Throughout McCook's history, every quarter of a century has been a really big deal.

I found that out in 1982 when I was working on a book for McCook's centennial. As I looked back through the pages of history, I discovered that McCook had hosted major celebrations on each of its 25-year anniversaries, starting with the Silver Year celebration in 1907; the Golden Anniversary observance in 1932; the Diamond Jubilee in 1957; and the Centennial celebration in 1982.

Now, it's time for another big celebration. This year -- 2007 -- is the McCook community's Quasquicentennial, which is a fancy way of saying the town is observing its 125th anniversary.

I'm well aware of the Quasquicentennial because for the past year, the Gazette's new publisher, Shary Skiles, and I have been discussing the largest single undertaking at the newspaper since the Centennial Edition in 1982.

What's up is this: Within the next few months -- hopefully before the Fourth of July -- the Gazette will publish a 208-page book of historic pictures called: "McCook Memories: Proud People, Proud Heritage."

We've been excited about the project since the start of planning. But, this month, the level of anticipation is turning up a notch as the Gazette staff starts turning the book dream into a reality.

As the Gazette's Special Projects Director, it's a thrill for me to see all the parts finally come together in finished form.

I knew we had a winner last fall when historic pictures started flowing in from the people of the McCook area. The pictures from McCook's past are wonderful ... absolutely wonderful. One shows President Dwight W. Eisenhower waving from the back of a train to a throng of well-wishers near the depot in McCook. Another photo, taken from the balcony, shows the floor of the McCook Memorial Auditorium filled with square dancers.

I also relish seeing pictures of a soddie on the south edge of town, reputed to be McCook's first residence, and a portrait of a pioneer family gathered near a dugout east of town.

That's just a start. My office is stacked with a wealth of precious pictures from McCook's past, gleaned from the contributions of McCook citizens and the photographic collections at the newspaper and the Museum of the High Plains.

Now comes the most difficult task of all. The time has arrived to select the 150 to 200 pictures which will appear in the 125th Anniversary picture book. Thankfully, Shary and I will have the help of Joeleen Snyder, who has devoted many hours to collecting and documenting historic pictures, and Connie Jo Discoe, who is the Gazette's photographic guru and a long-time collector of memorabilia.

The work doesn't end there. We are also blessed to have had outstanding support from McCook businesses, who have joined in sponsorship of more than 50 pages of historic messages about their firms.

As you can see, I am thrilled to be a part of the planning and preparation for "McCook Memories: Proud People, Proud Heritage." If you haven't yet ordered a copy, I encourage you to do so soon. The cost to reserve a copy is $29.95 plus tax and handling. That may sound like quite a bit, but it's a bargain when you consider that the book will have a treasured place in your home, not only in your lifetime but for generations to come.