Hometown Matters

By Pauline Masson: Some of us wish the campaign had started much sooner. I lost my sister Kathleen Matthis to breast cancer in 1989. She was 55 years old and had never had a mammogram when she discovered that she had breast cancer. She was watching a television interview with actress Jill Ireland, who was campaigning to educate women about how breast cancer could sneak up on a person. Ms. Ireland said she had never had a mammogram before her … Continue reading “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a Reminder of Loss”

When Mary Shelley crafted her 1818 horror story about a mad scientist named Dr. Frankenstein digging up corpses and welding body parts together with metal braces to bring the dead back to life she created a fictional figure that would be a favorite Halloween character for more than 200 years. A case in point, a life-sized statue of an animated Dr. Frankenstein’s monster is on display at First State Community Bank, 302 West St. Louis Street, compliments of local fantasy … Continue reading “Ghost of Frankenstein’s Monster Looms Large in My Halloween Memories”

The story of the bench that once graced the Pacific Railroad Depot stirred up memories of a momentous day in the life of one Labadie resident. Julie Dutton Jones was ten years old when she and her two brothers and two sisters were, in all probability, lined up on the bench to await the return of the flag-draped casket carrying their uncle. The youngsters were accompanied by their parents Julius and Edna Dutton and their grandfather James O’Brien. Not only … Continue reading “Depot Bench Story Stirred a Momentous Memory for One Labadie Resident”

The ghost of Nellie Ottman. Irish lore tells us that Halloween is the time when ghosts return to visit their former homes.  As the legend goes, ancient Celts set bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts.  Maybe this is what’s behind the extravaganza at local Irish icon, Dan McClain’s house each October, when he  fills his yard with every conceivable symbol of Halloween. Regardless … Continue reading “Halloween Junkies Not Satisfied with Costumes and Candy Might Consider Pacific’s Haunted History”

An Unexpected Journey took a vintage Union Pacific and Frisco railroad depot bench to a temporary destination as a cookie cooling station, where it was rerouted to the City of Pacific History Museum. It is now on a stop over in the lobby of a local bank a few hundred yards from its original location. Christina Borcherding, made her father-in-law Brian Borcherding, who now resides at Pacific Care Center, two promises. She promised him she would stay in the house … Continue reading “A Vintage RR Depot Bench turned Cookie Cooling Station, Donated to the City History Museum – Now on Stop Over at Local Bank”

When it became obvious that the Tri-County Senior Center kitchen was running out of steam Terry Noonan Ruyle, Senior Center director turned to the community for help. The first thing to go was the commercial convection oven that has helped the senior center prepare more than 200,000 weekday noon meals for area senior citizens over the past 14 years.  The kitchen also prepared meals for disaster victims, flood cleanup volunteers and first responders. It has been used for local civic … Continue reading “Community Pitches in to Refurbish the Senior Center Kitchen”

A life-sized metal statue once stood on the marquee of the Royal Theater, 301 West First Street, but this bit of Pacific history seems to be gone without a trace. When the Royal was young, gargoyles were all the rage on big buildings, especially movie theaters that were being built in towns and cities across the U.S. I came across a photo of the metal sculpture on the Royal marquee when I was researching the Royal for its latest incarnation … Continue reading “What Ever Happened to the Man on the Marquee?”

The recent blogs on the upcoming 2026 Route 66 centennial celebration generated more than 80 comments on social media and the blog itself. The opinions were a bit fragmented, sometimes criticizing other people’s take on the idea of marketing the town. But the number of comments is significant because it showed a healthy interest in the idea of trying to entice motorists to stop and spend a buck or two in our businesses and attractions. But one reader, in particular, … Continue reading “Talk of Route 66 Birthday Celebration Lit a Lightbulb for One Reader”

The recent board of alderman discussion about promoting the upcoming 2026 anniversary of the construction of Route 66 to aid the local economy stirred up a hornet’s nest of opinions. But, as our current president would say, “Here’s the thing.” It is complicated matter but we can figure this out. In one small snippet of our Route 66 story, we once had a marker on Route 66 that pinpointed the spot where the Confederate Army was stopped on Oct. 1, … Continue reading “Rt 66 at Pacific Promotion Can Be A Tricky Business / But It’s Our Story to Tell”

How does a town like Pacific – which may have the best straight through section of Historic Route 66 of any city between Chicago, Illinois and Santa Monica, California – put together a 100th birthday bash that will get the tourists to stop? The official 100th Route 66 birthday is 2026. That commemorates the year construction started on the road. We have five years to get it together. The birthday party is coming. The federal government has appointed an official … Continue reading “Mayor Wants Citizens’ Help to Map Rt 66 Centennial Celebration. Only Have five Years to Plan and Build”