[ CLAY COUNTY INTHE REARVIEW MIRROR
]
by Jerry Johnson • The Sutton Historical Society ([email protected])
Our Clay County Character from the past is Herbert Johnson, who was born in Sutton Oct. 30, 1878, to J.W. and Mary Johnson, both Iowa natives. J.W. identified as a broker in the 1880 census, likely one of a swarm of realtors running loose in the county at the time. The family moved to Lincoln when Herbert was 13. Two years later, he was a clerk in a western Nebraska general store. He was a cartoonist in Denver and Kansas City newspapers before landing in school at the University of Nebraska in 1899, where he managed a college newspaper.
Herbert Johnson never took formal art classes, but after more wandering, he became the cartoonist for a Philadelphia newspaper and soon drew cartoons and illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, Life, Colliers, and more. He illustrated covers for Saturday Evening Post and Country Gentleman magazines in the 1930s and into the ‘40s. His political cartoons were critical of FDR and the New Deal. He died in 1946.
(Personal note: In a post several years ago, I mentioned that a collection of 90 of his cartoons were in a book that was sold out on Amazon.com. I received a note from the wife of Mr. Johnson’s grandson in Pennsylvania who thanked me for recognizing the fellow in his hometown and sent me that red-covered book of those cartoons.)
2000 – 25YEARS AGO Tyler Fitzke of Glenvil was elected president of the Nebraska 4-H Youth Council at the leadership conference held in Lincoln.
A rail being carried on a flat car of an eastbound Burlington freight worked loose and began to drag one end into the ground, scattering stones and stuff for 11 miles before the crew stopped the train three miles east of Sutton. The rail caused about $55,000 in damage to signs and signals along the railroad rightof- way. Flying stones broke several windows in the Sutton Co-op and in the BN Sante Fe building in Sutton.
Five county high school students were among the 259 members of the sixth Masonic All-Star Marching Band performing at the 2000 Shrine Bowl festivities. Michelle Thalman of Harvard joined Sutton High students Julie Fixemer, Elliott Bottorf, John Falk, and Travis Sippel.
World War II veterans held their eighth annual reunion at Legion Posts #52 and 759 in Kearney.
A cyclist from Toronto, Canada, turned off Highway 6 into downtown Sutton one morning this week. The cyclist planned to join thousands of fellow bike riders for the annual cross-Iowa ride sponsored by a Des Moines newspaper. With time to spare, he took a Greyhound bus to Cheyenne and was biking to Council Bluffs for the start of that event. He was camping along the way, stopping in motels every three or four nights. He enjoyed small-town diners and gave Sutton a thumbs up.
Homegrown Clay Center acting talent and director Donna Hastings presented two performances of a melodrama during the town’s 4th of July observance.
A death notice this week: Lillie Mae (Poor) Applegate of Clay Center.
Sutton Juniors fell short in their bid for a trip to the state tournament by dropping a 12-5 decision to Hebron in the district championship game. The Sutton team defeated Wymore 12-1 to reach the district finals.
Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France.
An Air France Concorde jet crashed on takeoff in Paris, killing 109 passengers and crew, plus four on the ground.
1975 – 50YEARS AGO The Harvard Rural Fire District purchased two-way radios for each of the department units. The city and rural district also had new Air-Packs to sustain firemen in confined smoky conditions.
The 80-year-old Dr. Fellman dental building in Harvard was demolished.
Elizabeth Eigenberg of Clay Center received her student cap in Capping Ceremonies at Mary Lanning School of Nursing in Hastings.
The Nebraska picnic for residents of Colorado and western Nebraska was held in Loveland, CO.
Jeffrey Claus of Sutton was a bass in the chorus of the opera “Carmen” performed at Northern Colorado University. Claus was a graduate of the school.
Firearms were prohibited for this year’s Nebraska bullfrog season. Bows and arrows were still allowed except in state parks and recreation areas. Legal methods for taking frogs included hook-and-line, gigging, dip netting, and bare hands.
Herman’s Repair shop in Clay Center opened a new onecar, coin-operated car wash on the property.
Featured business: The new Clay County Plumbing business in Harvard with their Grand Opening coming soon.
Death notices this week included: Thomas A. Brewster, Clay Center; Roberta Hollis Cain of Normal, IL (Harvard); Louis F. Avers of Davenport; and Albert Griess, Sutton (County Treasurer, 1912-1918).
Lincoln dentists described the impact from five years of fluoridation of the city’s water. One dentist said he could immediately distinguish between Lincoln kids and those from towns around Lincoln without fluoride in the water. The teeth of the Lincoln kids lacked cavities at the rate found in the others. One adverse effect was that the University’s Dental College had fewer patients than in prior years for their 66 students to practice on. The school was considering opening a clinic in Omaha to expand the case load.
The Sutton Junior Legion team defeated Geneva 8-7 in a game at Harvard to claim the Eastern Division Championship of the South Central league. Kenny Vejraska hit his fifth home run in the game.
The national Bicentennial committee created the “Century 3 Communities Program” to make available to small communities the technology and decision-making tools that had been developed by government and business since WWII. The program headquarters was in Dickerson, MD. Thirteen communities across the country were selected for the pilot program.
The members of the Organization of American States voted to lift sanctions against Cuba. The U.S. government announced intentions to open serious discussions with Cuba to normalize relations.
The disco era began as Van McCoy’s song “The Hustle” topped the Billboard Hot 100 list. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental. Van McCoy died four years later of a heart attack at age 39.
1950 - 75YEARS AGO The Korean War’s first impact on county business occurred when Matt Billesbach, operator of the jewelry store in the Eller store in Clay Center, re-enlisted. Billesbach was a reservist and had been in the Medical Corps in WWII. He would return to that branch of service.
The Superior-Deshler Propane Co. opened an outlet in Edgar, five blocks west of Main Street on Highway No. 119. E.A. Lillich of Deshler, part owner, was the manager of the Edgar business.
Edgar Ladies Aid sponsored a farewell picnic for the W.A. Sugden family, who were moving to Fairbury. Mr. Sugden was president of the school board and previously served as mayor of Edgar. He was a member of the Lions Club, Commercial Club, and Masonic Lodge.
Patrons of twenty-seven rural schools elected to close those schools and send their pupils to town schools this fall. Sutton was the destination for the greatest number, generating more than $24,000 in tuition. Edgar and Fairfield would receive $9,000 and Trumbull almost $8,000. Other schools were taking fewer students, generating less tuition.
Frances J. Rolfes was elected the new commander of the Sutton American Legion Post. Other officers were Edwin Fuehrer, Homer Eckhardt, Walt Kirchhefer, George Buttell, and Lorence Griess.
The city of Clay Center installed playground equipment in the city park including a merry-go-round, six swings, and two teeter-totters.
Dale Thomas was nominated to be postmaster in Clay Center. President Truman’s confirmation was expected shortly.
The Clay County draft board was one of 24 boards in the state that had remained active for emergency purposes and were ready to send its first draftees to Omaha for physical examinations on Aug. 2. All eligible men were expected to take physicals in the next few months to be classified for service status.
Featured business: Bauer & Krass Tavern on the North Side in Sutton.
The Harvard Theater reopened this week as damage from a fire several weeks earlier had been repaired. The opening movie was a WWII comedy “When Willie Comes Marching Home.” The Edgar Lyric Theater had “I Was a Male War Bride” starring Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. Sutton’s Lyric had “If You Knew Suzie” with Eddie Cantor and Joan Davis. The Center Theater had Randolph Scott in “The Nevadan.”
The Fairfield Fire Department sponsored the Fuller Brothers Circus for a one-day performance.
Death notices this week included: Mrs. Peter (Katherine) Klein of Wolbach (Sutton); John Lenus Benson, Saronville; Hurley Churchill, Clay Center; and Mrs. John (Josephine Marie) Peshek, Fairfield.
Edgar defeated Clay Center 9-2 behind the pitching of Gratoff and Clouse. Gratoff allowed just two hits in seven innings. Busboom and Yonko pitched for Clay Center.
Sutton avenged an earlier controversial game with Aurora in a 13-2 win in Cornhusker League play. Bob Korte, who formerly pitched for Aurora, gave up the two runs in his seven-inning outing. Sutton then dropped games to Utica and Geneva, 3-0 and 5-2.
Disney released “Treasure Island.”
1925 – 100YEARS AGO After several months of research including trips to Washington, Pittsburgh, NY, and other media centers, Henry H. Johnson of the M.M. Johnson Incubator and Brooder Company decided Clay Center was the right place for a radio station. Henry ordered 1,000-watt equipment from Western Electric Co., Mr. Evans, an architect in Hastings, submitted plans for a 40’ X 70’ building of two stories and a basement. The Dempster Co. of Beatrice won the contract for steel work for two 150-foot towers and anchors. A new station under construction in Des Moines was the only station comparable to KMMJ between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast. (KMMJ moved to Grand Island in 1939.)
The Hastings Women’s Golf Club hosted the Ladies Golf Club of Clay Center for a day on the Queen City course. The next day, the Hastings golfers motored to Clay Center for a return match with the Clay Center Ladies Club. The Hastings pro, Art DeMain, joined the ladies and during the day played the Clay Center course in 30, a record matched only by the former Hastings pro, Al Hearn.
Chautauqua season was here, and Fairfield was touting ads by Redpath-Horner Chautauqua which listed Fairfield as the best Chautauqua town of its size in the country. Mrs. T.P. Shively was elected to serve as president of the Chautauqua committee. G.H. Bentz and A.H. Swanson were officers.
Edgar’s First Presbyterian Church celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the church on Sunday. Dr. Cunningham addressed the Sunday school to begin the celebration. A.S. Hutcheson was installed as the new pastor at the regular service. Former pastor W.C. Brewer participated as did W.E. Andrews, another former pastor and a former congressman from this district. The afternoon session included musical numbers and addresses by several visitors and members of the church.
One hundred and thirteen Sutton businessmen and members of the fire department signed a petition asking the mayor and city council to “… make the necessary appropriation and of sufficient size to furnish a modern, fully equipped fire truck and the necessary things that may go with it, that we may be able at the least risk possible to our lives and limbs to meet and control fire that may happen in our city” The list of signees may be a near exhaustive list of businesses in Sutton in 1925.
Featured business: Cecil Jackson’s grocery store in Edgar.
Death notices this week included: Charles H. Warren, Edgar; George Honey, Sutton’s oldest businessman having started his furniture store in 1872; Adolph Anderson, Saronville resident since 1876; Wesley Osborn, Eldorado; and Mrs. John (Margaretha Deines) Schmer, Harvard.
The Orpheum Theater in Fairfield was showing Rex, the Black Horse, in “Wild Cyclone” – the greatest horse picture ever produced.
1900 – 125YEARS AGO The frame of the new Ong schoolhouse was up and the contractor, Mr. John Carlson, agreed to have it finished by the first of September.
The walls of the new bank building in Ong were completed. Mr. Wm. Graham of Edgar was doing the work.
S.R. Jones opened a new dry goods and clothing store in Harvard in the building formerly occupied by Sheean and Perry.
The Sheean & Perry dry goods, clothing, and furnishings store in Harvard moved into its new location in the Bain & Turner block.
Guy Orendorff of Spring Ranch reported his wheat fields yielded 18 and 12 bushels per acre. His barley made 26. Inland area oats yields were low due to grasshopper damage. Sutton hotelier J.T. Mollyneaux displayed two heads of cauliflower that combined for six pounds.
The Verona school board hired Prof. Frank Graham for the grammar department and Miss Addie Elder for the primary school.
Featured business: The Racket Store, dry goods in Fairfield.
New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt, Republican candidate for Vice President, announced that he would spend a week in Nebraska during the campaign. (The Democratic ticket in 1900 was headed by presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan of Lincoln.)
A steamship arrived in Victoria, British Columbia with reports of new gold finds in the Yukon.
An Italian-born man who resided in the U.S. returned to Italy and assassinated Italy’s King Umberto I in the city of Monza.
Reports out of China indicated that foreigners including diplomats and missionaries were still alive and temporarily safe in areas contested by the rebels.
1850 – 175YEARS AGO Gold was discovered in the Rogue River in Oregon.
Harvard and Yale freshmen met in the first intercollegiate billiards match.
1775 – 250YEARS AGO The 2nd Continental Congress established the postal system. The first Postmaster General was Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Rush became the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army. (I have an autographed copy of David Peck’s book “Or Perish in the Attempt – Wilderness Medicine in the Lewis & Clark Expedition” which describes the advice Dr. Rush gave Capt. Meriwether Lewis before the departure of the expedition in 1803. Dr. Rush was the foremost medical authority in the U.S. at the time. His advice has not aged well. Medical theories of the time held that imbalances of the “humors (blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile) caused illnesses. Treatment centered on bloodletting and purging (inducing vomiting and diarrhea). Dr. Rush provided Capt. Lewis with his Bilious Pills containing high amounts of mercury, a powerful laxative. Dr. Peck’s book points out the remarkable fact that only one man died during that two-year expedition, despite Capt. Lewis’s faithful implementation of Dr. Rush’s medical advice.)
