Looking Back

1879Mr. Moss, a friend of J.R. Nelson of Fairbury, arrived here with his family, to live. Prize-winners at the Jefferson County Fair included Henry Willey for best grape wine and Mrs. S.T. Hall for best exhibit of ladies’ underwear. Another woman took prizes for best lamp mat and best crocheted “tidy.”1889Starting price here for new-crop corn was 20 cents a bushel.C.P. Cary, Fairbury principal, and Mae Johnson, assistant, had a total of 90 pupils in grades 8 through 10. Miss Finney, grade 7, had 41; Miss Stewart, grades 5-6, had 65; and Miss Maffet, grades 1-2, 65.1899Col. C.J. Bills of Fairbury returned from a trip to the East. Col. Bills used his own money to make farm loans, then went East, selling the loans at face value to widows, estates, trustees, etc., with his own guarantee of payment on each. His profit came from the commission charged the borrowers, plus accrued interest until he sold the “paper.” In case of default on principal or interest, he made good with his own money.Manager Russell of the local electric plant asked all groups and individuals to use as little current as possible during the street fair to insure current for its decorative lights.1909A.I. Bain of Marysville, Kansas, sought local support for putting an alfalfa mill into production here.John Mathias of Diller had raised 600 bushels of peaches on his farm.D.R. Kelly raised 11 pigs to five months, then sold them for $100.1919Three months’ drought in the county ended with five inches of rain in three days at Fairbury. The moisture was welcomed by farmers who’d sowed wheat in dry soil, but it almost washed out the county fair.John Heasty and J.C. McLucas led the field in the primary election to be delegates to the state constitutional convention.Jumping land prices were evidenced by sale of the Norman quarter-section two miles west of Daykin for $170 an acre, six months after it had brought $135. A quarter-section two miles north of Plymouth brought $210 and another nearly $200.Farm prices helped the land boom with wheat at $2.06, corn $1.45, hogs $15 and baled alfalfa $25 a ton. Farm wives were in on the prices, too, with butter at 60 cents and eggs 42 cents a dozen.1926The Farmers Union of Jefferson County opened a cream and produce receiving station and a gasoline filling station on Third Street, just west of the old Rex Theatre building.1936Charles Koenig, County Commissioner, suggested that a marker be placed at the site of Meridian, once the leading settlement in the county, southeast of Alexandria. Meridian was by-passed when the Union Pacific Railroad route was surveyed in 1870s.1993Ramona Schoenrock, and educator at Columbus High School, was named the outstanding business teacher of 1993 by the Nebraska Vocational Education Association.Freddie and Ruth Drexler attended the National American Legion Convention held in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Nebraska Lottery kicked off Sept. 11.Fairbury Lockers manager Dennis Brown sold the first lottery tickets in Fairbury to Mayor Lewis Mason.Viola Grooms was the grand prize winner from The Fairbury Journal-News carrier subscription drive contest. Runners-up were Luke Southwick and Samantha Bartels.Fairbury resident Bob Burkley presided over a special ceremony dedicating five new “Welcome to Fairbury” signs. Burkley and his wife, Wauneta dedicated the project to the memory of longtime Fairbury artist Casey Lindsay.

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