There are lots of very cool photos of the Pickering Centennial in 1971. This open-pit BBQ really caught my eye. I don’t recall any other public open pit bbq’s in Nodaway in my day. I generated several colorized images of this. The GPT-2 generation, which is good at avoiding repeated facial distortion, distorted the tall man’s face. The Nano Banana generation (which usually makes much more pleasing images but changes lots of things) on the left removed the tall man’s beard as well as the beard on the man on the left (growing a beard was a nitfy component, almost a requirement for the Centennial — and was kind of controversial in the era because it was considered a bit hippieish).
Community Barbecue Community Barbecue
The Maryville Daily Forum, July 12, 1971, Page 1. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-maryville-daily-forum-pickering-bbq/196920609/
About 800 people were served barbecued meat on Sunday during the July celebration of the Pickering centennial on the James Ware farm. The meat was placed in a 24-foot-long pit, shown at left, at 9 p.m. Saturday and cooked until 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Some 300 pounds of meat were prepared by Jerry Thompson, agricultural advisor at the Nodaway Valley Bank.
The specially designed barbecue pit measured six feet deep and two feet wide. Tin roofing material was placed over the meat, and a six-inch layer of dirt covered the tin. Lloyd Mitchell of Pickering was the general chairman of the event. Later in the evening, the crowd was entertained by two local combos and Orville Stephens, a piano player from Bedford, Iowa.
The 100-year anniversary will be highlighted by a centennial celebration and horse show from Aug. 16 through 21. Pickering residents have been wearing 19th-century clothing to the events, and the men have been growing beards to remind community citizens of the events. -Heywood’s.
Note: Ware in 1963 bought the Dr. Willis Wallis Atlasta Stables farm north of Pickering that was famous for its saddle horses.
Open-Pit BBQ
An open-pit BBQ is a traditional, slow-cooking method where meat is cooked over hardwood coals in an uncovered or partially covered trench or brick pit. This “very raised direct” heating method produces tender meat, often featuring a distinct, intense smoke flavor from fat dripping onto the coals. It is distinct from, and often confused with, covered grilling or smoking
Key Aspects of Open Pit BBQ
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- Method: Meat is placed a significant distance above a bed of hardwood coals, allowing it to cook slowly without direct flames, often called “very raised direct” heat.
- Structure: Traditionally, a trench in the ground, but modern versions often use brick, concrete, or metal pits.
- Flavor Profile: The intense heat often causes fat to drip onto the coals, creating smoke that enhances the flavor.
- Usage Examples: This method is used for cooking large quantities of beef (brisket), pork (butts/ribs), whole sheep, or hogs, often for long periods in authentic, Texas-style, or communal barbecue setups.
- Iconic Examples: The Salt Lick BBQ in Texas is a famous example, using large open pits.
Synonyms and Related Terms
- Pit barbecue: The general term for this style.
- Open fire cooking: A broader term covering various live-fire methods.
- Trench cooking: Refers specifically to the pit-in-the-ground method.
- Live-fire roasting: Emphasizes cooking over wood/coals rather than gas.
James Corfield Ware, II
The Hopkins Journal, September 2, 1993, Page 2. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hopkins-journal-james-corfield-ware/196921557/
James C. Ware, II, 81, Pickering, died Saturday, August 28, 1993, at Parkdale Manor Nursing Home, Maryville. Born May 10, 1912, in Quitman to James C. Ware and Carrie K. Crane, he was a farmer.
He married Marjorie C. Hackett on March 9, 1935, in Savannah. Mr. Ware was a graduate of Burlington Junction High School. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Maryville; a past Noble Grand of the Maryville IOOF; a past Master of Maryville Lodge 470; a member of Scottish and York Rite, Moila Temple; a past patron, OES; a member of Modern Woodsman of America; active in local government and several agriculture organizations.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter, two brothers, and three sisters. Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, J.C. Ware III, Pickering and Curtis Weldon Ware, Tuscon, Arizona; two daughters, Marjorie Janet Wollard, Hardin and Phyllis Jean Danner, Oregon; one brother, William Ware, St. Joseph; three sisters, Theodora Meek, College Springs, Iowa, Dorothy Derderian, Lake Forrest, Ill. and May Parker, Talala, Oklahoma; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services were held Tuesday, August 31 at 10:00 a.m. at the United Methodist Church with Dr. Dan Evans officiating. Services were under the direction of Price Funeral Home, Inc., Maryville.
Dr. Wallis Dies Here: Rites Monday
Nodaway County Tribune, December 18, 1947, Page 1. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/nodaway-county-tribune-dr-william-willis/196921847/
Funeral services for Dr. William M. Wallis, practicing physician and surgeon of Maryville for many years and a lifelong resident of Nodaway County, who died at 11:30 o’clock Friday night in his room at the Physicians’ building, were held at 10 o’clock Monday morning at the Price funeral home, conducted by the Rev. D. Franklin Kohl, pastor of the First Christian church.
Burial was in the Oak Hill Cemetery. Music was presented by Ralph C. Hartzell, who sang “Jesus Lover of My Soul” and “In the Garden,” accompanied by Mrs. Harry Price.
Flowers were in charge of a group of nurses. Pallbearers were Dr. E. C. Braniger, Dr. W. R. Jackson, Roland Curnutt, W. J. Montgomery, F. R. Wolfers, and Carl Wiles, Jr. Dr. Wallis, who underwent an operation two years ago, had been in failing health since.
He was born at Pickering in 1880, son of the late Dr. and Mrs. William M. Wallis. His father practiced his profession here for 52 years. The deceased graduated from the Central Medical College in St. Joseph in 1903 and practiced there for a short time.
In 1917, he and Dr. C. T. Bell built the Physicians’ building in Maryville, where they had been partners since. Dr. Wallis continued his practice until May, 1947. Dr. Wallis was a member of the First Christian church, three local Masonic fraternities, and the Moila Shrine Temple of St. Joseph.
He was an honorary life member of the Elks Club, vice president of the St. Francis Hospital staff for the last 25 years, a member of the Maryville Country Club, and a captain in the medical corps in Europe during World War I. He is survived by his wife of Los Angeles, Calif., and one sister, Mrs. L. C. Allend. r. Atlantic, Iowa, and a nephew, William Wallis Allender, Hollywood, Calif.
Dr. Wallis was the owner of the Atlasta farm just north of Pickering, where, at one time, he had approximately 30 horses at the stables where they were trained to be shown or sold. Many ribbons and trophies were won by the horses of his stables. He also raised and showed Great Dane dogs as a recreational project.
The Atlasta farm is one of the most attractive farms in the county. White fences surround the farmhouse and stable, and the barns are white, trimmed in green.
- We fed 800 people at Atlasta Farms — the cows filed a complaint for identity theft.”
- “At the 1971 Centennial barbecue, we cooked so much meat the smoke set the town clock back to lunchtime.”
- “They asked for seconds; we called it the Pickering Arms Race.”
- “Our grill was bigger than half the cars in town. The other half were in line.”
- “We had 800 plates and only one spatula — the definition of community teamwork.”
- “Feeding 800 people in an open pit? We didn’t need a weather report — we needed a crowd control manual and a hay bale for the cook’s throne.”
- “People asked if the barbecue would be fancy. I said, ‘Sure — it’s the fanciest pile of charcoal this side of the Mississippi.’”
- “By the time we served dessert, someone started issuing frequent-burner miles.”
- “When word spread that Atlasta Farms was feeding 800, neighbors brought chairs, a marching band, and a fire extinguisher. The band wanted a meat solo.”
- “We timed the pit so perfectly the mayor declared it a second holiday — National Nap Day — right after the main course.”
- “The secret to feeding 800? Treat every spatula like a baton and every volunteer like a relay team. By the third hour, we were setting barbecue world records and inventing polite ways to say ‘Do you want ketchup with that or another helping?’”