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Woodlawn Facts From the Past . . . .

The following is a timeline of events that have happened through the years in Woodlawn. Please e-mail us with additional information including happenings from more recent years. We will continually add information to the timeline as years go by. Thank you to all those who submit information!
1876	Woodlawn was declared a village.
Early 1900's	There was an apple mill on the east side of town that made cider. Frank Williams had a store and sold their products.
1906	The First National Bank of Woodlawn was built and is presently the oldest bank in the county. W. C. Troutt was the first bank president at the bank which was located in a small wood building on Front Street. The bank was later moved. In early 1906, the grade school was in a house located on Green Street.
1920's	Woodlawn had two blacksmiths. One was located on South Main where Jake Germann has a shop; Sam Jackson ran the shop in the 1920's and Bill Howard ran it in the 1930's. The other was along the alley which is now behind the furniture store and it was run by Gigg Sides. A new school was built in 1922 which housed both the high school and grade school.
1922	The school built during this year was only a three year high school, so the kids had to go to either Mt. Vernon or Ashley for their senior year. Some kids walked from as far as Cravat to school in Woodlawn.
1930's	Edd and Nellie Knox had a restaurant in a house on North Main.
1940's	Irvin and Maxine Trout had a service station at the corner of Central Street and South Main. They sold gas and soda; they had pool tables and a place where customers played cards. Later, George and Ruby Laskowski bought the service station.
1941	Woodlawn finally built a four year high school. Earl Champ, Louise Germann Smith, and Billy Dale Pfolsgrof were among the first graduates. The first school bus was homemade in 1941. It was made out of plywood and the seats were benches.
1943-44	The first two real school buses were purchased. The first drivers were Clarence Coats, Bill Moore, Clifford Williams, and Mase Riddle.
1946	Lyle Endicott started a grocery store. He later purchased the building next door and started Endicott's Furniture Store.
1948	The four-year high school was built.
1950-1962	Irene Bourland ran about the only restaurant in town called Bourland's Cafe from roughly 1950 to 1962. Grace Dycus, the cook, made delicious plate lunches. Customers as far away as St. Louis came to eat there. High school kids ate during the noon hour, sipped cokes and danced to a juke box inside. Movies were shown there about one day a week during certain periods of time. The restaurant was the focal point for most of the social activity in Woodlawn during that era. There was no visible name on the streets then, but the restaurant sat on the southwest corner, just south of the L&N railroad tracks. At various times, a restaurant opened across the road, operated by Maxine Troutt and others.
1953-1955	Lyle Endicott started a grocery store. He later purchased the building next door and started Endicott's Furniture Store.
1953-1955	Ernest Piper was elected as the '53-'54 president of the school board for Woodlawn High School. Ralph Marteeny was elected as school board president in the '54-'55 school year for Woodlawn High School. J.O. Clemens was the principal at the time. Homecoming king and queen were Darrell Corners and Doris Copple.
1955-1956	Homecoming king and queen were Jerry Burns and Mary Beadle.
1958	The high school that still stands today was finished in time for the Class of 1958 graduation.
1960	A train derailed out west of town and a box car that was filled with artificial sweetener spilled and everyone had cases of it to use. The name of Pole Cat Creek was then changed to Sugar Creek.
1961	Harold Simmons was elected the school board president. Homecoming king and queen were Eugene Heisler and Juanita Wilson Likens.
1962	Homecoming king and queen were Nolan Brown and Deanna Reeves.
1963-1964	The 1963 Homecoming king and queen were Ronnie Ferguson and Janet Thornton. Retiring king and queen were Nolan Brown and Deanna Reeves. The 1964 Homecoming king and queen were Fred Diel and Jackie Douthit.
1965	The water system was started after getting the necessary grants and loans. Later, a grant was obtained to start the sewer plant.
1967-1968	Lowell Lloyd, a former student of Woodlawn High School, was killed in action during the Vietnam War on May 26, 1967. R.L. Stafford was hired as the new high school principal. The 1967 Homecoming king and queen were Stanton Endicott and Peggy Piercy. The t968 Homecoming king and queen were John Germann and Sheila Smith.
1969-1970	The 1969 Homecoming king and queen were Tony Draege and Carla Tinsley. The 1970 Homecoming king and queen were Beverly Hart and Darrel Mays.
1971-1972	Stanley Brown was elected as the new school board president. The 1971 Homecoming king and queen were David Hall and Cathy Tinsley.
1976	Woodlawn celebrated 100 years. Homecoming king and queen was Rod Diel and Candis Sims.
1979	Both the high school and the grade school added a second gym to their school. The grade school added a portable building and two new classrooms. Homecoming king and queen were Tim Winder and Marla Troutt.
1986	Endicott's Furniture Store was sold to Barnett's.
Mid 1990's	Tom and Lynn Mears owned a restaurant called Papa Tom's Pizza.
1999	Barnett's Furniture Store was sold to Marshall and Sandy Newell. The store is presently named Newell Furniture and Gifts.
2001	On November 13 a group of retired men met together and proposed the idea of erecting a Veteran's Memorial.
2004	On May 22 the Veteran's Memorial at Woodlawn was dedicated to the memories and honor of all veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
2004	On May 22 the Chapman Sports Complex held its first Opening Day festivities with Catherine Chapman escorted onto the field and delivering the first pitch.
2009	In September of 2009, Community First Bank of the Heartland (formerly known as First National Bank of Woodlawn) officially opened at its newest location on Woodlawn Lane - across from Woodlawn Grade School.

PAST MAYORS Blackie Williams James Munyon Mutt Dixion Lillian "Punk" Clark (1978-1985) Earl Spohr (1985-1989) Charles McNealy (1989-2001) Steve Langa (2001-2005) Beth Hassler (2005-2007) Brian Spangler (2007 to Present)
~Special thanks to Lillian "Punk" Clark for providing photos for this page. Anyone who would like to contribute historical facts or photos, please e-mail us!