2016 Fall Newsletter

hardware business and located at Potosi, MO and es tablished a hardware store and was married to Miss Fannie Deane. Disposing of his interest there, he came to Paola in the spring of 1881, purchased Captain N. P. Gregg’s hardware store and conducted the business un l De cember of that year. Then he sold an interest to G.E. and W. D. Abbo . For several years he was a member of the firm Disposing of that interest, he engaged in building and improving property in Paola and was our most enterprising ci zen. In addi on to making mi nor improvements on buildings, he erected five of the best residences in Paola. He at one me owned the old Paola Hall building, and disposing of it, he erected our large opera house which was then one of the chief needs of the town and has always been a credit to the builder and owner and which will stand as a monument to his enterprise and public spirited interest in the community. He was ably seconded in all his enterprises by Mrs. Mallory, a lady of breadth of mind and depth of character, and who, with her husband did a great deal in the devel opment of this community.

Mr. Mallory was by nature of a busy and ac ve tem perament and could not be idle, and with the late B. E. Spencer, he established an exclusive boot and shoe store in Paola, in which business he engaged for several years at the same me managing his opera house un l the past three years when his daughter, Miss Lucy, took the ma er principally in charge due to his health. For seventeen years he was con nuously agent for the Bell Telephone Company in Paola and a er Mrs. Mallory’s death in 1912, he resigned to the regret of the man agers of the company. He was a member of the Board of Educa on and looked a er the construc on of the South School building. In 1895 he was the Democra c nominee for Register of Deeds and although beaten in that three-cornered fight, he polled a larger vote than his party’s strength. Part of me he was interested in farm lands and conducted farming in this county. Up rightness marked every transac on. County people were his warm friends and all who associated with him had high respect for his integrity. Mr. Mallory was a kind hearted, broad minded, liberal, public spirited business man, a good adviser and when in good health was among the leaders in community interest. Another veteran has answered the roll for the last me. He sleeps, for he is done with war, done with worry, done with sickness, done with earth.

The Mallory Opra House was located a half block east of the museum, across from the present Paola City Hall. The Opra House was constructed in1895 and was consumed by fire in 1921

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