Sheridan’s Fred Fussell Overcame Rocky Start in 1928 With Pirates

Sheridan had its own major league baseball player in Fred Fussell; he was born there in 1895. His best year was in 1928, playing for the defending champion Pittsburgh Pirates. But he got off to a rocky start that year. On April 19th, brought in as one of six relievers in the game after starting pitcher Carmen Hill took a shot off his leg from one of the Cardinals, Fussell was tagged for four runs in the sixth and seventh innings, three earned.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote in the April 20th paper, “Strong men looked for help, weak men grew frantic, women, unnerved by the sight, wept quietly and children howled with innocent glee…There have been other openers, but one is safe in saying that there never has been, likely never will be, a repetition of the affair which marked the debut of the 1928 Pirates on their home lot. For three hours and five minutes, while chilling blasts made men snuggle further into their great coats and gave women a better chance to display their hosiery and lingerie, the Pirates and Cardinals first battled, then staggered, then stumbled before the Cards got the decision. And a corps of expert accountants, working far into the dark, finally came up with the announcement that, with all the outlying districts heard from, they were convinced that the game had ended, 13-10 in favor of the Cardinals.” 

Fussell was wild that game, walking five in one and two thirds innings. The Pirates were seemingly in control, up 4-1 before Hill’s injury. St. Louis scored five in the fifth and five in the sixth to go up 11-5 and held on for the win.

It was 20 days before Fussell would pitch again, but he came on in a relief role again on May 10th, 1928. Against the first place New York Giants, Fussell picked up where he left off before, walking the first two batters he faced with the Pirates trailing 5-3. But then he settled down and pitched brilliantly, not allowing a run in just over five innings as the home crowd cheered him wildly. The Pirates, who were off to a rocky start, could not make up the deficit and lost 5-4, but Fussell got a lot of positive comments for his pitching that day.

On May 14th, Fussell got his first start of the year, but he was teed off on for five and two thirds innings, allowing 10 hits and five runs as the Bucs lost 7-6. He got his first win on May 21st. Tagged for two runs by the Reds in the first inning, he settled down and got the 6-3 complete game win over Cincinnati, a team that was contending at the time for first. The Reds hit it hard on him all game, but right at people.

He didn’t get out of the first inning on May 25th, a 10-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He came on in relief on May 29th and pitched three innings, giving up four hits but only one run in a 7-1 loss to the Cardinals. He was chased after only two thirds of an inning in relief against the Cubs on June 2nd as the Bucs lost 10-6.

Fussell didn’t pitch again for 12 days, but on June 14th, at the last minute, the Pirates decided to send him out against the New York Giants, who struggled that year against lefties. He got tagged in the first inning and left trailing 3-1 after seven, but he kept the Pirates in the game. His teammates bailed him out with two in the eighth to tie. In the 11th inning, Sparky Adams lived up to his name for the Pirates with a leadoff triple to center field, which was 460 feet deep at the Polo Grounds. Paul Waner’s sac fly brought him home and the Pirates held on for the 4-3 win over the Giants.

Despite the fact that the Pirates were 25-28 at the time, their manager, Donie Bush, was convinced that game was a turning point. After a series of injuries and bad breaks by the club, they had won 9 out of their last 13. “We are looking up now,” Bush was quoted as saying in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette following the game. “I don’t expect any phenomenal rise to the top, but you can expect us to creep up day by day on the leaders.”

(Continued Next Week)

Decoration Day in Grant City in 1900 Marred by Rowdy Behavior

It took Decoration Day some time to catch on in Worth County. The early 1870’s Grant City Star papers, for instance, showed no references to it. However, by 1900, there were two celebrations being promoted in the Worth County Times, one in Isadora and one in Grant City. That year, Decoration Day fell on a Wednesday, May 30th. Later, Decoration Day would become Memorial Day.

The program for Isadora at the cemetery was as follows:

–Assembling at the ground at 10 am;

–Music by martial band;

–Song;

–Prayer;

–Address, Rev. Van Horn of Des Moines;

–Song;

–Adjourn for dinner;

–Reassemble at 1:30;

–Martial music;

–Declamation by Mrs. Alice Watson;

–Song by Matie Strachan and sisters;

–Declamation by Maude Vandeusen;

–Song;

–Address, Challie Graham;

–Martial music;

–Decorating the graves;

–Ritualistic services by the Sons of Veterans.

J.A. West, Edith Shipley, and E.W. Allee were on the committee.

Grant City started off its program by firing a national salute and hoisting national colors on the Courthouse at sunrise. The assembly was to be sounded at the G.A.R. Hall at 9:30 am. The procession from the Square to the cemetery began at 10 am, with James Verbick as Chief Marshal. They went in the following order:

–Cornet band;

–Public schools;

–Snider’s Battery, Capt. T.C. Snider;

–Guard of Honor;

–Ellsworth Post #12 and all old soldiers;

–Spanish-American War veterans;

–Knights of Pythias;

–Other civic societies;

–Grant City Fire Company in uniform;

–Hearse with flowers;

–Citizens in procession.

Once they arrived at the cemetery, the following program was scheduled:

–Funeral dirge by the band;

–Song by the choir;

–Invocation, Rev. E.H. Bull;

–Ritualistic service by G.A.R.;

–Strewing the graves;

–Salute by Snider’s Battery.

Once this program was complete, the procession was scheduled to reform and march to Reunion Park. The following events were scheduled:

–Music by the band;

–Invocation, Rev. Brock;

–Song by choir;

–Welcome, Mayor Gibson;

–Address, Rev. Glenn.

Adjourn for dinner to reassemble at grand stand at 1:30 pm.

At the grand stand, the program was scheduled to continue as follows:

–Song by choir;

–Invocation, Rev. Martin;

–Address, Rev. E.H. Bull;

–Address, W.H. Crawford;

–Song by choir;

–Address, Rev. W.H. Harris;

–Short talks as called for by the audience;

–Benediction.

But not everything went according to plan that day, according to the May 31st Worth County Times. Around 1:30 that day, a heavy rainstorm set in and ended the exercises. 

And the actions of certain people that day drew the ire of the editor of the Worth County Times. Under the headline, “A Disgrace,” he wrote as follows:

“If the scenes enacted here yesterday and last night are to be repeated, we hope that in the name of decency and in respect to the memory of the patriotic dead, Grant City will have no more decoration services. Without knowing the date, a stranger would have concluded that the town was celebrating the 4th of July instead of paying solemn tribute to the nation’s heroes who lie sleeping beneath the sod, without the power to protest against the sacrilegious conduct of those whose hearts are steeled and consciences blunted to sympathy and humanity. If we had a city administration worth three whoops in purgatory, the county jail would have been overflowing this morning with men and boys who have yet to learn that decency and order are the constituent element of good citizenship. Laxity in enforcing the city laws has made hoodlumism rampant in our town. Everybody knows it who knows anything.”

Letter to the Editor -- Improving Grant City's Appearance

Dear Grant City Citizens, 

I would like to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to those who got out and voted in the last election. I have served as Mayor and Alderman for over 20 years and very much appreciate the opportunity to keep our community moving forward toward the future. This is my home and always will be in my heart as it is for many of you. We have seen many changes over the years; I can remember when the square was full of businesses and our population was 3 or 4 times what it is today. I like many of you feel sad to see what has happened to our city and county because of aging population, lack of jobs, no quality housing and many other issues we are facing. 

For those of you that may not know; I was born and raised in Worth County and moved to Grant City when I was sixteen. I went to school there, got my first job at the sale barn, worked as a waitress for many years and in partnership with my brothers, opened a restaurant in 1978 after marrying my best friend in 1976. We were able to keep the restaurant going for 11 years before health issues for one of my brothers and my Mother forced us to close it and sell it in 1989; so, I know what it is like to be a business owner. 

I was instrumental in getting Community Betterment restarted back in 1988 and have been involved with the community and surrounding area by serving on many boards, coordinating many events such as the fair, circus, festivals, yard sales and other events over the years by working with many other caring individuals. I have served on area, regional and statewide boards and continue to serve on many today. I have had the opportunity to see the issues many small communities deal with daily and they are all very similar. One of the most common issues faced by all small communities is code enforcement.

I am submitting this letter to explain a few things and hopefully make some understand why we as a City Council do some of the things we do. I plan on submitting more information in the future in the form of a letter to the Editor and hope you will take the time to read them. If you have any questions, concerns or issues; please feel free to attend any City Council meeting. They are open to the public and anyone can attend. 

We may be a small community, but we have zoning regulations and rules that we follow just like any other municipality, big or small. We have areas that are zoned for commercial, residential, light industrial, manufacturing and agriculture. 

Ordinances are another set of rules that every municipality has whether they are big or small. They are there to help our citizens feel that they are living in a safe, well-structured community and to protect you as a home owner or land owner with our city limits. We have building permits that are required to be submitted and approved before any structure such as a home, garage, fence or even a structure on skids is put in place. These are mainly to ensure you as the person putting the structure in place is not building it or placing it over a water, sewer or gas line. The ordinances are there for your protection as well as those around you.

As I stated before, I have attended many meetings, seminars and training sessions geared towards building a sustainable small community with a future. A few years ago, the Department of Economic Development put together a “Dream Team” which included members from almost every department at the state level. They picked 6 communities from across the state to visit and assisted them with a community evaluation. We were one of the 6 chosen and we hosted our meeting at the Fairgrounds building with approximately 30-40 people in attendance from Grant City/Worth County. At the end of the project they sent out the results of the meetings held in the 6 different communities from across the state and the top priority in all 6 was code enforcement and improving the aesthetic value (appearance) of their community.

The appearance of your community is what draws new businesses, manufacturing, new residents and other positive results to your community.

I see Facebook posts, read articles and have people approach me many times about different issues and concerns such as bringing new or more jobs to the community, adequate housing, retaining our youth, more service or health related amenities and many others.

Until we as a community take ownership of how we want our community to appear to others, none of these things are likely to happen.

A new business, manufacturing plant or other outside entity wants to move to a community that has a pleasing appearance, takes pride in their community and works together as a community to ensure it is a great place to live and work. Until the mindset of the community changes, we are unlikely to be able to accomplish these things.

The City along with many others in the community have accomplished some wonderful projects over the past years that are assets to our community.

The biggest hurdle we face is code enforcement and getting cooperation from some of our citizens to follow those ordinances and work with us to make our community appealing to outside entities.

We have spent thousands of dollars in taxpayer money over the years trying to improve our community by sending letters asking for cooperation and filing court cases when needed. This if money that could be spent on other things to improve our community but until we change the mindset that some people have, it will not matter how much we spend, we will never attract new business, manufacturing or other amenities.

The City has a process in place to allow citizens to file a complaint about something that they think is wrong or that detracts from the value of their property. We need those complaints in writing to substantiate the offense if a court case if filed. Complaint forms are available at city hall or by calling one of the numbers below and asking for one.

Our process does not include a face to face talk with the person that is in violation of the ordinance, we send a letter letting you know what the violation is and asking you to abate the issue and/or attend the next city council meeting (3rd Wednesday’s of the month) to see if there is some way we can assist you or some way to resolve the issue without filing charges or going to court. 

I am asking you, as a citizen to file a complaint at city hall if you want to see change. The appearance of a property affects the property value of those around it and could possibly be affecting the health and welfare of a child if they live within proximity to old tires that may have mosquitos, junk cars that may harbor animals that are not friendly, too many animals creating a health hazard with the waste run off, etc. Even unkept lawns can cause an issue if they are attracting mosquito’s or other animals that hide in the tall grass. If you receive a letter, please do your part and please do not make us spend the taxpayer’s money on unnecessary lawyer’s fees and court cases. 

We need to take ownership of our community and do our part to improve the appearance on all levels if we want to see positive changes for the future of our community!

The City also has some issues we are working on with places that are not hooked up to the sewer, other infrastructure issues and maintaining our streets. But we can only do so much with the funds we have available. If you see something; in regard to the City, that you think might need addressed please come to a meeting and let us know and we will address it. We also understand that we have many old buildings that need to come down because of irresponsible owners not taking action or taking care of their property. It is much easier and less expensive for a private individual to tear down a structure than it is for a municipality. There are different rules for each and it would be very costly to the city if we are forced to do it. Another unnecessary expense for our taxpayers.

The current process for code enforcement is to file a complaint and we will review it and turn it over to our attorney if needed. 

If your neighbor has an issue that think may need to be addressed, file a complaint and we will investigate it. They apparently don’t care how what they are doing affects you so please don’t feel that you may offend them by filing a complaint. Many times’ I have heard the response that no one else seems to be bothered but the city, so please step up and help us improve the quality of life and the appearance of our community so we can attract new businesses, manufacturing and new residents to the area.

The quality of life in our community does not rest solely on the City Council. The community is yours, if you want to see change step up and help us prepare our community for the future!

Feel free to stop by city hall and look at our ordinance book, call before you build, ask about zoning before you put a small business in a residential area or add livestock to property that may not be zoned for agriculture purposes. We are willing to work with anyone to accomplish the growth of our community; but it needs to be done in the right way!

City Administrator – 660-254-2857

City Hall – 660-564-3369 

Thank you!

Debbie Roach, Mayor

City of Grant City

Hopkins Historical Society Back in Business

The Hopkins Historical Society is back in business following a year long recess because of the Covid-19 pandemic. A group of interested officers, board members, and volunteers attended an organizational meeting on May 4th at the museum in Hopkins. Members were eager to proceed with forward-thinking plans to research, collect, exhibit, and preserve the many resources that tell the history of Hopkins and its residents. 

Jim Cline was elected President; subsequently, he passed away on May 27th. Other officers elected were Garland O’Riley (Vice-President), Joyce Hennegin (Recording Secretary), and Lois Brand (Treasurer). Brand has served as treasurer since 1998.

The museum officially opened to visitors in May and will continue to be open each Tuesday afternoon at 1 pm throughout the summer and fall months. Volunteers will be there to greet and assist visitors.

Since March marks the beginning of a new year, dues of $10 per person are now payable. Some supporters have chosen to pay $20 to make up for 2020, when the museum was forced to close. The money collected from dues is used for the operating expenses of the museum.

The museum will be open all three nights of the Hopkins Picnic, August 5th, 6th, and 7th from 7 pm to 9 pm.

The book, “A Time Capsule of Hopkins History” is available at the museum. The 285 page book was researched and compiled by the late Russell and Anna Cross, former editors of the Hopkins Journal. The book contains a chronicle listing of events in Hopkins as they were recorded in the newspaper filed dating from the 1890’s to 2002.

–Submitted by Anna Cross, Historian, Hopkins Historical Society.

County Proposes Ending CART Program

On Monday, the Worth County Commission discussed ending the CART program. Under the program, people can sign up to put rock on county roads during a designated time each year advertised by the county, and the county shares a certain percentage of the cost. This year, the cost share was 62%. Sometimes, the cost share has been as high as 100%. The percentage is set each year by commissioners.

Commissioners said that the savings could bring up the amount of tax rock the county puts on roads to almost 90 tons per mile if they wanted to. Currently, the voter-approved tax rock program, which puts tax rock on all roads with a sufficient gravel base, puts 60 tons of rock per mile. The Emergency Rock plan, which is different from the tax rock and CART program, would continue with the county possibly raising rates. 

The commissioners took no action at Monday’s meeting. They will revisit the issue during the budget period in November and December.

Senate Bill Would Increase Sheriff Pay

Missouri Senate Bill 53, passed by both the House and Senate, will increase Sheriff Scott Sherer’s pay. Last year, Sheriff Terry Sheddrick was paid $41,733.84 according to the County Financial Statement published in the Sheridan Express on February 24th. Under Senate Bill 53, the county sheriff in first and second class counties will now be paid 80% of the compensation of an associate circuit judge in that county. Third and fourth class counties raise the pay of their sheriff based on their assessed valuation. Worth County’s assessed valuation, according to the Missouri Association of Counties, was $33,919,681 in 2020. Under the proposed law, Worth County will pay Sherer 45% of Judge Joel Miller’s salary. Judge Miller is paid by the state and not the county. The bill awaits Governor Mike Parson’s signature. Both State Rep. Allen Andrews and State Senator Dan Hegeman voted against the measure.

Illinois Man Injured in Wreck Near Eagleville

An Illinois man was injured in a wreck near Eagleville Sunday evening. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by Abeke Abedi (28) of Rockford (IL) was northbound on I-35 at the 107.4 mile marker three miles south of Eagleville when he traveled off the west side of the roadway and into the median, overcorrected, returned to the roadway, traveled off the east side, struck a ditch, and came to rest on its wheels. Abedi received minor injuries and was taken to Harrison County Community Hospital.