Rivalry between towns in the 1800s

Susan Doak

Southwest Nebraska Genealogy Society

History has made it clear that there was competition between Indianola and McCook during the growing years but west of McCook, the Culbertson residents were fighting just as hard to make their mark on the Southwest Nebraska map!

Although none of the Culbertson papers are online, if you search the McCook Tribune you will find Culbertson news. At times the two communities worked together, as in sharing pastors for churches, but if it came to baseball, water, or business revenue, what was taught on Sunday was forgotten by Monday.

From the McCook Tribune, May 17, 1895: "The high school baseball club will play the Culbertson baseball team tomorrow at the Culbertson fair grounds. The voelferous vocalizations of Era Cole in the Culbertson Sun last week would indicate that the Culbertson contingent cannot stand defeat gracefully. Play ball Era. Not the wind instrument."

Quoted from the Culbertson Republican and printed in the McCook Tribune on Oct. 21, 1892 comes these two railroad stories: "The B & M have put in a platform south of town (Culbertson) at the stock yards, and all passengers and baggage off the Imperial line are now transferred onto No. 4 there.

"The B & M Railroad realizing the fact that Culbertson is destined to be the leading town in this part of the state, have just about completed here one of the finest depots on its line. The main building is 24x36 feet in size, the lower floor being conveniently divided into an office, waiting room and baggage room, and the second story is very well arranged into six nice rooms for the accommodation of the agent's family. The freight room at the east end is 24x36 feet in size. In all, it is an elegant building and a credit to the town of Culbertson."

When both McCook and Culbertson were bidding to hold the summer school for teachers in their town, the Jan. 9, 1903 McCook Tribune printed this observation: "McCook should be the location and will be if the people of McCook meet the emergency with a price for board and lodging during the several weeks of the school's session. Culbertson makes an offer of $3 per week. McCook should guarantee a price of at least $3.50 per week, which taking into account the superior advantages would be equal if not superior to that offered by Culbertson. There will be 200 or more teachers at the school. Let McCook be wide-awake to the situation and meet the committee which will canvass the community with liberality. Businessmen, step to the front."

As to water, even Imperial had a comeback for the Culbertson Irrigation Co. which was printed by the Imperial Enterprise and reprinted in the May 31, 1895 McCook Tribune under the headline, Will Quit Breathing: "The superintendent of the Culbertson Irrigation Co. was in this county, this week, notifying the ditch owners on our streams not to take any more water from the Frenchman River, as it was interfering with the rights of the company ditch below. Our citizens will probably obey, and will also cease to breath the air for fear of violating somebody's right."

There are over 1,400 pages in the McCook Tribune on www.chroniclingamerica.gov that have references to Culbertson and the people who lived there. You don't always need the actual hometown paper to find your ancestors. Be creative and search the areas around where they lived!

Southwest Nebraska Geneaology Society's next meeting will be Jan. 9, 1 p.m., 110 West C, Suite M-3. Our library will be open for research at that time.