LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY

REMEMBERING WHEN
by Gracia Bootsma

 

 August 1904

It is said that John Johnson, a farmer of the neighborhood of Inwood, expects to have about one thousand bushels of apples in his orchard this year. He can probably ship a carload.

John Fry reports a yield of 18 large stacks of barley on 60 acres on ground.

Construction on the new telephone line southeast of town has begun. It will soon be completed and connected with central for "Hello."

The rural mail routes will be opened next Monday and on that day the carriers will make their respective trips for the first time. Postmaster Mak will make temporary appointments to fill the vacancies until the regular carriers are appointed.

Mr. J. Wenig is among the number who will try for a claim in the opening of the Devils Lake reservation. He is at Grand Forks, one of the places where the registration will take place.

Those who mail letters at the post office to go out on the rural routes should remember that a two cent stamp is necessary – one cent won't carry a letter away from the post office.

A swarm of bees took up their residence in J.P. Nighbert's residence. They were removed and about forty pounds of honey was taken.

The Sioux Falls Carnival Co., are making an offer to some young couple who will be married in a lion's den. They will receive furniture, tickets to shows and a big banquet all free of charge to the couple who will do it.

Farm for rent. Cash rent, $2.75 per acre. Inquire of M. T. Severson.

Weberg Bros. and Storjohnn & Co. shipped in a carload of fine watermelons this week. They sold some of them at wholesale to merchants in neighboring towns. There were 1,200 big melons and they are for sale at several places in town.

 

 August 1914

A new hardwood floor has been laid in the local depot waiting room.

Everyone waits anxiously these days for the daily paper and the latest war news. Yesterday's papers gave an account of England's declaration of war against Germany. All of Europe is now in a state of war. Italy is the only one of the principle powers that has not declared war.

Consumer's Ice Co. of this place has taken over the old Reliance Elevator building.

Five or six carloads of the good Knights of Doon passed through here yesterday morning en route to the river for an outing. There were two doctors and a dominie among the party so that their physical and spiritual welfare will be closely looked after during the time of camping.

Prices of food stuffs in the U.S.A. are soaring "on account of the war," but in countries where war really exists the prices are the same. Hanging is too good for some "American Merchant Princ-es.

Martin Flanagan, while pitching bundles in the harvest field, uncovered a rattler and remarked about his narrow escape and the lack of "snake bite remedy."

Our attention has been called to the bald headed woman in town. Well, what of that? There are a good many things we never saw. We never saw a woman sit on a dry goods box and surround herself with filthy little pools of extract of tobacco sprayed through her teeth. We never saw one go fishing with a bottle of bait on her hip pocket, sit on the damp ground and go home drunk at night. We never saw a woman yank off her coat, give her pants a hitch, spit on her hands and swear she could whip the "biggest," man in town, but come to think about it we don't want to.

The keeping open of the local post office so that patrons may secure their papers which arrive on No. 3 is to be commended and certainly is appreciated by the people of the town, especially during the time of the present titanic struggle in Europe.

LOWEST RATES EVER! Get a real farm home along the Soo Line in North Dakota. These lands are not idle Railroad lands, but genuine improved farms in a real farming district. They want Farmers! Terms and Price of Land Deed Easy!

 

  August 1924

The Sheriff's Office has been quite active for several weeks past and The Herald understands that they are averaging two to three stills a week. The charge now being brought against offenders is "maintaining a liquor nuisance," the minimum fine for which is three hundred dollars.

Brown Tennessee Bats, colored baseball players, will be here Friday, August 8, and play baseball according to bills posted about town. In 1916 they broke all semi-pro-records by winning 45 games straight. The game is called for the afternoon.

Little Esther Helder and Wyllis Hurley were hostesses at a doll tea party on Thursday afternoon at the A. Helder home. Nine little girls were present at the gathering.

The Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway offer a $2.20 round trip excursion to Spirit Lake and the Okobojis on Sunday. A special train will leave Inwood, on Sunday, August 10, and return that evening. Attractions include band concerts, amusement parks, steamer excursions, fishing, boating, and bathing. At Arnolds's Park there will be aeroplane stunts, parachute drops, a bathing beauty parade and live bands.

George Bahnson came in from Des Moines for a visit with the home folks. George has been employed by the Rumley Oil Pull people at Des Moines, but city life does not appeal like the "old home town." George tells us that one night as he passed a dark alley two thugs bounced him on the head, dragged him down the alley and one fellow shoved a gun into his ribs, while the other fellow relieved him of forty dollars.

The big red bridge five miles west of Inwood on the Canton-Inwood road was closed the first of the week for repairs and all traffic over this road was diverted to the Beloit and Klondike roads.

The big Lyon county fair will open and continue for six days, closing on Saturday. Albert Wold is in charge of the speed department this year, which means that there wil be a good line-up of horses. Many think that this will be the most interesting track events of the week. Live-stock exhibitions, famous bands, singing and dancing specialities and various programs also featured.

Herbert Bahnson was acting as fountain man at the Elite Cafe today.

 

  August 1934

The attorney general's office contends that Iowa's four per cent beer is not intoxicating. Therefore, it is claimed that anyone arrested for drunkenness would be discharged if he could prove he had only been drinking four per cent beer. Hence, he might get as "tight" as new shoes, but according to Iowa's law he couldn't be intoxicated. How do they get that way?

Buck's cafe will soon be ready to handle the next hot weather rush of business without an effort. A new built-in ice chest is being built in there this week by Alfred Pedersen and Eli Olson.

O.A. Streator will close a deal today with the Quaker Oats Company involving the sale of his grain elevator and feed business in Inwood.

Temperatures of 106† and 108† halts threshing crews.

G. A. Visser of Inwood was among those last week, who received the new top price of $5.10 per hundred pounds for his hogs. Visser offered 21 head averaging 230 pounds which brought the price.

Dutch Elm Disease has invaded an area of 3,000 square miles in New York and New Jersey.

A rain coat and $9.60 in cash were the only loot obtained by burglars who broke into the Great Northern depot tool house and a merchandise car at Lester.

July has had record-breaking heat. Never before since our weather records began more than 60 years ago has the heat in any one month been so intense over the state of Iowa.

 

Permission granted from Jodie Hoogendoorn, editor, Lyon County Reporter

 

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