Opinion

McCook Free Public Library established

Friday, October 31, 2003
The library was in the old Red Willow County Courthouse, 504 Main.

The column is changing decades again ... I found out very early Thursday morning that I had indeed already written columns about the fall of 1960.

I knew everything was sounding familiar! We're doing the McCook Tribune in 1902. It was a weekly at that time.

The biggest news on Aug. 2, 1902 was that a date had been set for the opening of the McCook free public library. It was located in the "library room" of the Red Willow County Courthouse. The Tribune was asking that books and magazines be taken to the new library and subscribers to the library fund could make payment to A.C. Ebert, treasurer, at the Citizen's bank from 12 to 3 o'clock during the week. Another place in the paper it refers to this time period that Mr. Ebert would be in the bank as the "noon hour."

The Tribune quoted some of the rules for the free public library too...all persons living in Red Willow County could "draw books from the library" ... books could be kept two weeks but magazines and papers must be read in the library reading room.

Editor F.M. Kimmel was a real supporter: "Good wholesome food for the mind is only second to good wholesome food for the body. Good books supply this mental necessity, hence the library will be one of the most essential factors in the growth and improvement of our city, and every patriotic citizen of McCook should have a deep and genuine interest in its welfare."

McCook area farmers shipped their sugar beets to factory at Grand Island to be processed. In April the percentage of sugar in beets ordinarily was not over about 12 percent but several area farmers were doing much better. John Helm's beets had 15.2 percent sugar content, were 81.9 percent pure, and weighed 2.25 pounds. D. Deveny had 17.3 percent sugar, 75.5 pure and weighed only .56 pounds though.

Other farmers listed were G.W. Furrow, Ed Houlihan, A.R. Clark, William Byfield, and J.W. Robertson.

Another agricultural note in that same issue of the Tribune was from the editor saying the Tribune was "under obligation to Captain I.H. Wasson for a basket of splendid plums-big luscious yellow fellows." Yellow plums ... back then!

Pade & Son furniture dealer on McCook's Main Street said they had a new shipment in that was ordered before a recent price rise. For August they would be selling at the old prices, but then look for a 20 percent rise in the new inventory.

John H. Grannis was holding the final grand clearing sale of summer dress goods in his store. He was selling ladies' parasols for $1.69 down to 99 cents.

This is a summer sale and he advertised silk mitts and lace gloves. There were four grades of silk mitts so they were obviously a popular item but I have no idea what you'd use a silk mitt for in summer. Mr. Grannis also sold gents' summer underwear, back combs and hairpins. They handled groceries too because he gave the schedule for his two grocery wagons that left the store all the way from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Right below that ad is one for a hometown product by a hometown boy. The Ludwick's Powerful clothes washer, the Star Washer. It was one of those "stomper washers" in the shape of a star. For $1.20 you could have one sent to any address in the U.S.A. The ad was signed J.H. Ludwick, Inventor and Manufacturer, McCook, Neb.

McCook had a city bus that would "make all trains, and answer all calls to any part of the city. Blue Front Livery Barn, W.H. Ackerman, answered the calls.

So far in this first weekly Tribune I've located two doctors, A.P. Welles, a physician and surgeon who had his office over McMillen's drug store and lived just down from the Norris House at 702 Main Ave., and Dr. W.V. Gage who ran the McCook Surgical Hospital in the First National Bank building next to City Hall ... that would be toward the back of the old First National Bank building at Norris and C Streets now housing Mousel & Garner law offices, maybe three-quarters back toward the alley.

Dr. Gage lived upstairs in the First National Bank. There was also Dr. C.L. Fahnestock, physician for the B&M railroad, and also a Dr. Gunn and Dr. R.E. Campbell. The dentists were Dr. J.B. Fickes with offices over McConnell & Berry's and Dr. H.L. Prevost whose office was over James McAdams. I can't tell for sure where those businesses were located because there is no address guide for 1902 that I have found.

You notice though that all the doctors and dentists are upstairs in downtown buildings.

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