June 17, 1897 —
On Tuesday evening, several young ladies of the village were trying to learn to ride some of the young men’s bucking bikes. They made a pretty good stagger out of it, we hear.
Chas Rohrberg purchased a new buggy from Billerbeck this week. It’s a dandy.
Miss Mary Goeres has the thanks of this editor for a nice supply of lettuce.
100 Years Ago. . .
It was western night at the Osmond auditorium. Fred Thompson starred in “Galloping Gallagher” with his Wonder Horse, Silver King; also round 6 of “Fighting Blood.”
While at the Deal Matteson home hanging paper, Mrs. W. H. Moore met with a bad accident when she fell on a nail, running it into the knee. J. J. Buchanan returned from Adrain, MO, where he had been visiting at the H. H. Buchanan home. Mr. and Mrs. Hight Buchanan moved from Osmond to Missouri a few years before and their many friends here were pleased to learn that they had prospered. Jim said that they had sold their farm for $78.50 per acre, making them a nice profit.
Ivan Haswell was making a big success of the chicken business. He had nine incubators going, with a total capacity of 3,300 eggs. He sold the day-old chicks for $12.50 per hundred and had orders ahead all the time for all that he could hatch. Some of the orders ranged as high as 500 and 1,000 to a customer. Ivan also did caponizing and vaccinating, and sold stock food for chickens, dips, etc. The following year, he planned on running a 10,000 egg incubator.
75 Years Ago. . .
A reunion that brought together one brother, five sisters and a mother from Pierce County with a brother and son from Germany occurred here — the happy occasion the result of long waiting, many letters and efforts on the part of all the relatives. It was on June 17, 1947, when John Kumm took the first step in an effort to bring his brother-in-law, Richard Buske, and his family to America. Since 1947, there were many more letters, many trips and much waiting until the first day of March 1950, nearly three years later, when Mr. Buske, his wife Maria and son Werner left their home in Schleiswig-Holstein in the British Zone of Germany, arriving in France in time to board the boat Ile de France on the 3rd of March. After six days of ocean travel, the family arrived in New York, boarded a train and arrived in Sioux City on March 12. There to meet him were his sister Elsie (Mrs. John Kumm) and husband and son Gerald of Osmond, and other sisters from Pierce. The reunion of the family was the first in over two decades.
Osmond people had seen in one week what to many was a pitiful sight in the name of progress. Trees — stately and scarred alike — landmarks on the city’s business principal thoroughfare since the beginning of the town, had fallen before the power saws of Consumers Public Power District. The trees, mostly ash, were being cut down to make way for a new white way system. A power company spokesman said the situation had come to choosing one or the other — the trees or the lights. The public in general, and uptown businessmen in particular, had been clamoring for the lights. Probably few realized that the new lights would mean a main street devoid of trees. The power company said the trees were being taken down with the permission of the village board. Anyhow, necessary or not, the cutting project struck a sad note in the hearts of many a bit of close shade, something green and alive, something to be appreciated in our summer days of 100 degree plus temperatures, passed in the name of progress.
65 Years Ago. . .
Superintendents, coaches and other faculty members of the Corntassel Conference schools met at Osmond. The all-conference basketball players were selected. Those winning spots on the team from Osmond were Charles Timmer and Harvey Bowling, juniors at OHS.
Gamble’s 100th anniversary sale at Stanosheck Hardware included: Big 16-cu. ft. 2-door Coranado freezerrefrigerator, $249.95 with trade-in of electric refrigerator, 1956 or newer (working); automatic toaster, Coranado 100, “compare at $14.95, sale price $9.88; 7-piece Chromecraft dinette set, $89.95; professional 56-piece tool set with hip-roof metal box, regular $49.95, anniversary price, $29.88; portable saw, $28.88; 3-channel stereo portable speakers, portable hi-fi, $69.95; house broom, 99¢; 8 plastic assorted color cereal bowls, 49¢; Royal Rambler riding lawn mower, $189.95.
At the March meeting of the Osmond Woman’s Club, Mrs. Chick Reed made the suggestion that the club take as a project selling the new 50-star national flag. Mrs. Reed was appointed to look into the matter.
The OHS Social Problems class was working on the development of a youth canteen in Osmond. Plans for the canteen were drawn up by the class with the help of their teacher, Henry Van Kirk. The proposal was set before members of the local Legion Club at their regular meeting. They were unanimously in favor of the proposal. The Legion hall might be used.
50 Years Ago. . .
For a number of years, a large wooden cross stood on a hill east of Osmond along Highway 20, and brought inspiration to hundreds of passing motorists. Then nature took its toll and the cross was no longer standing. In 1974, the senior high UMYF boys built another cross to replace it, which stood during the Easter season; but because of inclement weather they had been unable to paint it. The cross was removed after Easter for painting and was ready to be replaced, which the youth would do on Good Friday in 1975, but with a different twist. These young persons would “carry the cross” on their shoulders, working in teams of four to six, for the approximate three miles to the top of the hill where it would be a permanent reminder to the community and passers-by of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
25 Years Ago. . .
Craig Koehler and JordanAdamson were pictured after returning from a trip with Pierce County Sheriff Rick Eberhardt. The pair earned the trip with the sheriff by submitting the winning essays after completing the D.A.R.E. program. They visited the Pierce County jail in which 16 prisoners were housed at the time with two more expected that evening. They watched as prisoners were “booked in” (but not jailed). Craig and Jordan also had an opportunity to see the sheriff’s department communication system.
10 Years Ago. . .
At the March meeting of the Osmond board of education, Family Consumer Science and art instructor Jessica Bayer spoke to the board about her background in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and gave a very informative presentation on the program. There had been some discussion on adding ag education and an FFA Chapter at Osmond Community School. Principal Mike Brown said that there were 15-16 students interested in joining FFA.
