Gallery of mayors tells Scott City history

The photographs on the back wall of the Scott City Council chambers tell stories about the history of the community. J.P. Lightner, a cigar in one hand, served 14 years in as mayor in different terms beginning in 1908. Lightner owned the town's opera house and donated the land that is now the city cemetery named for him.

Many of the mayors were railroad men. The industry has been essential to the community since the beginning of the 20th century. Five were doctors, including Dr. G.T. Dorris, who had the longest run as mayor, 21 years.

Nevan Fisher, who worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was at Pearl Harbor when the bombs started falling. The Hoppy Train at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau is named for Virgil Hopkins, a mayor who drove a train for the cement plant. Bill Dickey, the first mayor elected after Scott City and Illmo fitfully consolidated in 1980, was a minister.

The 59 picture frames on the wall are more numerous than many would think for a city that is beginning its 100th birthday celebration this year. That's because Scott City is an amalgamation of the towns of Ancell, Fornfelt and Illmo. Ancell and Fornfelt combined to form Scott City in 1960. In 1980, Illmo and Scott City combined and chose Scott City for a name.

The gallery is separated into Ancell, Fornfelt, Illmo and Scott City mayors.

Five of the frames contain biographies instead of photographs because no photos could be found of H.O. Murphy (Illmo 1906-08), Charles Hamm (Fornfelt 1905-07), John T. White (Fornfelt 1917-19), W.A. Merrill (Fornfelt 1919-23) and Dr. C.B. McGee (Fornfelt 1923-25).

Dr. Dorris delivered Evelyn McClintock, a former Historic Preservation Commission member who was one of 11 commission members involved in organizing the gallery in 1990. They started by poring over old copies of the Jimplicute, an early Illmo newspaper, to find out about mayors who served before the 1940s. "There were no official records we knew of," said McClintock, a retired teacher.

A year to get pictures

Once they established the chronology of mayors, the commission began writing letters to relatives, in some cases of men who had served as far back as 1904. A few of the photographs are just snapshots. "There were periods of time when people didn't have money for pictures," McClintock said.

"We did fairly good to get as many pictures as we did. We had letters from families that didn't know their family members had done as well as they did."

The process of research and acquiring the photographs took about a year.

Councilman Norman Brant is familiar with many of the mayors' histories. He called Lightner "one of the founding fathers." The photograph of him apparently is the only one in existence. Brant provided the information about Lightner's opera house.

He said George Germain, mayor from 1965-73, became a state representative. Charles Hamm was on the board of directors of the First State Bank of Edna.

Shirley Young is the only woman ever elected mayor of Scott City. She appointed the city's first Historic Preservation Commission, leading to creation of the mayors gallery. The other female mayor, Thelma Jane August, was appointed.

Many of the mayors still have descendants in Scott City. Police dispatcher Anita Kinder's father, John G. Smith, was an Illmo mayor. His biggest accomplishment was cutting the ribbon on the overpass over the railroad tracks between Scott City and old Illmo, she said.

Besides the five whose photographs couldn't be located, only two other mayors are not in the gallery: Jerry Cummins and current Mayor Tim Porch.

"Tell Jerry Cummins to get down here and give us a photograph," said City Clerk Nona Walls. Her father, E. Dale "Pop" Crites, was a mayor and gave Scott City its name. Now deceased, he was a businessman who also played the piano in a dance band.

Porch's picture will go on the wall once he leaves office.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182