Eleven inches of snow was drifted across by high winds across southeastern Nebraska. Most area schools had three "snow" days.
1990
After almost 20 years of transmitting telephone calls, the microwave tower atop the Lincoln Telephone office was taken down. The 75-foot tower was erected in 1970 and transmitted signals to the tower near Gladstone, where the signal continued to Clatonia and on to Lincoln. The tower was disconnected two years prior due to the installation of fiber optic lines.
About 100 Fairbury Girl Scouts, Brownies to Seniors, had a part in the annual caroling and Christmas service project, 10 years ago. They broadcast the carols over radio station KGMT and decorated an evergreen tree at the gas office with gifts of toys, books and clothing to be sent to an Indian mission near Gordon. Mrs. Homer Mudge made the arrangements.
1970
Thirty-one head of cattle were stolen from the sale barn at Hebron.
The Fairbury Gazette was favorable to the nomination of Horace Greeley for president. Greeley was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and editor of the New-York Tribune. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressman from New York, and ran for president as a candidate of the new Liberal Republican party against incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant, who won by a landslide.
Fairbury markets consisted of corn, 35 cents; oats, 30 cents; potatoes, 50 cents; eggs, 20 cents; and buter, 30 cents.
Fairbury Presbyterians dedicated their new church. Complete and furnished, it cost $3,000. The Rev. B.F. McNeil had been the first pastor, starting in January 1871. He also had preached in Steele City and Alexandria and in a sod house in the Helvey area.
Farm market prices at Fairbury were wheat 55 cents a bushel, corn 41 cents, fat steers $3.50, hogs $2, eggs 15 cents and butter 15 cents.
Everett Kahler, northwest of Fairbury, won the first annual soil conservation contest sponsored by the First National Bank of Fairbury. Second and third were Harold Hummel, north of Bower, and Arnold Rehm, southeast of Diller.
Verona Kneip of Byron was Fairbury Junior College homecoming queen. Runners-up were Beverly Hagemeier of Odell, Cindy Preston of Fairbury and Marilee Wrigley of Diller.
1982
Jefferson county farmers were to receive $227,000 in wheat deficiency payment, said Gilbert Luehring, county ASCS committee chairman.
A “business card” was published in The Fairbury Gazette by “Porter & Parker, Manufacturers of Stoneware, Rose Creek.”
At the first teachers institute ever, County Superintendent Chapman reported he’d made 70 visits to schools during the year, twice at each, staying a full day each time, and putting in 130 days, of which he was paid $3 a day and furnished his own conveyance.
J.R. Nelson started to build the first residence in McDowell’s Addition.
Several new buildings were going up in Fairbury, 50 years ago, and some were being remodeled. However, building was slowing down as the depression continued, making people more cautious.
The new Union Pacific station in Fairbury, costing $100,000, was about ready for use. This was what would have been called in earlier days the St. Joe and Grand Is-land Depot and was the third since the first railroad came here. The pre-1930 depot had been just south of Fifth Street. It was sold and moved by a Fairbury man who remodeled it into a dwelling.