McDonald County Historical Society

McDonald County Historical Society

by Alberta Anders

The McDonald County Historical Society held their semi-monthly meeting at the McDonald County Court House in Pineville on Sunday, May 17, 2009. As usual, the court room was packed with those who are interested in history.

Featured speaker was Noreen Neff Harper. Mrs. Harper brought a very interesting program as she shared pictures and literature relating to the realized dream of her deceased husband, Archie Neff to have the largest strawberry farm in Missouri. Their farm was 2 miles north and a little west of Splitlog Missouri. Noreen and Archie taught at the schoolroom at Hart and, at that time they held school only 8 months of the year, freeing them to work the strawberry season the rest of the year. Preferred, reported Noreen, was new timberland, cleared, it was better for the berries and the rocky terrain was desirable. She talked about mother plants, crowns, dibbles and that they planted 3,500 plants per acre and required constant care until fall, 8 to 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. At one time, she said, they had 110 acres under cultivation. They worked in temperatures that went to 115 and 117 degrees. The most any one picked, to her recollection, was 115 quarts in a day. In the late 50's they let people pick their own and people came from St Louis and as far away as Manhattan, Kansas, some staying in a motel, stemming the berries in the evening and packing them in dry ice for their trip home.. In the late 50's and 60's they began to sell the plants, 26 in a bundle and the most orders in a day was 65, but most people ordered from 25 to 500 plants. Noreen tagged the plants with Dept. Agriculture approval proving they were virus free.

Several people in the interested crowd, had been pickers for the Neff
Strawberry Farm. The very interesting session was followed by question
and answer session. Very ably helping Noreen was her 16 year old grand daughter, Malayla Seaman and her 17 year old grandson, Keenan Neff. I feel it is quite safe to say that all those attending had a very enjoyable afternoon.

Carol Klein reminded everyone that the Farmers Produce Market in Anderson on
59 Highway, just south of the city, held on Saturday morning, opening at 8:00 a.m. now has fresh locally grown strawberries available.

Frankie Meyer reminded everyone of the caravan tour (in your own car, please car pool if you can) to begin at the Anderson City Hall Saturday at 10:00 a.m.. Bring a sack lunch and join us as we tour the southern part of our County. We are working on making a tour guide that will be available at a later time. For more information contact Frankie Meyer 781-0671, frankiemeyer@yahoo.com or Jennifer Mikeska at jennifermikeska@courts.mo.gov or Colleen Epperson at the McDonald County Chamber of Commerce 417-223-888 info@mcdonaldcountychamber.org.

We have just received some very interesting papers, magazines and literature, donated by May Ewert of Pineville, you will want to check out the "Missouri Life The Magazine of Missouri, It's First Year," March-April 1973, very interesting.

Remember that the McDonald County Historical Museum on Harmon Street (next to the U. S. Post Office) in Pineville is open on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Our next Historical Society meeting will be held on July 18, at the same place as above at which time Mr. Bob Horton will talk about the eastern part of McDonald County.

Check out our www.mcdonaldcohistory.org/museum.htm.