July 30, 1896. . .
The story is that Chris Mehrens, living about three miles south of Osmond, Neb., recently dug a well and has since been pumping the water into a reservoir for irrigation and other purposes. The water appeared to Mr. Mehrens to be like the water from any well, and it was a sediment which settled to the bottom of the reservoir which contained little particles that attracted Mr. Mehrens’ attention. He gathered up a quantity of the sediment and forwarded it to St. Louis for analysis. Yesterday he received word that the analysis showed that gold in large quantities was found in the dirt which came from the well. Mr. Mehrens says that there are valuable deposits of this same dirt which had analyzed on his farm and he thinks he has a bonanza which beats the free silver craze all to pieces. — Sioux City Tribune July 22nd.
100 Years Ago. . .
Another attempt was made to rob the clothing store of L. E. Taylor. E. L. Gore, who since the robbery four years before in July, had slept in the store with a loaded shotgun, heard a noise at the front door. He got hold of his gun and started toward the front door. He heard the lock click, where it had been forced by the burglars. He then let them have one barrel of the gun, which smashed the glass in the front door, and Marshal Gore heard the burglars tearing up the street and the sound of a car starting out of town at high speed. Owing to Mr. Gore’s bravery, the only loss was about $15, the price of the plate glass in the door. The Taylor Clothing Store was a mecca for visitors all day, who came to see where the burglars had met their Waterloo. It would be four years in July that year that Mr. Taylor was robbed of between $4-5,000 worth of clothing, and another loss of that kind would have been pretty tough.
Memorial Day 1924 was again most fittingly celebrated in Osmond.
The Legion boys, commanded by Post Commander B. L. Schmitz, the Osmond Auxiliary and the MWA, also the Osmond band, marched from the MWA hall to the city hall where the exercises were held. The hall was filled to overflowing. Miss Edna Hoeppner favored the audience with a solo, and Edward Cizek also rendered a violin solo. After the program at the city hall, the large crowd went to the public cemetery, and then to the Catholic cemetery. At each, the band played a selection, an address was given, the firing squad fired three volleys and Taps was sounded.
75 Years Ago. . .
Superintendent L. E. Nelson said that it was hoped that six-man football would be inaugurated into the Osmond High School extracurricular activities in the next year. He said that two steps would have to be taken before that hope could become a reality. First, the school board would have to be consulted and then money would have to be raised for equipment and other needs. A proposed conference was being discussed which would include seven Class C schools. All except Winside and Osmond already had football squads.
May 14 was Poppy Day. Members of the American Legion Auxiliary were on the streets in the afternoon and evening selling poppies. The poppies were made by disabled veterans and were sold for 10¢. Helen Thomsen, president of the unit, said that over 800 poppies were sold for a total of $85.83.
Deep water and steep, caving banks around the Osmond Gun Club grounds made it an extremely hazardous place for unsupervised children to play. Parents were asked to caution their children who might have been there or who might wish to go there in the future about the danger.
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 326 announced the winners in the essay contest which had been held for all high school students. The topic was “American Freedoms — Now and Then.” First prize winner was Jim Rodgers. Second prize went to Dorothy Wegner while Leonald Warneke received third prize.
65 Years Ago. . .
Eight pupils of Immanuel Lutheran grade school and four at St. Mary’s Catholic school received eighth grade diplomas within the same week. In the Lutheran class were Judy Broekemeier, Marcia Buckendahl, Bernita Dibbert, James Gutz, Nancy Kear, Paul Kumm, Rodney Kumm and Leila Schultz. At St. Mary’s, the students were Carol Weeder, Judy Waddell, Steven Borgmann and Donald Moes.
The rainfall received at Osmond during the month of May probably exceeded that of any month since records had been kept here. The Weather Bureau rain gauge at West Lumber & Coal Co. here recorded 8.81 inches of rain in the month just past. Until then it was thought the 7.57 inches received in July of 1958 constituted a record.
Jim and Clarice Hoffman, 16and 11-year-old brother and sister, children of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hoffman of Osmond, were going to put Princess through her drills at the Pierce County Centennial Celebration. Princess was a snowwhite mare trained by the Nebraska White Horse Ranch and formerly one of the show’s top performers. Before her own act, Princess was going to pull the Osmond Community Club sponsored float in the centennial parade. The float itself consisted of a cutter, an early day piece of fancy transportation equipment for use when snow covered the ground. The cutter-float was designed and built by Fred Jewell of Osmond.
Rural and city people alike in and around Osmond went to the polls of a special election, many of them after months of intermittent study of the factors involved, and voted heavily in favor of a plan that would consolidate 14 school districts into one. The vote in 13 rural districts was 211 for the plan and 88 against. The vote in Osmond District 42 was 335 in favor and 11 against. Osmond now became one of the first areas in this section of the state to consolidate nearby school districts in an avowed effort to achieve better and more efficient education for children of the town and rural communities. Wausa adopted a similar plan earlier that year.
50 Years Ago. . .
Members of the United Methodist Church voted to build an education building on the lots east of the church building where the congregation was currently worshipping. The building would be 96 feet by 40 feet setting north and south on the site, with entrances on the south, east and west sides of the building.
A somewhat unexpected $7,200 was received by the City of Osmond. And what’s more, an accompanying letter indicated more would be received. When the sanitary sewer plant in Osmond was constructed several years earlier, the city paid approximately 70% of the cost and a federal grant paid the rest. In 1974, City Clerk Duane Reed’s attention was called to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendment of 1972. It said cities could be reimbursed for a portion of funds not paid by the federal government in such a construction. Thus, the $7,200, and the exact amount of the following payment wasn’t known, but was expected to bring in some $1,800.
Tim Bowling, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bowling of Osmond, was awarded a Master Angler Award by the Nebraska Game Commission. Tim, who would be a junior at OHS that fall, caught a 10 lb. 2 oz. northern pike in an oxbow on the Elkhorn River. The fish was 33 inches long and had a girth of 14½ inches. A minnow was used as bait.
25 Years Ago. . .
Fifty-year continuous membership awards from national American Legion headquarters were presented to Jack Theisen, Andy Weeder and Cecil Cobb. They joined the elite group of 26 World War II veterans whose annual dues were paid by the Post. The winner in the life membership drawing was Norm Lorenz, who was present. He was the first Post member to win a second time and the first to receive $100 because he was already a life member.
A ewe in the small flock of sheep kept by Philip and Julie Gershon of Osmond gave birth to a lamb. It was the ewe's first and the birth went smoothly. Her offspring, however, was not totally normal. The female lamb was born with a third front leg, attached to the right side of the baby. The leg was full length, but had a double hoof. They were advised that generally such lambs don’t survive more than 48 hours. The lamb, however, passed that time frame and the extra leg was amputated. The lamb was thriving and had no signs of problems.
10 Years Ago. . .
Wayne. Osmond elementary students honored Connor von Rentzell for becoming the first ho nor reader from the fifth grade in the Acceler ated Reading program. To become an honor reader, a students must meet ev- ery certification level in the program five times, then make 75 high-level fiction and nonfiction points each.
Osmond’s Q125 celebration re-
ceived its first major donations. The City of Osmond was the first major donor to board the Q125 train with a $2,500 contribution. Getting on board shortly after with gifts of $2,500 each were the HOME Team and Security Bank.
