McCook’s diamond jubilee in 1957

The 75th Anniversary celebration for McCook was an event that captured the support and hard work of a large majority of McCook citizens. The steering committee, consisting of John T Harris, Nellie Petty, Harold Larmon, Fred Marsh and Ralph Miller, did not have to labor alone to provide entertainment during the four day extravaganza in June of 1957.

No fewer than 15 committees worked towards the creation of a variety of venues to capture a cross section of interests in the area. Two pre-celebration events were held in the high school gym, one of which was a Diamond “Jamboree” which drew 400 square dancers from area square dancing clubs. The second, a Chuck Wagon Feed, honored all “Old Timers” that were at least 75 years old.

A historical pageant “This is Our Town” was held every night at Weiland Field created under the chairmanship of Ralph G. Brooks. The Boy Scouts served as ushers. Advertised as an “In History Pantomime Costume in Music, Drama, and Song” with actors and dancers, bands and choruses, it included a prologue and 10 episodes written by Leon Little, Leta Edwards, and Ralph.

Beard growing was the name of another committee headed by Hank Lebsack and the 1957 MJC Annual had a picture of the college men who had joined in on the fun. The parade committee chairman was Al Roth aided by Lyle Popenhagen and Virginia Stearns while Frank G. Hamilton headed the historical windows group.

Not many people remember the fact that McCook used to host beauty pageants but in 1957 during the Diamond Jubilee, McCook hosted the Miss Universe contest and the McCook Chamber of Commerce sponsored the winner by paying her expenses to compete in the Long Beach, California national contest for “Miss U.S.A.”. A few of the finalists competing in the McCook pageant were: Sally Wells, Lee Drumheller, Nancye Orth, Linda Young, and McCook’s own Carol Baumfalk.

Stanley Carfield, a 7th grader at the time, made an impressive pencil drawing of Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook for the anniversary. Miss Emma Imm’s art students drew the cover of the Jubilee Souvenir Program (purchase price 75 cents) and those students were: Larry Lusk, Karen Mueller, Steve Walker, Kathy Gochis, Sharen Felker, JoLene French, Rita McNutt and Karen Meager.

That Souvenir Program is also a wealth of information from the advertising section because many of the businesses gave their physical location in their ad such as: W. T. Grant Co. which occupied the building on West 1st and C prior to J. C. Penny’s; DeForest Market, 224 West 1st; Richman Produce, 210 West 1st; Hinky Dinky, 216 East B; The Hills Café, 207 West C; Hull Oil, 424 West B; Zephyr Cleaners, 112 Norris Ave.; Schilz & Nelson Jewelry, 109 Norris Ave.; Pate Hardware, 208 Norris Ave.; Whitten Hatchery (baby chickens) 223 West C; Montgomery Ward, 319 Norris.

Between the holidays and the weather our library hours have been hard hit but our schedule is still to be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4PM. However, if it is bitterly cold, snowing, or the streets are a sheet of ice you can be fairly certain that neither our members nor you should be out in the weather trying to look up genealogy stuff! If the library is not going to be open on one of those kinds of days we always try to post it on our Facebook page. The library is located at 110 West C, Suite M-3 and there is an elevator for those who need assistance.