An 'Epitome of History' from 1902

Voting in the November 1902 election in Danbury was M. Devoe, the oldest voter in Red Willow County. Mr. Devoe was born in 1807, voted for Andrew Jackson in 1828 and had voted in every presidential election since then.

The board of the McCook Public Free Library planned for an art exhibit and developed a prospectus for a lecture course during the winter of 1902. The art exhibit was to run Dec. 3,4, 5, 6 and would have an admission of 10 cents and 15 cents. The exhibit comprised 150 prints of famous paintings and had also been displayed in Lincoln and Beatrice.

For Sale Cheap: The Steltzer Brothers in McCook were selling a moving picture machine with stereopticon attachment, lime light burner, slide carrier, complete set of slides and films showing the assassination of President McKinley. They also included a large lot of show bills, tickets and this one was a puzzler ... one box of limes.

Obviously it was a specific amount of lime to burn, but I had never seen it referred to in that way. The whole show outfit (new cost $125) was selling for $75.

Editors in these early days of newspapering on the Great Plains were very competitive ... to the point of name-calling and beyond. Editors F.M. Kimmell of the McCook Tribune and Harry Strunk of the Red Willow Gazette (later McCook Daily Gazette) were at each other all the time. In the Dec. 17, 1902 Tribune, Kimmell writes about neighboring Indianola and Bartley.

"The coolness existing between Colonel Etherton of the Bartley Inter-Ocean and Colonel Hinky Dink of the Indianola Taffy Belt is said by entirely disinterested citizens of Indianola to be clearly chargeable to a recent allusion to an abnormal pair of ears in connection with a certain convention. Hinky is charged with involuntarily braying." Their newspapers were their equivalent of "Saturday Night Live" and the "Daily" show now.

The postmaster general discovered that there were about 25 women in the U.S. holding positions as carriers in the rural free delivery service. He was looking for information on the women, "to learn whether they are performing their duties in a satisfactory manner. It appears the appointments were made without the department knowing the sex of the candidates."

On page 4 of the Dec. 12, 1902 McCook Tribune was "An Epitome of History. I was so impressed, that I thought I should reprint it all. Some of this information I had, some I did not have.

"The first settlement in Redwillow county was made in November 1871 by an exploring party sent out by the Republican Valley Land and Townsite company.

The first claims located were by some of this party at that time and entered at the Beatrice land office during that winter.

The first claims "jumped" were Mr. Sitter's and parts each of Mr. Buck's and his daughter Ella's in the spring of 1872.

The first townsite laid out into streets and avenues was Redwillow in the spring of 1872. The first and only inhabitants of the place as a town were owls, prairie dogs, rattlesnakes and fleas.

First girl born ... Edna Berger summer of 1872; first boy born-Edgar Young- summer of 1872, and it was always a dispute as to which was first.

First death, William Berger, struck by lightning. First child, Lena Overacker, whooping cough.

First murder, Mr. Scott on Redwillow creek; Mr. Ackerson accused; never proven.

First marriage, Mr. Fitch and Miss Nettleton, March 1874.

First election, spring of 1873, in the Morris house on river bottom.

First county seat fight, spring of 1874 between Indianola and Redwillow.

First frame house built by William Fitch.

First post office at Redwillow, spring of 1872; first postmaster Mr. Buck. First mails brought by soldiers' supply trains during the summer of 1872.

First school district organized-No.1 at Redwillow, December 1873.

First school-house built, a sod one, in No. 8.

First teachers' examination, spring of 1874. First superintendent of schools, G.B. Nettleton.

First teacher employed by school board, Mrs. Towne in No. 1.

First Sunday School - union - in the home of Mr. Buck in the spring of 1872. First preaching by a U.B. Missionary, Mr. McDougal.

First church organized, Redwillow church of Christ, July 1873, in the house of John Longnecker.

First citizen killed by railroad, Mr. Duffy of Indianola.

First store, Mr. Thomas, 1872.

First Thanksgiving dinner, eaten by exploring party, November 1871, in camp near mouth of Redwillow creek.

First Christmas dinner, as a social function given by Mrs. Lawton and her daughter, Mrs. Rowley, 1874.

Communicated"