Chaffee: A city with a history

Chaffee, which is rich in railroad history, is just 12 miles south of Cape Girardeau and can be reached by taking Highway 74 west from Interstate 55 to routes 25/77 south, or travel six miles by Route M at the Scott City exit from I-55.

Chaffee has a wonderful museum full of colorful history located on south Main Street near the county newspaper, The Scott County Signal. Chaffee also has an Historical Society that meets once a month. Chaffee has a very active Chamber of Commerce that also meets once a month and sponsors several annual events. The president of the chamber is Scott Horman. One very successful event is the annual 5K Run and Fun Walk held at Lake Tywappity, with attendance that has steadily grown.

Chaffee has a modern library located at 202 Wright Ave.

Businesses

Top employers in the city include Carr Textile, Chaffee Nursing Center, S&W Cabinets, which recently acquired the former Columbia Sportswear facility in the industrial park and will be adding to its work force, MFA Agri-Services, Pendergrass Inc. and Hart-Shaffner & Marx.

Chaffee has 12 churches of various denominations, 10 daycare facilities whose names and phone numbers can be obtained from city hall, a public swimming pool and tennis court, and a skating rink. There is one large grocery store and several convenience stations that also sell food. There is a Dollar General Store and a family-owned Ace Hardware store.

License bureau

Chaffee also has a license bureau with the friendliest ladies to help you with your license needs. It is at 129 S. Main. Operating hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the last Saturday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The phone number is 887-3485. There is no driver's license testing station in Chaffee -- the closest one is in Cape Girardeau.

In May, the city celebrates Old-Fashioned Day sponsored by the Historical Society, and in August, the Elks sponsor the colorful German Days Festival.

Chaffee has a very active Elks Lodge, a VFW and an American Legion. Bingo is enjoyed every week in various facilities.

City information

When desiring to locate in Chaffee, start at the City Hall by paying a $50 deposit for your city water and solid waste pick-up. Chaffee's tax rate is $1.09973 per $100. At City Hall you will also get the phone numbers to call for your electric, gas and communications needs. You can also register to vote there or at the county seat in Benton.

In 2005, Chaffee celebrated its centennial in a year-long celebration.

Chaffee has one pharmacy and three doctors, a beautiful senior living area complete with parks, two real estate offices, RoSe Real Estate at 120 West Yoakum and Harris Appraisals and Real Estate at 506 Elliott.

Chaffee has two banks, a printing company, a florist and an antiques store.

Schools

The city has a newly expanded public grade school, K-6, with a $1.5 million new activity center and cafeteria, which is located at 408 Elliott and the phone number is 887-3244. Chaffee also has a public high school with newly installed air conditioning in the gym, which is located at 517 West Yoakum.

Besides offering superb academics, Chaffee High School also offers football, baseball, volleyball, basketball and track. The phone number is 887-3226. Chaffee also has a Catholic grade school, K-8, located next to the St. Ambrose Church at 419 South Third and the phone number is 887-6711.

History

In June 1905, The Chaffee Real Estate Co. of St. Louis purchased 1,800 acres of land from a local farmer, John Witt of Sikeston, for $140,000. The Chaffee Real Estate Co. soon transferred ownership of 150 acres to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway for the purposes of building a large switching yard and began surveying the area for a town for the railroad employees.

The Chaffee Real Estate Co. gave public notice for the sale of lots within the soon to be established town to local individuals and companies, and began clearing the land for construction in August 1905. The company attached an unusual clause to the deed stating that the property would not be used for "the dispensation of intoxicating liquors."

The residents of the new town petitioned the clerk of the County Court of Scott County, Missouri, to incorporate the area into the fourth-class city of Chaffee on Aug. 6, 1906, and the petition was granted on Dec. 8, 1909. Popular opinion states the city was named for the Spanish-American War hero, Gen. Adna Chaffee, but in all likelihood it was simply named for the real estate company that owned the land.

In 1911, The First National Bank of Chaffee issued $392,320 in "national currency" with the permission of the United States Department of the Treasury, giving Chaffee the distinction of being a city with its own currency.

City officials

Mayor Bill Cannon

City collector Sherry Dirnberger

City clerk Diane Eftink

Police chief Marty Keys

Fire chief Mike Lee

Public works director Eric Hicks

City attorney David Summers

Municipal judge Scott Horman

Municipal court is held in the council room at City Hall the first Wednesday of every month.

Aldermen

The council meets the first and third Mondays of the month and welcome local citizens in their audience.

Ward 1 Wayne Hampton Jr.; Leon Strickland

Ward 2 Retta Mohorc; Deborah Eichhorn

Ward 3 Mike Jobe; Bill Dysinger

Ward 4 Jack Nordin; Tom Cunningham

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Imagine being able to stroll around town or even ride your bicycles in the evening. Chaffee is a beautiful small town, with small-town atmosphere and small-town safety. The city is laid out in square block plats with a gazebo park as the city anchor. The city measures 1.8 square miles. Nicely manicured lawns and 3,050 of the friendliest people on Earth. Chaffee is home to Lake Tywappity that spans 36 acres of great fishing. The city also has several beautiful parks and playgrounds.

~-- By Retta Mohorc Ward 2 alderman

"What I like about Chaffee relates to my returning to Chaffee after 50 years. There is the small-town friendliness, schools that strive for excellence, churches that care and minister to people, and businesses that are accommodating and helpful. Add to that the security we feel through the dedication of our police and firemen. All in all, Chaffee is a people-friendly community with a heart that has concern for people and their welfare."

~ -- Vyron Yount, Chaffee resident.