McCook memories, Robert Rishel

The MHS Honor Society, 1942. Robert Rishel is third from the left in the first row. (Courtesy photo)

The Rishel family, originally from Indiana, came to a farm in Red Willow County Nebraska in 1897, after spending some 14 years in Gage County. We are indebted to Robert Rishel, born in McCook in 1924, for giving us some history of the Rishel family, and for sharing his memories of growing up in McCook in the days before World War II.

Enos Rishel, Robert's grandfather, was born in 1842, in Indiana, the son of a blacksmith/farmer. After the Civil War, Enos and his father developed an interest in "western land," buying a half section of land in Gage County, which they began to farm in 1879.

Although Enos had not gone into the Army during the Civil War, his younger brother had, and served with distinction in the Union Army at the Battle of Shiloh and the Mississippi campaigns. For years, he marched in parades with other veterans of the 10th Indiana Infantry. At his death in 1940 he was the last surviving Civil War soldier in the state of Indiana.

The Rishel building in downtown McCook. (Walt Sehnert)

In 1881, Enos sold 80 acres of his Gage County land to William Mangus, who was a veteran of the 42nd Infantry, commanded by Stonewall Jackson, one of the heroes of the Confederate Army. William Mangus' daughter married Enos Rishel. Martin Rishel, Robert's father, born in 1884, was the first child of this union.

When Martin was 13 years old, Enos Rishel moved west and bought land near McCook. Though Martin learned to farm and assisted his father on the farm through his teen years, he never really cared for the country life and longed to live in the "city."

In 1906, Enos Rishel, something of a real estate speculator, built the Rishel building in downtown McCook. In that location, Martin Rishel opened a variety store, where he sold dishes (imported from Austria or Germany), sewing and household items, and sheet music, which a friend demonstrated on the store's piano. Martin made and sold taffy candy at the store and in surrounding towns. Martin even published some of his own post cards, which were popular items in those days. In early spring he planted thousands of tomato seedlings, which he nurtured in a tiny plot in back of the store, later selling the seedlings -- two seedlings in a tin can for 15 cents.

In 1913 Martin married Flossie (Florence) Rittenour, a school teacher. For some years Martin and Flossie lived in an apartment over the store. Later they moved to a house in the 400 block of West First, where Robert grew up.

In the 1930s, business at the store became difficult. Postcards went out of style, a music store sold sheet music and there was competition from chain stores. (Note: Mr. Rishel was still operating his store when we came to McCook in 1957. His inventory was tiny, and he peddled his wares, door to door, to businesses on Norris Avenue, operating from a small push cart. I regularly bought a certain size white paper bag from him for the bakery. He always seemed to be in a hurry -- too busy to talk very much.)

Martin Rishel never in his life owned or operated a car (not that unusual in his day). The train service out of McCook was excellent and the family traveled quite extensively, regularly visiting relatives in Colorado and Wyoming. Robert was understandably thrilled when his brother, Dwight, 10 years his senior, bought the first car in the Rishel family and was good about giving his little brother automobile rides.

Robert's first clear memories of McCook began in 1928, when McCook was hit by a devastating tornado. Somehow his father had received warning and all members of the family were gathered in the basement of the Norris Avenue store. They had a clear view of the twister out the cellar door. Downtown McCook was unscathed, but 105 homes were demolished and another 40 heavily damaged. One woman died of injuries.

Radio was the universal entertainment medium, with families huddled around the "Majestic," listening to favorite programs. Each radio network had an excellent orchestra and musical programs were Rishel favorites -- 15 minute musical shows, featuring well-known singers and musicians. Commercials were few in number and very relaxed.

Robert made the obligatory attendance to the Methodist Church on Sundays with his mother, and to the Ladies Aid events at the church. The food was invariably excellent, but the visiting among the women went on much too long (to his thinking).

His father seemed to be busy all of the time. The fishing trips to one or another local creek with his father and his cronies were great, but they didn't happen very often.

In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt made a campaign stop in McCook. Robert says that his speech was probably not memorable, but the gesture to recognize McCook's own George Norris, who introduced FDR, was special. Watching FDR's ride to the fairgrounds, in an open car, was a thrilling event. No one commented on FDR's physical limitations. The moment was distinctly upbeat. People seemed to cling to the hope that FDR might be the one to lift the nation out of the depths of the Depression.

George Norris at one time held the mortgage on the Rishel building, and Robert remembers the Senator coming into the store sometimes for a little chat with his father. The elder Rishel followed the Norris career closely and with pride -- the battles in the Senate, his pushing for the Unicameral Legislature, and his work establishing the TVA.

In 1935, with the state in the depths of drought and depression, heavy rains to the north and west of McCook culminated in the devastating Republican River flood, which left a 200- mile swath of the Republican Valley in ruins. One hundred and 12 lives were lost, more than 1,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and at least 10,000 farm animals were lost. Robert had been ill with some childhood ailment, but remembers walking to the bluff above the river and watching the rescue of workers from the flooded light plant.

Older brother, Dwight, age 20, was drafted by a local doctor to accompany him in caring for patients outside McCook. It was Dwight's first ride in an airplane.

Robert was a carrier for the McCook Gazette, covering West McCook and some of South McCook. He learned valuable lessons in business, and about human nature, good and bad -- and to avoid growling dogs in yards where payment for the paper was past due.

The greatest circus Robert ever saw was the Sels Railroad Circus in 1931, which was held on the hill just west of West Ward School. The best part was watching some 60 workers, who used elephants to position railway cars and hoist the big tent, prior to the circus parade down Main Street (now Norris Avenue) later in the day. For weeks after the event most of the kids in town were practicing to become circus acrobats and aerialists.

Early in 1942, just months after Pearl Harbor, federal plans to build an air base north of McCook went into effect. Rober graduated from MHS in May, 1942 and immediately obtained a job as a carpenter's helper, thrilled to be helping to build the four huge hangars, each with a door 168 feet high. His mother was one of the first employees at the base PX -- both good jobs. But Robert did not keep his job long. He was drafted into the Army in 1943.

Robert's grandparents moved to Wyoming early in the 1900s. Martin died in 1959, at the age of 75. Flossie died in the nursing home in 1990 at the age of 99. Brother Dwight moved to California before World War II. Robert did not return to live in McCook after World War II, But the Rishel building remains a familiar landmark in downtown McCook.

Source: The unpublished paper by Mr. Rishel is on file at the High Plains Museum in McCook.