In the last 30 days, action has been taken and action has been scheduled on two pieces of property in Cassville with historical significance dating back to the 1800s.
Within the next few weeks, possibly on the exact two-year anniversary of its demise, demolition will begin on the Hall Theatre property at Eighth and West streets, which was destroyed in a blaze on March 1, 2021.
That morning was like every other March 1 for me in Cassville — until lit wasn’t. It was a deadline day for me, and I had been rushing through Roaring River collecting photos and interviews to meet a same-day deadline for Opening Day.
I normally would make a pit stop at the Roaring River Restaurant for the buffet, but on this occasion, I though time would not allow.
That decision turned out to be the right one, as by the time I got to Highway AA, there was an impressive plume of smoke guiding me north back to the office.
Once back in cell service area, my phone buzzed more than I have ever heard before. I knew where I was heading.
It was the second large structure fire I had covered since 2014, as I happened upon the Highway 37 fire by Payless Auto Salvage in 2016. The Cassville Volunteer Fire Protection District — whose chief and assistant chief were not available that day — did an incredible job knocking down the blaze and sparing the structures surrounding it.
It can’t be said enough how well of a job firefighters did that morning. Their thorough work meant having to return only a couple times for small rekindles, a significant improvement from the fire at Tomblin in the 1980s, which took days to fully extinguish.
Since the blaze, the structure has sat, a charred remnant of the place that housed so many memories of Barry County residents over the last many decades.
Court battles have slowed the demolition, mainly due to a less-than-cooperative owner. The city has pushed hard to gain the court’s blessing to bring the building down, and on finally accepting the bid to do so at city council this month, there was a collective sigh of relief among all city officials — elected and hired.
Demolition will take about 45-60 days and will significantly reshape the square. The current plan is to build a parking lot in its place, easing needs for those accessing courthouse services and downtown businesses.
The parking lot is a fine placeholder, but the space has much greater potential, and I’m excited to see what other economic development ideas may come to fruition.
South of the Hall Theatre near Flat Creek is a demolition already underway, taking down a building dating back to the 1800s.
Stories about local history written by our reporters always fascinate me. I read every article before they go to print, and there’s a beauty to me in learning things new in my paper I never knew before as if I’m just a regular reader — that happened to me on Friday.
A few weeks ago, demolition began on the “Old Possum House,” dubbed due to the period of time it was a collection point for animal hides, at East and Ninth streets. The dilapidated structure has been an eyesore near the Cassville City Park for many years now, and the city has put significant effort into getting it removed.
I had always heard longtime residents call it the Old Possum House, but many also still collectively referred to it as Memories, even tough that business did not exist when I began as editor of the Democrat.
Sheila Harris’ story on the building is incredibly in-depth and contains some information nearly lost to history.
Many of us know about the railroads in the Cassville and Exeter areas, with some tracks still visible on Main Street in Cassville, and the “Old Possum House” was the original powerhouse for engines in those days.
A way to travel when the dirt roads were too muddy — even after the advent of the automobile — the railroad was a mainstay in Barry County for decades, from 1896 to its closure in 1956 due to declining revenue.
Embedded in the rail history is the death of 14-yearold Francis “Ruth” Bloomer, who succumbed to injuries after a gravel car in Exeter came loose and barreled into her family’s home at the end of the line.
Who knows the last time her story was reported, and Sheila mentioned it may be worth some kind of marker to her memory at the house’s former location at the corner of Mill and Seventh streets.
While the history of the Old Possum House is coming to an end, as is the Hall Theatre’s, we can only look forward to the future. I hope one day both locations end up more than empty lots or plain old parking.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat. com.
