame.
