Throwback Thursday (10/03)

1969: Don Evans Honored By Concordia Fall Festival

(Taken from the Concordia Fall Festival Program)

Midland Empire Shows of Plattsburg will be on the midway for the Concordia Fall Festival again this year, as it has been for the past 19 years. Started in 1947 by Clay and Pearl Evans, the show has followed nearly the same route every summer through Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, playing at county fairs and celebrations.

When the show officially opened in 1947 it consisted of a ferris wheel, chair plane ride, a merry-go-round, and a train ride. The little train ride had a monkey for its driver, which was a delight to the children. Today the ferris wheel is the only original piece of equipment that still remains with the show. There are eleven rides now, plus a funhouse, and the midway show is considered to be one of the finest.

Clay Evans died in 1957 and his son Don assumed responsibility of the show. Donald D. Evans was born in Kansas City, Missouri on May 4, 1923. He started in show business at the early age of seven when his family opened a concession which consisted of one caramel popcorn stand. They continued with the concession until the war when Don and his older brother, Bill, and his younger brother, Jim, left to enter the service. Don spent three years in the service, one and one half of which were in the European theater where he received the purple heart and several other medals. After the war he returned home and started back in the business. He married Miss Shirley LaQua in November of 1946, and in 1949 a son, John, was born, followed in 1950 by Mary, and Nancy in 1954. John is currently a junior at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, and Nancy attends Plattsburg High School. Mary Jo also attended Central Missouri State and was recently married, but she still enjoys helping with the business in which she officially got her start when she was one week old.

​Don and his family moved from Kansas City in 1950 to Plattsburg. They recently built a new home there and he also has two buildings where he stored his equipment during the winter.

1990: Tri-County Ambulance District begins new facility

….Soon a new modern, functional ambulance building will be completed in Plattsburg. The location is the corner of Broadway and Highway Y (north of Jon’s Market). Groundbreaking ceremonies were held last Friday, Sept. 29, 1989. The 3,500 square foot building will be completed in early 1990.

Shown at the ceremony were, left to right, Becky Lytle, board member, Carol Sander, secretary/treasurer, Overton Durret, Pam Guyer, board member, Charles Shoemaker, vice-president, Nancy Hensley, EMT, Charles Stocking, EMT, Elaine Elliott, board president, Tom Hensley District Supervisor, Terry Houghton, board member, Jim Hartzell, contractor, Virgil Babcock, EMT, Betty Shoemaker, Carl Campbell, Paramedic, and Gene Snyder, board member.

2009: Up, up and away at the Plattsburg Fall Festival

The Montague’s shared their balloon with students
​at Ellis Elementary earlier this year.

Plattsburg Fall Festival attendees will have the opportunity to get a bird's eye view of Plattsburg and the surrounding area thanks to the efforts of Terry and Cindy Montague of Plattsburg and their hot air balloon, “Patches".

​Since 1996 Terry from the Plattsburg Montague has been licensed to fly his hot air balloon and he along with his wife Cindy, will be providing tethered rides on Saturday Oct. 10 at Perkins Park. The rides will cost $5.00 with the proceeds being donated to the Plattsburg Food Pantry and the Plattsburg Fall Festival Committee. We’re looking forward to providing tethered rides during the Plattsburg Fall Festival," said Cindy Montague. "We'll have volunteers from the Plattsburg Ministerial Alliance helping us organize the rides and United Coop is donating the propane for our balloon. It is a great cause and we're happy we can help with such a great event."