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1879James Price sold 2,000 bushels of wheat from his farm near Fairbury for $1 a bushel. Peter Jansen & Son received $1.05 per bushel for 2,100 bushels. Peter Jansen reported to The Gazette that he had lost 25 sheep to wolves, on his ranch near Jansen.1889Transfer of the St. Joseph & Grand Island (now Union Pacific) Railroad division offices from Hanover, Kan., to Fairbury, and the completion of the Rock Island line from the east had been a good thing for business in town. The Fairbury Gazette editor George Cross pointed out that the prosperity had its drawbacks, such as locomotive whistles and bells all hours of the day and night.1898It was suggested in The Fairbury Journal that the question of whether or not to license saloons in Fairbury, and how much to charge for the licenses, be settled by a direct vote of the people. 1899C.F. Steele, local furniture dealer, offered “solid oak, cane seat, dining chairs at $4.25 a set.” He had over 300 rockers in stock.Engineers C. Helmer and Jim Jackson were piloting the new and powerful engines pulling the Rocky Mountain Flyers over this railroad division.1909The new Fairbury Public Library was opened. Mrs. W.W. Watson was the librarian.1918The division office of the Rock Island master mechanic was transferred from Goodland, Kan. to Fairbury.1919Six Rock Island passenger trains were taken off due to the shortage of coal during the nationwide strike. School hours were shortened, starting at 10 a.m. Then the strike was settled, but the Fairbury municipal wood yard continued, for a time.Along with the fuel shortage came severe cold, dropping to 20 below zero, while a blizzard had left 10 inches of snow on the ground.Whittet & Traeger had unloaded a carload of new Maxell cars in Fairbury. The 920 models had “many of the features of the higher-priced Chalmers.”Cornelius & Son were charging $7 and $8 a team for shoeing horses.1923The Beatrice Express reported that a ban against girls with bobbed hair working in stores had been lifted.1927It was attempted to place an obstruction in the main channel of the Little Blue River, to provide more flow in its north channel, where cooling water was obtained for the city's electric generator turbine.The City Council advertised for bids to supply a 2,000-kilowatt high-pressure steam turbine and generator and auxiliary equipment.Bud Mulkey of Fairbury received a radiogram with Christmas greetings from Ralph Elliott, U.S. Marines radio operator at Tientsin, China.William Stavron, proprietor of the Candy Kitchen made and donated 200 pounds of candy for distribution with other food to the needy of Fairbury.1934Every child in Fairbury was expected to be visited by some kind of Santa Claus, as various lodges and Chamber of Commerce and American Legion planned to take care of all of them.The Farmers Union of Jefferson county held a meeting and passed a resolution that there be an audit of all the county officers to see where the money had gone and to see if there couldn't be some way started to relieve the taxpayers.At a meeting of the committee on old age pensions a list was devised for each to receive $2 a month. There were 150 applications. It was the general opinion that the $2 wouldn't help out much, but it was a beginning.1937There were between 35 and 40 vacant houses in Fairbury. Cheaper rental houses were in demand. Higher rental homes less so.The Rev. Robert C. Shupe, Fairbury Presbyterian pastor for nine years, accepted a call to the church at Caldwell, Idaho.1944Harry M. Stearns, manager of the J.C. Penney Co., purchased the residence of the late Frank Lea on H Street. This property was owned for a number of years by Dr. C.E. Leach.The Fairbury Journal Editor W.F. And Cora Cramb quietly celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.Paul Schoenrock was elected president of the Jefferson county Farmers Union, succeeding John Becker of Plymouth. Henry Junker was reelected vice president, and Will Turner was reelected secretary-treasurer.1954The City Council approved a slight reduction in gas rates to customers who used gas for heating. It was to mean a saving of about $6,000 a year to Fairbury customers.Remodeling was under way at Central Ward School, the former junior high, because of crowded conditions. The north part of the assembly room was to be partitioned off into a classroom for the fifth grade, and this would permit the division of second grade pupils, one division of which would move to the small fifth grade room.President John Aasen and a group of Fairbury Rotarians joined a number from Beatrice at Hebron to assist in the organization of a Rotary club in that city.Stewart Mosiman was winner of the Rose Bowl trip, offered by A.C. Hergott and Frank Cacak of Hergotts, in connection with General Electric,o. Mrs. Mosiman was to accompany her husband.1964Midshipman 1-C Dennis A. Jones, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. 'Johnny' Jones and a Fairbury high school graduate, addressed the high school convocation as a part of the U. S. Naval Academy “Operation Information” program. He attended Fairbury College and the University of Nebraska following his graduation at FHS in 1959 and was in line for his commission and bachelor of science degree from Annapolis in the spring. His appearance at Fairbury was one of five during the holiday vacation.National publicity was accorded Fairbury College when it was featured in the Juco Review, the official publication of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Included were pictures of the cheerleaders, student groups, several buildings, Pres. Lewis Patrick, Dean Fred Drexler, Athletic Director C.L. Grovert and Track Coach Ray Fallstead. A short write-up of the growth of the college, the curriculum offered and plans for future expansion were also included.1996Following a federal equality mandate, members of the Distrct 8 Board of Education agreed to offer girls softball beginning the 1996-1997 school year.2006Three high rollers scored at career nights bowling at Fairbury's Pla-Mor Lanes. Fred Zabel bowled 299 for ray's Apple market, Barry Pearson bowled a perfect 300 game for Maatch's Oil and Shawn Sand bowled 299 for Tooley's.

12.22.21

2022 Petition Initiatives- Part Four of a Series

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