1905: Old Bachelor Club invites ‘old maids’ to dance

On Saturday night, Sept. 30, 1905, the Old Bachelor Club of Ridge Prairie gave a well-attended “Bachelor Ball” at Pfiffner’s Hall, located by present day Old Collinsville Road and Route 50.

“The first feature was the old-fashioned square dance to open the ball. The participants were John Schobert, Conrad Schobert, Jacob Leckel, and Conrad Morgan and four old maids. The music was furnished by J.F. Black, an Old Bachelor. As J.F. is an all-round violinist, the result was they danced. Several were present from St. Louis, East St. Louis, Belleville and Caseyville. It is the opinion of the public that through and by the organization of this Society known as the Old Bachelor Club and from the appearance of the way the bachelors and old maids mixed up, there will be another dance soon. And it is more than probable that there will be something doing in the matrimonial line.”

The Bachelor Ball also helped the club with their bottom line. They netted $24 for the evening.

75 years ago Oct. 1, 1942

Oct. 1 has been set for the launching of the nation-wide Girl Scout Victory Fund campaign in which the Girl Scouts of O’Fallon are planning to take active part. This fund will be made up of War Savings Stamps purchased by individual Girl Scouts and by adults in Girl Scouting, who, in turn, will give the stamps to a central Victory Fund Committee. The latter will convert the stamps into War Bonds and hold them in trust until war conditions make it possible to use the money to help children who have suffered from the war.

50 years ago Sept. 28, 1967

Claude Cleveland, manager of Central Plymouth-Chrysler presented the keys of a new 1968 Plymouth VIP to Mrs. Kathy Drake, Welcome Wagon hostess for the O’Fallon-Fairview Heights area. Cleveland, a sponsor of the club, is furnishing Mrs. Drake the car to carry out this activity.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 8:00 AM with the headline "1905: Old Bachelor Club invites ‘old maids’ to dance."