Looking Back

LOOKING BACK1892The old county jail, formerly in the courthouse square was sold for $77.50.1902The Fairbury Sewer Co. was planning to extend north from Fifth Street to the north edge of the city, also an east-west line on Sixth, if enough interest were shown.The Harbine Bank of Fairbury bought the Daykin Bank; Frank Denney succeeded F.B. Welton as cashier.The newspaper's name changed from Jefferson County Journal to Fairbury Journal.1912Hot, dry weather was hurting crops. It was worse in western Kansas, where dirt drifting from field onto the Rock Island tracks derailed the Rock Island's No. 7 passenger trains near Colby.The German Evangelical Church east of Gladstone was wrecked in a windstorm.1922Fairbury's team led the State League. The team traveled in two Ford touring cars.Over 100 landowners in Jefferson County paid $1,000 or over in real estate tax. Largest amount were on the Warren Land, $4,441 and A.H. Colman's $4,558. The Journal didn't state the acreage involved.1932A portable pump was used to provide additional cooling water for the city power plant turbines when the Little Blue River level fell too low. A possible remedy was the proposal to be voted on at a special election, arranging for the Lea Milling Co., to keep the river level higher behind its dam. Also up for vote was a contract to supply current to the Cornhusker Electric Co., which served several small towns.In a Memorial Day address at Lincoln, John C. Hartigan of Fairbury had predicted "danger from airplanes" and a tendency to "regulate everything by boards and bureaus."A.0 Wheeler, one of only eight surviving Civil War veterans in the Fairbury vicinity, gave the Memorial Day oration here.1942American Legion citizenship awards for rural Grade 8 pupils went to Mary Frances Johnson, daughter of the George H. Johnsons, and Daryl D. Howell, son of the Arlo Howells.FHS valedictorian was John Stocker, son of the Roy Stockers, salutatorian was Bill Ford, son of the Harry A. Fords.Extensive improvement was underway on the Union Pacific track between Marysville, Kansas, and Belvidere.In a sale of the Belle Andres estate, 440 acres brought an average of $35 an acre; and 80 in Washington Precinct brought $25 an acre for the Mae Cowler estate.1952Dr. K.J. Kenney and family announced plans to move from Kimball to Fairbury. Mrs. Kenney was the former Mary Frances Quinn.Corine Bradshaw retired after 17 years in the office of the district court clerk, she was to be succeeded by Doris Schultz McLaurin, who had resigned at the First National Bank. Mrs. Bradshaw had been Gladys Hughes' deputy before taking over as clerk 10 years earlier.Keith Stephenson, son the Rev. and Mrs. F.H. Stephenson of the Fairbury Christian Church, was ordained to the ministry, and was to be a campus pastor at Boulder, Fort Collins and Greeley, Colorado.E. Bervin bought the former "county farm" southwest of Fairbury, at $125 per acre for a half section.1962Charline Bambauer of Fairbury received a bachelor of music education degree from the Wichita, University College of Fine Arts. After graduating she had traveled nearly 100,000 miles after having started the Chuck Bauer Orchestra here in 1947, and giving lessons on all musical instruments and operating a studio here.A new addition to the Crystal Springs area were signs stating "No Bow and Arrows in the Park." The necessity for banning bows and arrows arose when sportsmen shooting carp, failed to take their catch with them leaving the fish on the banks to rot.Robert Beldin, Jefferson County Civil Defense Director, said that the final steps of establishing public shelters to provide protection from radiation was complete. Recommendations were to be sent to headquarters and final decisions made when construction would start.Setting the stage for the biggest public fight to date, the City of Fairbury Council voted unanimously not to put the light plant expansion on a public ballot. Instead, they opted to wait for the serving of the petition. It was intimated that they expected to find the petition illegal.1972Nominees for Nebraska Dairy Princess included Jean Bartels of Tobias and Roxanne Houchin of Bruning. Fairbury Jaycees and Mrs. Jaycees installed as presidents Frank Newell and Mrs. Byron Blobaum.Melvin L. Burda and Terry D. Arner, members of the locally-based Nebraska Army National Guard unit, were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Guard.1982The Fairbury J.M. McDonald store was closed by the Wickes Co. of San Diego, Calif, its parent company. The building at the northeast corner of Fifth and E streets had housed a clothing store since it was built in 1918, including the Golden Rule Co., headed by Fairburian Bert Kriesel, and bought by Brown McDonald's of Holdrege in 1935.Party committee chairmen-elect for Jefferson County were Doug Rosener, Republican and Alvin H. Boettcher, Democrat. Orland Wahl, Class of 1932 presided at the Western High School alumni banquet. Mrs. Donna Nickel Zajicek was elected president. A new training program-the first of its kind in Nebraska-began at Jefferson County Memorial Hospital in Fairbury. Louis Deluca, a Creighton University College of Medicine nurse anesthetist student, began a 2-week program under the direction of Charles Meyer, CRNA at the local hospital.1992Prominent Fairbury auctioneer and real estate broker, Harold R. Siegel, who for 54 years had cried sales in southern Nebraska, northern Kansas and in Iowa, 52 of those years at Fairbury Livestock Co., died at the age of 70.1993After 22 years of service, Jefferson County Deputy Treasurer Bev Flagle announced her retirement.Haddan Wrecker and Excavating was clearing the southeast corner of Third and I streets for the construction of the Fairbury Food expansion.Shane York had been hired to take the place of former Jefferson County Deputy Julie Leonard, who was forced to quit because of medical reasons.2002Four 2002 Fairbury Jr.-Sr. High graduates shared the title of valedictorian at their graduation ceremony. Receiving the honors were Andrew Dux, son of Mike and Susan Dux, Mary Southwick, daughter of Rex and Judy Southwick, Sarah Judd, daughter of Paul and Kathy Judd, and Lesa Tegtmeier, daughter of Bruce and Beth Tegtmeier.Two Fairburians received honors at the Washington County rodeo. Amanda Sutton, daughter of Debbie and Don Sutton was crowned rodeo Queen. J.D. Melcher, son Cindy and Bill Melcher, won the Junior Steer riding event.The problem of downtown parking was raised at the Fairbury City Council meeting. The issue was not enough spaces for the customers as fellow merchants and their employees was parking around the square. It was suggested that offsite place of parking for employees of downtown businesses be investigated.2003On May 24, the Plymouth High School Class of 1948 held their 55th year reunion. Ten classmates and spouses came to reminisce.Matthew Dean, a sixth grader at Jefferson Intermediate School, received the President's Education Award in recognition of outstanding academic exellence. Dean received a certificate stamped and signed by President Bush and a pin. He is the son of Julie and Wayne Parker of Fairbury and Terry and Laura of Colorado Springs, Colo.Three Tri County students were named as Valedictorians of their 2003 graduating class. They were Matthea Haecker, Becky Meyer, and Chance Klasek.

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