Information Sheet

 

 

R         Mosbaugh, R. C.

785                  McDonald County Courthouse Directory and Buyers Guide, 1962.

                                    One booklet.

 

 

 

This booklet includes the names and duties (and often photographs) of countywide office holders in McDonald County, Missouri, along with brief histories of the county and its towns, and advertisements for local businesses.

 

R. C. Mosbaugh of Noel compiled this booklet in “an effort to give our County and City Of­ficials some of the credit that is due to them.”  Its 24 pages include lists of countywide offices, with the names, brief biographies, and, often, photographic portraits of the incumbents, along with brief descriptions of their responsibilities.  There are also short histories of the towns of Anderson, Goodman, Jane, Lanagan, Noel, Pineville, Powell, Rocky Comfort, Southwest City, and Tiff City.

 

There is also an account of “McDonald Territory,” an imaginary “pseudo state” which “se­ceded” from Missouri after “the resort areas were omitted from the Official Family Vacation Land Map issued by the Missouri State Highway Commission in 1961.”  The secessionists established a “Provisional Government,” elected officers (who are named in the booklet), issued tourist “visas” and minted “wooden nickels” for the benefit of the tourist trade.  Supposedly “the episode at­tracted world wide attention, and thousands of tourists enjoyed the Rebel atmosphere of the area during the summer.”

 

The booklet includes many advertisements for local businesses.

 

 

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