May 20, 1897 —
Peter Knott of the Wausa Herald was in the village on Saturday and swapped print shop experience with us for a time.
Gus Borchert is getting ready to harvest a large crop of chickens and pigs on his ranch in Thompson. Nothing quite equals us agriculturalists over there.
Through the courtesy of Henry Hamer, assessor, we are enabled to announce that the assessed valuation of Plum Grove Precinct is $104,334. Real estate $88,720, personal $15,614. There are in the precinct 501 horses, 860 head of cattle, 63 mules, 1,405 hogs and 173 wagons and carriages but nary a gun.
100 Years Ago. . .
In the "Seniors" section of the High School Notes: The seniors
only number 13 now, and will until Kenneth [Carver] comes back to school. We are not superstitious, but like to be sure and safe. So, Kenneth, hurry back.
Rev. Sullenberger, who for nearly four years was pastor of the Presbyterian church here, but who had left several years before to be a missionary in Guatemala, filled the pulpit at the church both morning and evening on Sunday, Feb. 15, 1925. The church was crowded to capacity for both services. In the evening, the Methodist people dispensed with their regular services to hear their friend preach, for while Rev. Sullenberger had occupied the pulpit here, he belonged to the whole community and was every man’s friend.
The Osmond Auxiliary met at the Claus Hinrichsen home, the occasion being a shower in honor of one of their members, Mrs. Alvina Netz, who was married the previous week. Games such as "gossip" and "fruit basket" were played, after which a lunch of ice cream and wafers was served.
The "greatest screen attraction of the age," "The Hunchback of Notre dame," with Lon Chaney, was at the Osmond auditorium on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 24. Admission was 15 and 30 cents. Just one show each night was given on this show as it was 12 reels in length.
75 Years Ago. . .
Marvin Koehler appeared on the stage of the city hall during the presentation of "Comin' Round the Mountain," dressed as a hillbilly with a bandaged foot and crutches. Koehler represented "Zeke" in the play and his costume was to include a bandaged toe. His lower leg makeup was transformed from artificial to real by events of two nights before. Marvin journeyed to Hartington with the basketball boys and there started playing basketball. During the game, he fell and hurt his ankle. Upon arriving home, he was taken to the doctor where it was learned that he would have to be on crutches. He had a chipped bone in the joint. So, instead of just a bandaged toe, Marvin had a bandaged foot and walked with the aid of crutches.
There were many members of the Osmond Gun Club who couldn't get through drifting roads to the annual club banquet at the city hall, but there were 237 members who did - at $5 per membership. The affair, instituted some 10 years earlier, had found increasing favor until at the present time, it was one of the largest sports-social affairs in the state. Membership rolls included names of persons from at least 20 different towns. The 1950 attendance was probably an all-time high.
The "Coffee Shop"" and bus depot, opened some months earlier in the small building just north of the Golter Storey by Kenneth Schultze, ceased business.
65 Years Ago. . .
A McLean frame home belonging to the estate of the late Wm. VanSlyke was sold for $650. Purchaser was Fred Kraemer, McLean farmer, who was going to remodel the home and move to that town at an undetermined date.
Snow, wind and cold temperatures moved into this area to carve out a storm pattern that under normal conditions would be considered little more than an unpleasant winter disturbance. But things were different because of conditions brought on by severe storms and heavy snows of several weeks before. The fall this time was estimated at 5 to 6 inches. This was piled into drifts and into narrow cuts which had been hued out of previous drifts. Most rural roads were quickly closed.
The Presbyterian Ladies' Aid met with Mrs. Einar Steckelberg in charge of devotions. The program on "race relations" was in charges of Mesdames Kenneth Blunck and Henry Brunckhorst, the special subject being, "Who Is My Neighbor?" 50 Years Ago. . .
Along with sledding and sliding comes the winter sport of snowman making. Although it's fun to make outside snowmen, the second grade at Osmond Community School found making an inside snowman every bit as exciting. The papier-mâché snow - man was a combined effort of the class as it required a great deal of tearing and pasting to make the form. After the shape was completed, the form was covered with cotton balls and dressed for winter. When Sam the snowman was completed, miniature snowmen were made and stories about Sam were written.
An early morning fire severely damaged the interior of Frankie's Barber and Beauty Shop. The alarm was turned in shortly before 4 a.m. when Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weiand were awakened in the living quarters, which adjoined the shops to the rear, by intense smoke. Mrs. Weiand went through the connecting door to the barber shop, still in her night clothes and barefooted, to find the cause. The smoke and heat were so intense she was forced to escape through the front door of the shop onto the street. The fire was believed to have started near an electrical outlet on the barber shop side and ignited several towels there. Even though the fire was contained on the barber shop side, the beauty shop portion of the structure was severely damaged by intense heat. Plastic containers, hair rollers, hair dryer hoods and many other items were melted. The living quarters, which had been recently redecorated, received enough smoke damage that a name could be written in the soot just about anywhere.
25 Years Ago. . .
About 40 persons gathered at Foster to consider building a bar and grill for the community. For many years, the town had two taverns which served lunches and meals but, in recent years, meals had been discontinued and one bar remained open on a
part-time basis. The consensus was that a community center or bar and grill should be pursued. Land for a building as well as equipment from the former Hot Spot Bar were donated for the project.
10 Years Ago. . .
A southern flavor dominated the Osmond city auditorium for the HOME Team Mardi Gras masquer -
ade. Crowned Mardi Gras king was Gary Schieffer. Receiving the queen's
crown was Patty Timmerman. Two games of Family Feud entertained the crowd. In the first, the Hoppe family defeated the Stechs. In the second, the Ganseboms emerged the victors over the Dennis family.
