Linda's last column -- Thanks for the memories

The old newspapers have yielded many surprises over the years. It's always so interesting to find the births and deaths of my own family members as well as news of their everyday activities too.

I found in the April 10, 1903, Tribune that my great grandfather, John Booth, was elected by a heavy majority to the city council in Orleans. They were also involved in the telephone business and the family had a steamboat called the "Minnie B" on the mill lake in Orleans.

"At York, young Frank Hart was set to work in the garden and becoming enraged when his mother attempted to instruct him in preparing the ground, threw the pitchfork which struck her on the head and face, and passing downward and outward lacerated her face quite badly, passed through the ear and barely missed putting out one eye."

I'm going to really miss finding strange stories like that to show us that we didn't invent a lot of the weird and horrid happenings of today. There was everything going on then that is now ... only I'm sure we do have a larger number of them currently.

Well, I've known this column was coming for a long time ... but I soooo hated to give up all these wonderful discoveries that I made every week and also the feedback from all of you whose relatives or friends I've talked about.

There are a lot of events in McCook's history that I didn't get to read about in the old newspapers ... a lot of photographs that I never did discover who these people are or what were they doing the day when the photo was taken. There are a lot of articles that I have most of the information collected on, but the column isn't written...so maybe someday.

I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to learn more about our local celebrities ... first and foremost, of course ... George W. Norris, but also Frank and Maxine Morrison, Jesse "Buffalo Jones," William Valentine, Myatt Volentine, John E. Kelley, Bess Furman Armstrong, Dr. B.B. Davis, Wendell Cheney, H.P. Sutton, Ben Hormel, Ralph G. Brooks, Harry Strunk, Ben Nelson, A. Barnett, Allen Strunk, John T. Harris, John McCarl, H.C. Clapp, and so many others.

I'm hooked on reading old newspapers on microfilm. As long as my eyes hold out, I'll be found with my nose in some decade past, making notes for heaven knows what reason.

The April 10, 1903 Tribune reported that the McCook Public Free Library now had a borrowing list of 925 names. Last week the library column included information on collecting and preserving local history. This week they addressed another love of mine that I'd like to pass along...photographs. I quote:

"In connection with the proposed collection of historical data by the library, the further suggestion has been made that photographs of buildings and places of interest be gathered. However humble and homely the prairie dwellings may seem to those who are familiar with them, to unaccustomed eyes they are picturesque. In a few years they will have ceased to exist save in the memories of the oldest settlers, and another generation will know nothing, except by tradition, of the homes that sheltered the pioneers. In no other way than by pictures, can impressions of perishable objects be so well preserved and conveyed."

If you are cleaning out a household and find photographs, historical documents, brochures or old McCook advertising please pass them along to your local historical society or contact the Nebraska State Historical Society to see if they might be interested in adding them to their collections. Sometimes museums need to have the provenance of an item or its history of ownership ... how it's related to the area. Sometimes it's apparent that it has local or state significance. In any case, please encourage anyone getting rid of such items to at least contact someone and see if they might be interested. I shudder to think of all the wonderful photographs and historical items that have been thrown in the trash when relatives in a hurry just pitch everything.

My mom, Gracie Booth and I will join my husband, Rick, in Lincoln as soon as we can. Our business, Tuffy automotive care center, is on west Pine Lake Road, right across the street from Southwest High School. Please stop in and say Hi when you're down for games, the State Fair, concerts or other events.

Thanks to all you readers who have expressed your love of old McCook history. I urge you to get involved with the local historical society and help to preserve what we have left of our past. I will very much miss digging all this out for you.