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"Landmark," water color by Anna Seeber ShawExploring pages through the HeraldExploring local history through the pages of The Oberlin Herald has been both fun and frustrating: Fun in that this newcomer now has a better grasp of what makes the county and city tick. Frustrating in that I've only been able to scratch the surface. I've found some treasure troves of information and insight and foremost among them is Mary Lou Olson, our society editor. She has more family and community history packed between her ears than I can fathom. If I'm ever stumped over where something is, when something happened and who was involved, Mary Lou has it covered. And if she doesn't know, she knows someone who does. Secondly, there's the good folks at the Decatur County Museum, Fonda Farr and Cyndy Dolan. Not only do they have all past newspapers on microfilm, but they have incredible resources that flesh out the first draft of history found in newspapers. Books, documents, diaries, letters and more are all on hand. If you find something interesting in these pages, I can guarantee you'll find even better stuff over at the museum. It is sad, but true, that people don't go to their own museums. Folks will drive across the state or the country to go to museums and other attractions, but rarely take advantage of hometown attractions. The excuse, of course, is that you can always go see it, but the reality is that we put it off. Dig deep in your pocket and you'll find a "round to-it." That and $3 will open the doors to incredible riches at the Decatur County Museum. Joan Betts, our in-house historian, has also been of great help. After years of doing the Yesteryear column, Joan has an incredible sense of what stories appeared when over the years. Taken all together, I've managed to work up quite an appetite for more history about Oberlin and Decatur County. I hope you enjoy this serving of history a la northwest Kansas. Periodically, we'll try to bring more historical treasures to your attention in future editions of The Oberlin Herald. Brodie Farquhar P.S. History lovers have a wealth of museums to visit in the area, including: Prairie Museum of Art and History, Colby, KS (785) 462-6294 The Museum of the High Plains, McCook, NE (308) 345-3661 George W. Norris State Historic Site, McCook, NE (308) 345-8484 Cheyenne County Museum, St. Francis, KS (785) 332-2504 |
Decatur County
Museum
(785) 475-2712
OpenApril through May Sept. through Nov. 10 a.m. to noon 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Summer June - August 9 a.m. - noon 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tues - Sat. 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays Winter research work call for appointment Admission $3 for adults $1.50 children |
Decatur Museum is filledwith historical treasuresBy BRODIE FARQUHAR Many small towns have museums, but few can approach the scope and depth of resources found at the Decatur County Museum. "I've had directors of other museums come through," said Director Fonda Farr, "and they've been amazed by our collection." Outside of major city and state collections, few museums of any size can compare with the Decatur County Museum for depicting life on the high plains, from pioneer days up through mid-century. The museum features a number of historic buildings saved from the rubbish heap of time. There's Duke's Grocery, calling up the era of "mom and pop" corner stores serving distinct neighborhoods. A sod house on the grounds recalls the days when sod was the handiest construction material to be found on the treeless plains. The old Burlington Route depot recalls the era when the railroad was the most essential means of transportation to the outside world. Wheat and other crops were hauled out on the rails, while people and goods for the local stores were hauled into Oberlin. A one-room schoolhouse (the Addleman School from southwest of Oberlin) recalls the days when there were 110 school houses around the county. An old jail, built in 1886, reminds us that not everyone learned their lessons about hard work and honesty. The Paddock-Lohoefener building contains the gift shop, an old-time print shop boasts The Oberlin Herald's old Linotype machine, and there's a blacksmith shop as well. The majority of the museum's exhibits, however, are in the two main buildings. The front building holds teller windows from an old bank (behind which Mrs. Farr and assistant Cyndy Dolan work at their desks), a display of Native American artifacts and then a large room of pioneer and turn-of-the-century exhibits of daily life. The metal building next door contains more of the same, with an old barber and beauty shop (and a hair curling gizmo that would put a mad scientist to shame), military uniforms from both World Wars and more. The Paul's Oil Co. service station is out back, reminding us of when service stations really meant service (Check your oil, sir?) as America fell in love with the motor car. Finally, there's the Main Street Project, where museum officers hope to recreate a downtown street environment from the 1900s. They already have two buildings in place the old office of Dr. Jeffries and a land office from Jennings. But wait, there's more, lots more. All the county's newspapers, from 1879 to 1993, are on microfilm, preserving those weekly snapshots of local history. Mrs. Dolan has been going through all those back issues, cataloging births, deaths, marriage announcements, legal notices and family reunions. There are books on hand, the official histories of Decatur, Sheridan, Logan, Thomas and Rawlins counties. There are census records and a whole card file system recording names of all those buried in cemeteries throughout the county. There are extensive copies of courthouse documents, ranging from tax records and listings of doctors to vital statistics books and an index of homesteaders. There are boxes and boxes of family genealogies. The filing cabinets have transcripts of oral history interviews with members of pioneer families. There are World War II letters from Oberlin's young men, sent off to fight the enemy from the beaches of Normandy to the islands of the South Pacific. The letters are circumspect, with little information from the front lines (all letters were censored to guard against leaks of military information), yet the hunger for ordinary news from home was palpable. The museum has files filled with newspaper clippings on the fire departments of the county, as well as social clubs, businesses and homes. There are even school records on microfilm. "We once had our board of directors standing out in the middle of Penn Avenue at 10 p.m.," said Mrs. Farr, "looking over downtown while comparing it with old photographs, trying to establish where a certain building was. As it turned out, it burned down and that's why we had trouble figuring it out." The museum has two computers and is plugging away at the mind-boggling task of inventory and compilation of family genealogies. With a basement filled with boxes of genealogical materials, that could take many years. The staff members often have the role of detective thrust upon them. As attics and closets get cleaned out and contents donated to the museum, they are often amazed and lost as what to do with unlabeled photographs. The faces and often the backgrounds are both familiar and utterly unknown without labels or someone to say, "That's Uncle George back in 1934," or "There's my cousin Henry at the old schoolhouse." Keeping an open mind about what did and didn't happen is an important trait for museum staffers. "We often get visitors who insist that something happened just the way great-grandma said it did," said Mrs. Farr, "yet we have materials and evidence from others to the contrary." Historical certainty is a rarity, since memories of participants are often faulty and even records in courthouses and newspaper pages are not immune to error. The museum staff does stand by a book by George Nellans as the most authoritative source of information about the Last Indian Raid, which went through the region in late-September 1878: It's titled "Cheyenne Indian Raid." "We've had people come through with passed down tales that it actually came through the Norcatur area," said Mrs. Farr, "but we know that wasn't so. There were Indian scares back then, and that must be what was remembered and passed down through family history." The museum is open April through May and September through November from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. During the summer, June to August, its is open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. During the winter, December to March, the staff work on research projects 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The museum is supported by a .3 of a mill levy on the county property tax rolls, plus donations, memberships, memorials and interest from endowments. Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children up to age 12. The phone number is (785) 475-2712.
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HARVEST TIME on the T.L. spread near Jennings was a time of hard work and anxiety, racing the clock to get the crops in before a rogue storm could undo a year's worth of hopes and dreams. This photo was taken in 1920. --Photo courtesy of Decatur County Museum Decatur County doubled in population, 1880 to 1890By BRODIE FARQUHAR The demographic high point for Decatur County came at the turn of the century, when more than 9,200 people packed into the county. Decatur County was 4,180 strong in the 1880 census. A decade later, it had doubled in size as the 1890 census recorded 8,414 people. The 1900 census recorded 9,234 souls in the county and 937 inhabitants of Oberlin the first separate count for the town. Those were boom years, as homesteaders flocked to the High Plains to bust sod, build homes, plant crops and send children to one-room schoolhouses that dotted the countryside. At one point, there were 110 school districts in the county. The pioneers, drawn by the lure of free land, settled down to "prove up" their homesteads with enough improvements that they could get title to the land free and clear. Some were landless peasants, fresh from the old country Germany, Sweden and Czechoslovakia. Others were American born, fleeing the swelling cities and exhausted farms of the East. But it was more than the lure of free land it was the hype, promotion and sometime bald-faced lies about a land "flowing with milk and honey," published by railroads and land companies. The newspapers of the era were accessories to the promotionalism, and The Oberlin Herald was no exception. In its first year of operation (and for many years thereafter), The Oberlin Herald was largely filled with articles copied from other papers and magazines around the state and the nation. While much of it was designed to inform or entertain, there was a lot of plain boosterism as well. This passage was found in The Herald, copied from the Cawker City Free Express: "Away back in the East, in the beautiful Empire State, in the dusky mines of the old Keystone; on the rocky hills of New England and along the malarial coasts of Jersey, are thousands and thousands of workingmen skilled artizans with no test for their skill; master builders, with no buildings to erect; sturdy miners with picks idle; able mechanics of all kinds with no employment for their willing hands.... "Come to Kansas! Ye hard-fisted mechanics, ye delving miners, ye despondent farmers, here is the finest, the most productive and the healthiest land the sun ever shown upon. It has been reserved for every honest, industrious, patient and persevering man a beautiful farm which he can take and hold and cultivate for himself and not for the usurer." Settlers came, often selling everything they owned to make the trip. The trails that led to Decatur County (or anywhere else, for that matter), often looked like a strung-out yard sale, with furniture, clothing, books etc. left behind as non-essential. "We know that often, the children brought out here never saw their relatives back East again," said Fonda Farr, director of the Decatur Museum. "They couldn't afford another trip, or there was nothing to go back to. "What was kept by the families was what was most important emotionally photo albums and family Bibles." Many of these have survived and been donated to the museum. The early editions of The Herald are something of an enigma for local historians. Of four broadsheet pages, only one page would have any Oberlin or Decatur County news, and that was usually a one-liner statement, such as: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1879 Mr. D.O. Banta, who owns a quarter in section one, town three, range twenty-eight, has arrived with his family. Mr. J.W. Simpson left a sweet potato at this office, which was grown on land broken this spring, that weighed fourteen ounces. Truly Kansas has a prolific soil. The HERALD office has taken up quarters in the addition to Barteau's drug store (which explains the two dozen or so free ads in the paper that week). Weekly papers in those days provided much more space to serialized stories and dispatches from other papers in Kansas, New York or London. "The local news was pretty well known by the people, just talking to each other," said Mrs. Farr. "The paper was more a source of entertainment and of news from faraway. When the paper was finished being passed around, it was used to insulate walls and floors, line shelves or even plump up a mattress." By 1896, the content of The Herald has shifted into politics. Serialized stories about this heroine or that hero were still available, but with a new owner and editor, the paper has gone to bat for free silver, populism and William Jennings Bryan. Although Decatur County was still growing, local farmers were beginning to feel pinched by occasional drought, lower prices on wheat, higher interest rates at the banks and higher transportation charges by the railroads. From the Oct. 22, 1896 edition: "It seems we have arrived at an age in the world's history when the nations are to learn war no more; that is with spears and swords. It is found to be cheaper to fight by legislation than to drill armies of men to shoot each other down on battle fields with guns and cannon, powder and shot. They are now only employed to shoot laborers who find it impossible to live on their wages, and strike to improve distressed conditions, after voting and revoting to bring their distressed condition upon themselves and then have the impudence to squirm." E.M. Coldren. Objective reporting was not widely practiced among newspapers, and The Herald was highly partisan in favor of the Free Silver standard of the Populist and Democratic parties. Although Decatur County voted for Bryan 2-1 over McKinley, McKinley was elected by the nation. The theme of prairie populism continued to dominate the editorials on into the opening years of the 20th Century. At a time when urban America was frightened or shocked by muckraker revelations (Ida Tarbell's "History of the Standard Oil Company"; Lincoln Steffens' "The Shame of the Cities" and Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"), Oberlin's resentment of the powerful railroads found voice in The Herald, as this March 23, 1905 excerpt shows: "Governor LaFollette estimates that the amount of public land grants given to the railroads to aid in their construction equals in area the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin all combined. To this it may be added that cash bonuses from the public have reached a level nearly equal to the value of the landthe right of the public to demand that the railroads be run in the public interest would seem to have a very substantial foundation." In the years that followed, the population of Decatur County began to decline while the city continued to grow. By the 1910 census, the county was down to 8,976 people while Oberlin rose to 1,157. Except for a slight rebound of county population in the late 1920s and early 1930s, county population continued to decline throughout the century, while the population of Oberlin rose in comparison. The pages of The Herald in the early 1900s reflect this trend in little notes and snippets of news of families or young people who have moved away. There are no editorial broadsides or cries of alarm. Indeed, life appears to have been quite comfortable for the editor and the readers of The Herald.
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THE FIRST FOUR to enter military service in World War I from Decatur County are shown in training at Camp Funston with the 353rd Infantry Regiment, 89th "Rolling W" Division. They were Frank W. Tacha, Leo Bendon, Glenn Wookey and George Gardner. Photo courtesy of Joyce Martin Decatur County boys marched off to fight the Kaiser's HunsBy MARY LOU OLSON Americans fought bravely in World War I, "The war to end all wars," but since the day the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918, thousands of United States military units have gone to battle in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars and Desert Storm. The Oberlin Herald carried news of home-town boys in its columns throughout all of the battles of the Great War, often with personal letters from servicemen. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, and The Herald reported on April 11, 1917: War Emergency Call for Wheat "It is now necessary for the Government to demand the immediate delivery of all wheat to the marketVoluntary marketing of the wheat is urged as a patriotic duty. Producers will thus lighten the burdens of Government officials and very materially help to win the warAll wheat must be marketed by May 1Our Kansas farmers will, we know, respond with their characteristic loyalty. Please report to your county administrator, H.Q. Banta, Oberlin, Kansas. s/WALTER P. INNES, U.S. Food Administrator of Kansas." From the Sept. 13, 1917, issue of The Herald: THE FIRST TO GO On Friday evening, the first installment of the men called to the colors came to Oberlin and in the evening left for Fort Riley. They were George W. Gardner, Glenn Wookey, Frank W. Tacha, Leo BendonA goodly number of people were in the city to see the boys off. The McKay Martial Band was present, the school children sang "America" and then led by the band the boys fell in and marched to the depotThe boys were all in finest spirits and will no doubt give a good account of themselves when they get to the front. On May 2, 1918, a patriotic gathering in Oberlin was recorded in The Herald: On Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., there gathered several hundred people in front of the court house and listened to the songs of the high school and addresses that were inclined to make a man feel glad that he was an AmericanO.L. Benton, in behalf of the Treasury Department of the U.S., presented to the city of Oberlin, the Third Liberty Loan honor flag, given for having oversubscribed the city's quota in the drive The Herald recorded on May 30, 1917, a farewell which was given for servicemen who left together: "Big Day in Oberlin" "On Monday a large crowd assembled to see the drafted boys leave. There were forty-seven cars from Traer and vicinity and twenty from Cedar Bluffs and surrounding countryThe entire crowd then repaired to the station, where goodbyes were said amid rousing cheers as the train pulled out. Among Decatur County boys who left were Nathan Watson, Oscar Tritt, John Haas, Homer Jones, Richard Herbert Ufford, Tudor Stevenson, Owen Stevens, Carl Bernie Birdsell, Frank Earl Macfee, R. Ross Riley, Jay Emery McKinzie, Glenn Franklin Hanson, Leonard Fair and Harry Witham. This letter was received from Evald Rydquist and printed by The Herald. Still in France, July 22, 1918 Dear Erhard: Yesterday, we made 64 miles in about 5 1/2 hours, so these big trucks sure go. . .I have been feeling good ever since I have been here and by the looks of it now we may be in Germany when you get this letter. It sure would be best for Germany to quit now, as it will be just so much more for them to pay the longer they keep it upThe whole company is crazy to go to the frontI have saw towns that look like a pile of rocks that has been done by our artillery. Evald Rydquist From the Aug. 18, 1918, Herald file: The German Offensive of 1918 The 1918 offensive of the German army, carefully planned at Berlin, was intended to overcome the Allies before America could bring any effective number of her troops. The successive German drives, which began March 21st, have now become history To meet these various drives, the Allies under General Foch adopted the tactics of a slow and cautious retreat In the July drive, General Foch felt himself strong enough to inaugurate a policy of counter-attack. The German's crown prince threw his forces forward in a slant across the Marne. Successive French-American attacks imperiled the position of the German army and brought about its retreat The balance is again swinging toward the Allies. On the one side is a great army advancing, full of hope, with the certainty of a constant addition of fresh enthusiastic troops We look upon the present situation as the beginning of the end, and trust that this forward movement of the Allies will be halted only when it has swept through the last of German defenses. From The Oberlin Herald, Nov. 7, 1918: Germany Accepts A phone message today noon says that a wire had just been received saying that Germany has accepted the Allies terms. From The Herald: Nov. 14, 1918: Germany Surrenders Unconditionally Washington, Nov. 11 The strictly military terms of the armistice with Germany are embraced in eleven specifications which include the evacuation of all invaded territories, the withdrawal of the German troops from the left bank of the Rhine and the surrender of all supplies of war Among financial terms are restitution for damage done by German armies, restitution of the cash taken from the National Bank of Belgium and return of gold taken from Russia and Rumania. The military terms include the surrender of 5,000 guns, half field and half artillery; 30,000 machine guns, 3,000 flame throwers and 2,000 airplane All ports of the Black Sea occupied by Germans are to be surrendered and the Russian war vessels recently taken by the German naval forces are to be surrendered to the Allies. The Herald on Nov. 14, 1918, reported after the Armistice was signed: Big Noise On Monday afternoon and evening the city went wild over the news that the war was over. Delegations of people young and old paraded the street, cheering and blowing horns and firing guns, making a regular bedlam. The Kaiser was dragged in effigy through the streets with a rope around his neck and many other things were done to indicate that the Kaiser was unpopular in this particular city The most popular gentlemen in the peace demonstration were J.W. Bivans, J.H. Fleming and J.R. Dowden when they began serving peace sandwiches at the ox roast. These gentlemen were so elated over the good news they roasted two hind quarters of baby beef in Jim Fleming's oven and served it on the street and it was sure some good beef and everyone was happy. And The Herald editorial, in the same issue, in part: The War is Ended That people now living have been permitted to see one of the greatest carnivals of blood known in the history of the past 1,000 years is doubtless true. The coterie of politicians that surrounded the Kaiser are the ones who are really to blame for the loss of 4 million of men in the prime of life is the truth That it will be impossible to adequately punish so inhumane a monster is true, but if he and his crowd are allowed to go to some neutral country and live the balance of his days in luxury and indolence will be a miscarriage of justice that not ought to be allowed. E.M. Coldren, editor
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THE DIRTY THIRTIES were a tough time for Decatur County residents, what with dust storms, harsh winters and summers and an awful lot of hungry grasshoppers. These critters ate some fields right to the nub in 1930. Herald file photo. Dirty Thirties tested the fortitude of Decatur residentsBy MARY LOU OLSON As the "Roaring 20's" came to a close, it was evident by news stories in The Oberlin Herald, which was observing its 50th anniversary, that times were good. Oberlin implement dealers sold 40 combines, showing the trend in new methods of harvesting the wheat crop; a new phone system was in operation, stepping Oberlin up into a class with cities having central energy systems; J.C. Penney took over Byars Store; and the Oberlin Chautauqua closed after a five-day session. Brand new Chevrolet automobiles were retailing for between $525 and $725 at Oberlin Motor Co. and Guy B. Morrish was advocating what appeared to be a revolutionary replacement fuel for cook stoves bottled gas. An advertisement advised: "Each Skelgas cylinder holds enough gas to do your cooking for about 10 weeksThis fuel is on the market to stay. Why be annoyed with a coal bucket which is always empty when you want to use it?" Why anyone would bother to cook at home was somewhat clouded by the fact that for a single dime, a customer could buy a hamburger in most eating establishments. The big news in March was that the opera house would soon become the first theater operation west of Salina to present "talkies" those innovative new movies with sound. All in all, 1929 appeared to be shaping up as a good year. There were no hints yet of the coming stock market disaster or the Dirty '30s and, in many ways, things must have been better then. In May of 1930, The Herald reported that 138 rural school eighth graders and 30 from Oberlin Consolidated School received diplomas; the dream of a medical facility was realized when Benton Memorial Hospital was opened; homes and business basements were flooded, including Duckwall's, Campbell's, Fleming Bakery and the post office, after three inches of rain fell in less than an hour; Claar Bros. offered every style of footwear for men for $5 with suits going for $19.75 at E.S. Dean Clothing and Shoes; and the county treasurer announced little change made in taxes for the year. By the middle of 1931, the front page of The Herald announced "The large number of bank failures for the year are far and away the worst on record, with bank closings in the United States totaling 1,345." By October, sketches of the McKague Masonic Temple to be built west of the hotel were shown on the front page, and at a time when farm prices of farm products were low, cows, sows and hens were shown as the most profitable for the year, with Elam Reist saying that orders for chicks had doubled from the previous year. As 1932 began, more was being heard about the welfare program; Kansas came in for $2,220,000 in relief funds, and Oberlin banker Elwood Brooks was named chairman of the relief committee for Decatur County; 98 cent dresses at Duckwall's were on sale for 79 cents in September; 38 men were working on the Federal Relief project southwest of Oberlin, spreading gravel on what is known as the Swede Road; several thousand were expected for an Armistice Day buffalo barbecue, which fell the date after Roosevelt swept nearly the entire country, carrying 42 states. The front page of The Herald in January 1933 noted that an appropriation of $5,000 had been received for further relief projects in Decatur Countymaking the total received $12,003the city also made another 25 percent cut in electric rates in an effort to help residents; Congress was considering a compromise bill which would make available $90,000 of reconstruction funds through the office of the secretary of agriculture for the production and harvesting of this year's crop. In his inaugural address on March 4, 1933, President Roosevelt was bold and confident when he told a badly frightened nation, "All we have to fear is fear itself," and people listened and felt better at once. The measures he proposed were known as the "New Deal." He ordered the closing of all banks and trust companies in the United States and its territories on the following day, March 5, 1933; gradual re-openings were taking place the following week; the county received needed moisture in a real old-time blizzard; wheat was worth 38 cents a bushel, down 3 cents from the high a year ago; Headlines in The Herald tell of school boards using a pruning knife on teachers' salaries, with a 41 percent cut in the grade school and 31 percent at the high school; 18 young men were selected for Decatur County's quota of troops in President Roosevelt's emergency reconstruction army, among them Maurice Foley, Herschel Smith, William Magers and Alvin Jording; the Nov. 23, 1933, issue of The Herald told its readers, "With the county poor fund in a rather depleted condition and winter just starting, the information that Decatur County will share in the new government Civil Works program to the probable extent of $35,000 is genuinely encouraging to both county officials and the employed of the county. As the depression years wore on with dust storms, The Herald recorded in January 1936 that 451 families were receiving relief; men at the Civilian Conservation Corps camp were beginning work on the state park project, under the supervision of Glen Gierhart, project foreman, and Ernest Nichols, architect; by July, Works Progress Administration work was requested for 250 farmers who did not raise a crop and a hot, dry summer set a new record; and the fall brought the headline: "Roosevelt sweeps Kansas, nation; unprecedented vote"; By January 1937, a second subsistence grant was announced for men who had been laid off as WPA workers; by summer, a PWA grant was received for a new high school building in Oberlin on Commercial Street; the final Herald of 1937 included a thank you from the welfare office to members of the Business and Professional Women for the toys collected by them. After reporting the dust storms of the 1930s, headlines in The Herald in 1939 said that $47,211 in Soil Conservation checks were being distributed to farmers, who were trying new methods to save the soil. Still recovering from the effects of the stock market crash a decade earlier and the hard times of the '30s, Decatur County was nonetheless a bustling, active place in 1939. Public works projects were turning out needed community improvements, including the state park at Oberlin and a civic building at Jennings. News included adoption of a state sales tax system which substituted pennies for tax tokens; the site of the last Indian raid on Kansas soil was officially recognized as one of the United States' historic landmarks; and the welfare department was taking a tougher stance on its clients; a tally of the county's population reported 7,642 residents and the cities of Dresden, Norcatur and Oberlin all showed signs of continued growth; and word was received that the Civilian Conservation Corps camp would be removed from here April 1, but an extension of time was granted so the new 480-acre state park, which was developed by the camp, could be completed. Thus ended a decade, which saw droves of farmers and their families move to Colorado and California after losing or selling their farms. However, the memories of those "Dust Bowl" years were etched forever in their minds.
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Killer tornado ravaged Decatur County 55 years agoBy MARY LOU OLSON The Oberlin Herald reported one of the worst tragedies to strike Decatur County on April 30, 1942, in a special edition on May 1, 1942, when a tornado struck east of Oberlin. A Herald photographer went to the scene and took pictures for a tabloid extra editon, which showed the devastation. The following was reported in the edition: "The raging tornado that struck just east of Oberlin Wednesday night, about 10:30, has to date reaped a toll of 15 dead, and left 12 other persons in the hospitals and receiving treatment for many types of injuries. No other tragedy has ever reaped such a toll of death, injuries and destruction in Decatur County, except the Indian raid of Sept. 30, 1878, when 16 settlers were massacred by the raiding Cheyenne Indians. "It has been learned that the twister first came to earth on the Dr. L.C. Tilden farm eight miles south of here. By the time it reached the Frank Urban place, it was in full fury and made complete its destruction of the small house, granary, barn and all sheds. Straight north, the Fred Bliss property was the next to feel the force of the swirling giant and not a sign of a house, barn or shed remainedNext in the path of the storm was the Jay Paddock farm occupied by the Dale Paddock family of four, who were all killed, along with Leon and Gail Railsback. It was here that the tornado swerved to the west and traveled 400 yards up the Sappa Creek, to the Charles Kirkendall home, which was caught only in the edge of the storm. Then it seemed to lift and left only a little evidence of its path until it swooped down a mile and a half north to completely destroy the Gus Leinwetter place, killing two members of the family, Gus Leinwetter and daughter Naomi, and Naomi's classmate, Mardell Leitner, who was spending the night with her. Mrs. Leinwetter and Stanley died in the hospital a few hours later. A little farther north, on the Harold Andrews place, an unoccupied house was demolished and from there it went to Robert Castle's a mile north. Here the house must have been caught in the edge of the twister, for it turned the house around and moved it about 100 feet off the foundation. Continuing its devastating drive, the tornado hurled itself against the home and farm buildings of Fred Euhus 3 1/2 miles north of town, where, by only an unexplained miracle, seven persons were scattered about the yard without loss of life Two miles farther north, but still in straight north-south path, a heavy toll was taken at the James Beneda Sr., farm, where the house and all buildings were demolished. From there the twister apparently lifted for several miles and then, with less fury, came to earth east of Cedar Bluffs to damage buildings on the Dem Moore farm. Names and ages of those killed were Alene Beneda 14; Dale Paddock, 33; Mrs. Dale Paddock, 29; Elvin Paddock, 4; Leon Railsback, 17; Gus Leinwetter, 40; Mrs. Gus Leinwetter, 33; Stanley Leinwetter, 12; Naomi Leinwetter, 7; Mardell Leitner, 7; Mrs. Frank Urban, 65; Norma Nicholson, 14; Mrs. James Beneda Jr., 40; Duane Harold, 18; Gail Railsback, 16. Injured were Ray Nicholson, 39; Mrs. Ray Nicholson, 39; James Beneda Sr., 67; James Beneda Jr.; Mrs. James Beneda Sr., 64; Fred Euhus, 33; Mrs. Fred Euhus, 33; Ladonna Euhus, 8; Marianne Euhus, 6; Milton Euhus, 3; Frank Beneda, 22; and Lloyd Leavitt, 16. Some were taken to the Oberlin hospital and several to the hospital in McCook. Property damage was estimated at $100,000 after the tornado swept clean seven farms. David Herzog, son of Herald photographer Wayne Herzog, was shown with hail stones which weighed a trifle more than half a pound. The Kansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol offered its services in getting medical supplies to this tornado-lashed vicinity, said the tornado edition, and the Red Cross, both local and national, was on the job all night gathering blankets, etc., and searching for those killed or injured. Mardell Leitner, 7, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lous Leitner, was swept to her death along with Mr. and Mrs. Gus Leinwetter, Naomi and Stanley. Mardell had accompanied Naomi home from school to spend the night. She was in the first grade. Twelve-year-old Clarence Nicholson escaped injury in the storm, which injured his parents and killed his sister Naomi, by remaining in the basement. He was the only person in the path of the tornado to escape without a scratch. Although badly injured and a patient in the McCook Hospital, Mrs. James Beneda Sr., 64 years, was able that Thursday to relate to relatives her experience in the tornado which completely destroyed her home. With Mrs. Beneda in her home five miles northeast of Oberlin were her husband and son, Frank, 22. When they realized the storm was of unusual proportion they started to their basement. After trying to open the door, the next thing she knew she was whisked away and found herself in the cistern. She heard her husband call to her, not knowing, of course, where she was, to come to him that he thought their son, Frank, was dead. She said that she, in some manner, climbed up the cistern pipes and found her son and husband. All of them were later found by rescue workers and brought to Oberlin and taken to the Methodist Church where some of the victims were given first aid treatment. The second farm in the path of the cyclone was that of the late F.F. Bliss, which was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. James Beneda, Jr., their daughter Alene, and Duane Harold, a Decatur Community High School senior, who was staying with the Benedas. Alene, 15, a student at the high school, was killed instantly. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beneda were seriously injured and when help arrived they were rushed to the local hospital, where Mrs. Beneda, 40, later died. Mr. Beneda, 43, was taken to the hospital at McCook for treatment. The Benedas have a son, Melvin, who is located in Denver. He and his wife, the former Avis Armstrong, are here to be with Mr. Beneda. Duane Harold, 18, started to run for the George Gardner home, a quarter of a mile west, for help when he became dizzy and fell to the ground. He crawled a considerable distance before he became unconscious. When he was found, the faithful old dog "Queenie" that had belonged to his grandfather, F.F. Bliss, was sitting close by his head. He died at 6:45 Thursday morning. The community immediately began a campaign to raise $3,000 for the tornado victims. As funds mounted, an unexpected gift of $10 was received from the Rotary Club at Oberlin, Ohio, the city for which Oberlin was named. As clean-up of property and recuperation of tornado victims continued, 111 seniors, the largest class ever to graduate from Decatur Community High School, finalized plans for graduation. Of the six high school students who were victims of the storm, two of them, Duane Harold and Leon Railsback, were seniors. Members of this class were the first to graduate who had attended classes in both the old high school and the new structure.
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Decatur County pitches in to fight World War II foesBy MARY LOU OLSON The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, plunged the United States into war as Japanese aircraft sank 18 ships and killed or wounded 3,681 American soldiers and sailors. "Remember Pearl Harbor" became the theme of the country as patriotic Americans learned that 360 Japanese bombs had destroyed the battleships Arizona, California, Oklahoma, and West Virginia and 174 American planes. The Oberlin Herald reported the Pearl Harbor attack, quoting by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his speech on "A day that will live in infamy" in the Dec. 11, 1941, edition with the headline: "U.S. Congress Declares War on Japan following Surprise Attacks Sunday" The same Herald reported that four Decatur County men were serving in the Pacific at the time of the attack: Gordon C. Railsback was at Hickam Field in Hawaii; Harold Woolen and Ralph Chambers were stationed at Manila, and John R. Sawdon Jr., was at Pearl Harbor. None of these boys had been given out as among the casualties. Ray Bobbitt and Chris Jorn were named temporary officers for the County Civilian Defense Group, formed at the request of Gov. Ratner. The start of war moved young men to join the U.S. armed forces, and the Oberlin American Legion was urging everyone to fly the American flag. "The new national registration law has been passed by Congress and signed by the president, and probably within the next weeks some 40 million men in these United States will register for possible service in the new World War," The Herald reported. As the war continued, rationing of sugar, coffee, flour and other items began. School children banded together in contests to win "Paper Trooper" badges as they scouted the town for old newspaper for the war effort. Scrap iron of all kinds was retrieved from farm pastures to be melted down for use for warfare materials. Headlines in The Herald told of tire rationing, which prohibited sales to most Decatur County car owners, and a Red Cross campaign was under way, asking every Decatur County family for a contribution, with the county quota set at $1,300. By June, a Herald editorial, "Bring in the Rubber," declared "The rubber campaign, long delayed, has started and for the remainder of June, the watchword is every home and on every farm in the United States will be `rubber.' From June 15 to June 30, a national campaign to salvage all old rubber and make it available for government war equipment will be in daily progress." As graduates of Decatur Community High School marched off to war, Marian Cathcart, secretary at the high school, started writing weekly letters which were mimeographed and sent to all servicemen. Copies of these, along with some received by her from servicemen, are on file at the Decatur County Museum. On Oct. 8, 1942, headlines included: President Roosevelt ordered ceilings set on farm prices and wages, with rents and nearly all foods included. Gas rationing followed in November, with trial blackouts for 20 minutes set in December. Stories urged those on the home front to mail packages to servicemen early. Each home with a military person serving proudly displayed a banner in their window showing blue stars which depicted the number serving. When a loved one was killed, the blue star was replaced with gold. Servicemen from the county served on Normandy Beach, in the Battle of the Bulge, at Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Panama, the European Theater, China-Burma-India, Guam, the Philippines, and many other points. When victory in Europe (V-E Day) came in 1945, The Herald headline read: Germans lay down arms 4:01 p.m. May 8. "Germany surrenders all fighting forces to Allied high command. Complete and unconditional surrender of the German army and Navy has been made to the Allied Forces in a schoolhouse at Reims, France." The end of the terrible struggle in Europe was observed at home with prayer and thanksgiving in all of the churches. In Oberlin, all offices and places of business closed at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, most of them remaining closed the rest of the day. During the services, The Herald said, Main Street here was completely deserted, and only half a dozen cars were parked at the curb. Everyone was deeply grateful, but they were just as deeply conscious of the fact that there yet remained a gigantic task for the fighting forces in the Pacific. "The best way to celebrate Hitler's defeat now," the paper said, "is to invest in extra War Bonds to help accelerate the war against the Japs, and to thus speed up total victory and total peace." That day came in August, when The Herald proclaimed: Jap Surrender Ends World War II August 14. President Truman made official announcement at 5 p.m. that day: "I deem this reply full acceptance of the United Nations' surrender term." Decatur County residents once again gathered in churches to thank God for peace at last. The Decatur County Fair included a special "V-J Day" with a huge barbecue, parade, and entertainment for all, reported The Herald on Aug. 30, 1945.
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Post-war years see declining rural demographicsBy BRODIE FARQUHAR
After the close of World War II, America saw an even more rapid movement from small towns to cities. Decatur County and Oberlin were part of that trend. In the 1950 census, the county had a population of 6,185, while Oberlin was counted at 2,019. It was a replay of the era right after World War I, when the song asked, "How you going to keep 'e m down on the farm, once they've seen Gay Paree?" This time, returning servicemen and women had seen London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Tokyo and came back to the only economic superpower in the world. Jobs and opportunity were in the cities. Some veterans did come back to raise crops and families or start businesses on Penn Avenue. The pages of The Oberlin Herald, in the early weeks of 1950 were filled with ads from car and farm implement dealers. Oehlert Tractor and Equipment Co. extolled its inventory of used Caterpillar tractors on Jan. 19, 1950, while Kump Motor Co. promoted its line of Ford trucks. There was plenty of civic pride. The Herald's editors, E.R. and M.C. Woodward, extolled the drive to build a city library in the Feb. 23, 1950, edition: "With active, organized efforts, together with the cooperation offered by the city officials, the long cherished ambition for a public library capable of adequately serving the public now appears to be within the realm of possibility during the current year. At least it is much closer." Yet Oberlin was not immune to alarms from the growing Cold War. When the Korean Conflict started the summer of 1950, some people got seriously worried. It had only been the year before that the Soviet Union tested an atom bomb, and the bloody war in Korea had people on edge. In the July 20, 1950, edition of The Herald, the editor chastised "hoarders" who stocked up on staples. "Frankly, we are at a loss to understand why people should consider the present military action on the small island of Korea any justification for stockpiling groceries," the editor said. "It is this type of selfish hoarding by comparatively few that sends retail prices up for the rest of the populace." Throughout the Korean War, there were bits and pieces about the military action, notes about local boys in the fight and occasional editorials. In the Jan. 24, 1951 edition, there was a nice photo and cutline in The Herald about Lt. Robert W. Jorn receiving a Bronze Star. There was far more news about the scourge of polio. Kansas was fourth in the nation for the polio incidence rate. Fund raisers were continual, and there were occasional notes of condolence as a new family dealt with a stricken son or daughter. Later, in 1954, during the height of the investigations led by Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the anti-Communist witch hunt was barely reflected in the paper, with few comments by readers or editors. There was far more interest that summer in a circus coming to town, while the pages were filled with ads about cars, clothing and electric appliances such as washing machines. By 1960, the county population was 5,778 and the city had grown to 2,337. In the Jan. 28, 1960, edition of The Herald, there were several articles about soil conservation, including an editorial in support and a half page ad about a soil conservation district meeting. There was also an announcement about a 36-year-old Russell County lawyer seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in the 26-county 6th District a fellow named Bob Dole. Assistant Editor Lance Gilmore took a lively interest in state and regional politics, chastising Gov. George Docking for an aversion to capital punishment, yet defending the National Council of Churches against a McCarthy-like smear campaign by fundamentalists. Oberlin's Diamond Jubilee was held the summer of 1960 and DeeAnna Krizek of Jennings was crowned queen (June 23, 1960). The celebration featured a massive parade, style show, plays, speakers and a pioneer recognition ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tiner and Dott Addleman were honored for residing the longest continually in the county 65 years. The assistant editor took note of new businesses coming to Oberlin in the July 14 edition: "The new firms of the past year or so include Giant Wash, Phil's Dariette, KOMC-TV (now KSNK), the Trampoline Center, and Stickney's. Campbell's, Hamilton's Oil and Lyman's Plumbing have all expanded.... Progress in the form of an industry or a large influx of outsiders is not in prospect, but there is a steady, persistent growth in the business community which earmarks Oberlin for a solid future." By 1970, county population was down to 4,988 and Oberlin was 2,291. In the Jan. 8 edition of The Herald, the lead editorial focused on the need for physicians in rural Kansas. The prior year, Dr. Kenneth Bickford had died. The editorial noted with some relief that Dr. Alfred Krake was expected to join Dr. Ren Whitaker in practice at the clinic, and that other doctors were expressing an interest in Oberlin. In the Jan. 15 edition, the paper noted that Norcatur High School would close at the end of the term, due to declining enrollments only 35 students in the high school program. The last senior class included Francis Hillebrand, Mickey Miller, Dennis Molzahn, Rhonda Carter, Betty Lawson, Brenda Alexander, Connie Kasson, Patricia Lawn, Terry Miller, Terry Jackson and Iris Jackson. The paper recognized the soil conservation contest winners: Fred Unger, Tobe Griffin, Eugene Koerperich and Reinhard May. In the June 11 edition, the editorial blasted an urban drive to consolidate government in rural Kansas. The idea was to get rid of county governments in favor of regional units. By 1980, the county was down to 4,509 and the city of Oberlin was 2,387, just below a peak population of 2,479 in 1978. It was one year after the city's centennial, and publication of The Herald's widely popular "Centennial Edition" still one of the best summaries of Oberlin history. Economic news in 1980 was fairly bleak, with ever higher interest rates at lending institutions. In the March 13 edition, The Herald reported that rates had jumped 3 percent in the past few weeks. Mother Nature also had a few tricks up her sleeve, with a winter that dumped five feet of snow on the area. Beef and wheat prices appeared to be in free-fall. The Medical Arts Building opened in May 1980. Dr. Ren Whitaker and Dr. Robert Simpson were practicing in the new clinic. The resiliency of the town could be spotted in two editorials on Sept. 11, as the paper praised the hard work of the amusement authority and the continuing care given to the city's brick streets. The 1990 census recorded 3,790 souls for the county and 2,072 for Oberlin, but since then, the county has rebounded to 3,835 and the city has come up to 2,198 for 1996. There was a great deal of interest in 1990 in building a civic auditorium, funded by a million-dollar donation from Madonna Mae Morgan, plus city tax revenue. A May freeze threatened the wheat crop, but damaged proved to be less than what was feared. Indeed, by July, harvest yields exceeded the best predictions for the year. Jim and Teresa Dowling took over the Red Crown Lounge; the Pauls Funeral Home expanded and the County Cupboard was purchased by Gary and Janet Casper.
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