TLC logo TLC #54:  July 13, 2003


Dear Hearts and Gentle People:
 
Greetings from the dynamic hometown...dynamic in the true sense of the word. There have been a number of important property sales in the last couple of weeks, people coming in from elsewhere to fix up our historic properties. And these people seem as if they are capable of doing so. I will keep you posted.
 
All the scheduled activities went off as planned. Weather cooperated and I believe all the organizers were pleased. We had something over 600 people for the Homes Tour, a far cry from 1952 and other early years. Too much competition now for entertainment dollars and time.
 
There is so much to report that I rarely remember everything. This in from Shirley Guevel: When you were talking about the Heritage Days, you didn't mention the Parking Lot dance held by the River City Squares. We think we are an asset to the celebration every year with our dance!  We are also dancing at the Relay For Life Cancer Event on June 20. Sorry, Squares - didn't mean to overlook you.
 
Our current controversy swirls around our old seat of learning, Lexington Jr-Sr High School building, later known as Lex Middle School. The school board wants it demolished, and has contracted to have that done; the historic preservationists are objecting; and now the question has been sent to the Board of Adjustments. Stay tuned.
 
Another interesting development concerns the old bridge. As you know, the old Missouri River bridge is being replaced by a new one on the east side of town. What to do with the old one?
 
The state will demolish it. (There's that word again.) However, now there is a move afoot to have a portion of the bridge preserved as a sort of pier which would serve as an observation point:  one direction viewing the river, the other direction viewing the Veterans Memorial. Some have discussed moving the Memorial if the bridge is removed completely. I will not discuss pros and cons in this forum, but will promise to keep you as informed as I am able.
 
Another new restaurant has opened. It's on the north side of the street on Franklin between 12th and 11th, across from the movie theatre. It's a BBQ joint called The Franklin Hole. Also there is a new ice cream shop (sandwiches too) on Hwy 13 south. Dynamic, I say.
 
Two pieces of business:  first, I should remind those of you involved that a couple of big class reunions are coming up. The Class of 1950 reunites in September, and the Class of 1953 celebrates in October. You can contact the Shirleys - Guevel for '50 and Miller for '53 for more info. Or I'll relay it.
 
The other:  Those of you who have spam filters should be aware that TLC, having so many addresses, is sometimes thought to be spam. If you would like to receive TLC, please check your filtered spam. I'll always be happy to send you an individual copy if you get blocked, but I have no way of knowing.
 
Now for some fun. This is from Jim O'Malley:

I'd like to share a wonderful experience I had a few weeks ago with you. I was able to tour 1869 Lexington! What an adventure it was!
 
Many of the same buildings we have today were there, along with familiar streets, including some streets that are not used today. I was particularly taken with the riverfront, which featured many commercial buildings, riverboats and the Lexington Ferry.  The ferry terminal on the north bank of the river had a rail connection.  I suppose it hauled people and cargo to Richmond.  
 
I can hear you and the other readers muttering, "Has Jim lost his senses?"   Well, let me fill you in on how this came about.
 
When I was going to LHS (the OLD one) there was an aerial view map of Lexington in 1869 on the wall in the office. It was large and very impressive and it fascinated me, but I was never really able to study it because I was so near-sighted that most of the detail was only a blur.

Sometime after I had graduated from LHS the map ended up at the old
Commercial Bank (a.k.a., Charter Bank, Boatmen's Bank, Etc.). Eventually it ended up in the Lexington Historical Museum. 
 
Some inspired person arranged to have this large map copied into a smaller version that's on sale at the museum for $5.00.  I bought one and had it framed and it now rests proudly in our family room. Your readers might like to know that you have one in your home, too, Susan!

Well, to get back to my tour.  I used a magnifying glass the other day and examined that wonderful map and saw Lexington in detail as it looked in 1869.
 
I was particularly taken with the thriving traffic and businesses on North 10th street. It was the main road to the riverfront and featured a livery stable, hotels, and other commercial buildings.  The artist even drew in carriages and pedestrians going up and down the hill to or from the river. 
 
I hope many of our Lexington residents and former residents will buy a copy of this map and take the tour that I did.   What a wonderful town we had in 1869......and what a wonderful town Lexington is today! 
 
I'd like to hear from others who "take the tour" and learn what they've discovered about 1869 Lexington. Best regards to all,   Jim O'Malley
 
Take the tour and get back to us.

The nicknames just won't die. Barbara Tabb Jarman writes:
 
Dear Susan: With tongue in cheek, I am sending in a correction to my last
contribution to TLC, concerning nicknames. I got a phone call this
morning from H.J. Guillou, and he wondered where in the world I came up with that 'Grasshopper' business that I tagged onto him. Funny thing, but he doesn't seem to remember things quite the way I did.  So, it is only fair that I let everyone know right away that he had other nicknames that were much more fitting for him.
 
Did I not also remember them ........ like, 'Hunk', 'Precious', and 'Goodlooking'?  I admit that I did forget those, but I just wanted to set the record straight here and now for that 'Gorgeous Grasshopper'. There - is that better, Hunk? :-)
 
Anyhow, the phone call was a very nice surprise, and Mom was pleased
to learn that he still remembers those wonderful pancakes she used to
make for him.  I think he was mostly calling to inquire about her, which
I thought was very nice.
 
BTW, she is doing pretty well right now, considering all that she has been through since a year ago in April - a stroke, and then a fall which called for a hip replacement. I brought her down here to Houston last year to live with us - she will be 91 in November. And, trust me, she remembers every last one of you well when I bring up a name; and, H.J. was always one of her favorites. He always knew how to bring a smile to her face, like he did this morning.

Looking forward to the next TLC - Barb
 
And speaking of nicknames, this from Jerry Warner:
 
Here is an updated list of Lexington Nicknames.  Thanks to Barbara Jarman, Harry Dunford and Slick Heathman the list is growing:                                                    

     A

 “ABIE” HORTON                      

"ANIMAL" BAINE

“AUGIE”NEIDIG

  B

"BANJO" FAUSS

"BATMAN” ATKINSON

“BEADIE” HANNON

"BEAMIS" ARTH

“BEANS” STOLL

"BENO " CROSS

“BIG BOY” GASPERINO

“BIGGIE” BERSANO

"BIG IKE" SKELTON

“BIG JIM”STRODTMAN

“BIG TURK” TERREL

“BIGGIE” BERSANO

"BINGO" OLARIO

“BLACKIE” FAUSS

“BLON” BRYANT

“BO” SAVIO        

“BOBO” MEIERER

"BOOGHER" PAYNE

“BONECRUSHER” SIMMONS

"BONES" WILLIAMS

"BONEY" JOHNSON

"BOOB"  LUEHRMAN

“BOOB” FRANCES

"BOONER" SKELTON

“BOOTSY” WELLS

“BOBO” MEIERER

"BOZO" HOWARD

"BUBBA" LEGGETT

“BUBBLES” FROST

“BUCK”BUCHANAN

"BUCK" MCALISTER

"BUD" SHINN

“BUSSE” JENNINGS

"BUFFALO" CLARK

“BULLY” FOSTER

"BULLY" GIORZA

"BUMPER" DRIVER

“BUSSE” JENNINGS’

"BUSTER" BURGMAN

“BUSTER” GUEGUEN

"BUTCH" DOAK

"BUZZ"BOLDRIDGE 

   C

“CASIE” BARON

"CATFISH" PHILLIPS

“CHALKY” KUFFEL

“CHAMP REED”

“CHECKO” MAUTINO

"CHICK" HADER

"CHICK" JOHNSON

"CHIEF" JOHNSON

"CHICK" HADER

"CHICKEN" FAUSS

"CHIP" PERRY

"CHOPPY” SIMONETTI

“CHUCK” MUDD

“CHUNK” JARMAN

“COOKIE” DUNFORD

“COOKIE” GIBSON

"COON" TABB

"COBB" WHITLEY

"CORKY" GRINDSTAFF

"COTTON" BOYER

"COTTON" BURNS

"COTTON" DAVIDSON

"COTTON" TRENT

"COWBOY" TYE

"CRACKER” MCDOWELL

“CURLY” REYNOLDS

   D

“DAGO” BERSANO

"DING” FAUSS

“DIZ” BARROT

"DOGHAIR" WARNER

"DOC" SWEARINGEN

"DOOTSIE" GUEVEL

“DUB” HACKLER

"DUBBY" RUSH

"DUDE” BARNETT

"DUDE" DELAPP

"DUKE" MCALISTER

"DUTCH" MISCHON

"DUTCH" BRASCH

"DUTCH" STABLETON

  F

"FIREBALL" JUNG

“FLASH” EMKE

“FLAT” FAUSS

“FLUTE” CLARK

"FOXY" ROSETON

“FRENCHIE” MAVEL

"FROSTY" SMALL

"FROSTY" TEMPLE 

"FUZZY" MARTIN 

   G

“GOOFY” JAMES

"GOOSE" GREY

“GRASSHOPPER” GUILLIA    

“GREEK” KEHREES

“GROUCHO” MARCKS              

   H

“HAM” KEYS

"HANNY" STAPLETON

"HAPPY" HOFFMAN

“HARDROCK” JENNINGS

"HIPPO" HARDEN

"HOG" FENNER

“HOUND DOG” FENNER

"HOPALONG"/“HOP” MCFADDEN       

"HOPELESS" BOEHM

“HORSE” ARDINGER

“HORSE”CLEVENGER

"HOTROD" CARPENTER

  I

“IKEY” BRYANT

"IRONHEAD" JOHNSON

  J

“J. O.” WILMOT

"JACKO" PRICE

“JAYBIRD” RUETHER

“JENKS” HOLMAN

“JEEP” BEARD

“JEEP” SHAW

“JIGS” WOODRUFF

“JINX” HOLMAN

“JOHN THE GREEK” SILAS

"JUICY" LUEHRMAN

  K

"KINGFISH" BARNETT

“KRAUT" FAUSS

  L

"LEACH" AMOS

"LEFTY" LUCE

"LITTLE IKE" SKELTON

“LITTLE MAC” MCFADDEN

“LITTLE TURK” TERREL             

   M

“MEALY” VADA

“MEL” FISHER

"MICKEY" CONGER

“MIKEY” MIKE

“MONK” LINZ

"MONKEY JOE" ALBERT

"MOONEY" ROSTINE

"MOOSE" HELM

"MOOSE" RODEKOHR

“MOSE” BUTLER

"MOUSE" SHORT

"MUGGINS" BUFORD"

  N

“NAP” NEAL

“NICK” NICOLA

  O

"OBIE" PARIS

“OLD MAN” KELLY

  P

"PACK" HUNTER

"PAPPY" O'DELL

"PEANUTS" SCHELP

"PEELY" OLDS

"PIGGY" PHIPPS

"PIGGY" SINGLETON

"PIMP" CROSS

“PINKY” SOULE

"POLLY" PARROT

“POOKY” RATLIF

"POOPSY" BACKS

"POOT" BOYER

"POPS" VILLARS

"POSSUM" CLECICO

"POTS" MOLLENKAMP

"PREACH" ATCHLEY

“PUD” RATLIF

"PUSS" HUFFORD

   R

“RABBIT” FRASHER

"RAGS" REEVES

“RED” HOWARD

“RED” KUYKENDALL

"RED DOG" WILSON

"RIP" ROSEWELL

“ROCKY” HILL

  S

“SCOOP” O’MALLEY

"SCRAP" PARKS

“SELDOM SEEN”

"SHEIKI" VIALLE

"SHARKIE" BEISSENHERZ

"SHIPWRECK" KELLY

“SHRIMP” OETTING

“SHOES” RONCELLI

"SILKHAT" GREGG

"SKEETER" LIERMAN

“SKINNY” SWARTZ

"SKIPPER" SHORT

“SKUD” RATLIF

"SLICK" GILKEY

"SLICK" HEATHMAN

"SLIDE" KNAPHEIDE

"SMOKEY" CLIFTON

“SMOKEY” WOODS

“SMOKIE” BECKWITH

“SMOKIE” MALLOT

"SNAG" AMOS

"SNAKE" EDWARDS

“SONNY” FIORA

“SONNY” OETTING”

“SONNY” SOUTER

"SPARKY" ADAMS

"SPECKS" VILLARS

"SPEEDY" BURNETT

“SPIDER” BALDWIN

"SPIKE" EVANS

"SPIKE" THOMAS

“SPOT” MAVEL

“SQUIRE” BARFERDE

"SQUIRREL" JENNINGS

"STINKY"STEVENSON

"STUD" HOFFMAN

"SWEDE" JOHNSON

  T

“TANK” MAVEL

"T-BONE" JACKSON

"TEETER" BLAND

“TEETLES” RYAN

“TINO” MAUTINO

"TINY" BRYANT

"TINY" EPPERLY

"TINY" LARKIN

“TINY” MALLOT

"TOAD" SIGLOCH

“TOM CAT” LANGFORD

"TOOTIE" WILLIAMS

"TOOTS" HARRISON

"TRASH" HOWE

"TUCKER" THOMAS

"TURK" LYBARGER

"TURTLE" STONE

  W

"WEEGIE" CHEDOTTI

"WEEGIE" MAUTINO

"WHATSEE" DICKMEYER

"WHIPPLEJACK" DELAPP

“WINK” DANNER

“WINK” HOEFLICKER

"WOODY" MITCHELL

“WOP” “GUILLIA”

I'm still not sure we can claim Seldom Seen!

And now, MAJOR NEWS! Bob Ball, class of '58, has constructed our very own TLC web page! It is ready to go. So...check it out. All you have to do is click on:

The Lexington Connection

Enjoy!!!

Your devoted scribe,

Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 



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