Back in 1995, Senator Emory Melton published the book “The First Hundred 150 Years in Cassville, Missouri” coinciding with the town’s sesquicentennial celebration.

Since that happened 30 years ago, I guess this year marks the 180th anniversary of the founding of Cassville. A lot usually happens in the span of 30 years, but events tend to be so gradual in nature that one hardly notices their passing until confronted with a sudden absence, as when the Hall Theater building burned in March 2022 — a fixture of one’s observable existence violently removed in the passing of normal day.

One way to measure the last 30 years would be to list all the things that are now gone, in a glass half empty view of the world. Businesses we are in memoriam of include the Justin Boot factory that walked off during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Luck ‘E’ Strike fishing lure manufacturer that got away, and the hardwood floor company Forest Products that celebrated their 50th anniversary back in 1995, only to leave in the following years.

With the closing of the Ford dealership, for the first time in more than a century, Cassville no longer has a new car dealership. Additionally, the old Hailey building at 5th and Main, which at one point served as the Ford dealership location in Cassville, was torn down. The old Chrysler Corral left the stable.

If you have a hankering for KFC, you’ll now have to visit one of the local metropolitan areas of Rogers, Joplin, or Springfield. In 1995, Cassville also had a Hardee’s located at the stop light on Main Street. Back then, after picking up your bucket of chicken or burger, you could stop by Video Mart or Popingo to rent the latest VHS movie.

Some things haven’t changed since 1995. A prescription can still be filled on the square at Whitley’s or Sater. A present for mom can still be purchased at Tomblin’s. Walmart still has low prices, just in a Supercenter now. You can still eat lunch at the Oriental House, Subway or Sonic, and you can still bring home dinner from Ramey’s, even though they claimed to be Price Cutter for a while and have now inherited the title of King Food Saver.

You can then deposit the money saved shopping in one of our six local bank branches. When First State Bank opened their Cassville branch in 1995, they joined the banks of Security, Commerce, and Boatmen’s, now Arvest. Freedom later joined the party, and CS Bank is the new kid on the banking block.

But, we’ve also gained in the last 30 years. We now have a McDonalds, two if you count the one that burned. A new Barry Electric Cooperative headquarters was constructed back in 1997. An E9-1-1 operation center was completed in 2007. Crowder College now has a satellite campus in Cassville. Access Clinic was built next door.

The Mercy Hospital has expanded. The Cox Clinic was also built on the hill next to the dentist’s office. Cassville now has a YMCA. A new library building was built in the early 2000s. In 1998, Able 2 Products moved from the old PET Milk location on East 13th Street to a new building on the old Green Hills Drive-In theater grounds on Highway 248. Fastrip built a new gas station at 1st and Main, and Casey’s built a convenient store across from the Pizza Hut.

Tractor Supply and Dollar Tree moved into the old Walmart building, flanking Westco, which relocated from the square. Dollar General built a store, then another. Micheal’s now carries on the LeCompte’s lumberyard and hardware store tradition. Located next to Micheal’s, White Funeral Home added some competition to the local market.

And of course, there’s the Barry County Museum, founded in 2007.

Recently, the county completed the new jail and health department buildings. The city of Cassville built a new public works facility. The Cassville school district, like most, seems to constantly build something new, with the openedin- 2024 preforming arts center being the most recent addition.

Perhaps what I’m most appreciative of in the last 30 years is the fiber optic internet connection courtesy of goBEC — being in the fast lane despite Cassville’s rural setting. It’s nice being able to watch deer outside your window while streaming cat videos.

In the last 180 years, Cassville has had a complete turnaround from a primitive wilderness to a modern community. In the next 180 years, Cassville may move into the long-promised future of jetpacks and flying cars or circle back into a nature preserve.

Either way, it will be historic.

Jeremiah Buntin is a historian at the Barry County Museum. He may be reached at jbuntin@barrycomuseum. org.