A tiny two-room schoolhouse recalled

We all tend to remember things from 50 years ago better than we remember 10 years ago. I’m not sure why that is true, but it tends to be as exhibited by the Facebook page: Remember When in McCook Nebraska. Someone will post a picture or ask a question and 180 responses later you’ve got a history book full of information.

Just last week I was asked a question concerning a tiny school house located south of McCook and west of the Klein farm off Highway 83. What is great about the SWNGS website is that they have, located by clicking on the School Census tab, a map of early Red Willow County schools plus some of the school census information from the late 1880’s to the early 1900’s. Looking at that map, which is expandable on the website, I found the Wayside School in District No. 54. Going down to the available school census information there were students listed with last names of Boyd and Goodenberger plus a few others. The school showed no students after 1900, but many of those old two room school houses stood for years afterwards so I’m going with a good bet that Wayside School is the answer to that question.

Next, I was asked what was in the Hershberger building prior to the music store going in. Since I was working on information from the late 1960s, I grabbed the 1969 City Directory. Of course, it showed Hershberger’s at 211 West C Street and the West 1st Street location as being empty. Then I remembered a posting on the Facebook page, Remember When in McCook Nebraska, and scrolling through the myriad of pictures, I found one shared by Dick Rogers of Fred’s Meat Market (Mrs. Etta Boehm) located there. Across the street from Fred’s was Lucky ‘leven (Amy Winn) which according to the posts, sold 15 cent hamburgers. Along the B Street side, in 1969, there was the McCook Lockers, Stickney’s and Manny Olds & Cadillac. This was from the corner of West 1st to West 2nd on the north side. Of course, some of the buildings have become parking lots now so only we old people can picture what it looked like!

Researching meat markets in the McCook Tribune, I came across a notice of foreclosure brought against Charles F. Edwards and Martin L. Yager (they were selling rendered lard at 15 cents a pound in 1910) whose meat market was located on Lot 9, Block 28 of Norris Avenue which would lay between A Street and B Street on the West side. The reason I found this interesting is because in the lawsuit, they named the building in which the meat market was located as the Kapke Building. It’s a mission of mine discover the original names of all the buildings downtown. Don’t ask me why, it’s just that crazy history lady brain, but I would like to see plaques on the buildings that don’t have names on them now.

The final question I have not solved yet involved Adolph Carney (1886-1941) and his wife Antonia (1892-1959). A relative was thinking that when Adolph married Antonia, her father had a meat market perhaps on West 1st street. Problem is, she doesn’t know what Antonia’s maiden name was.

Usually that’s an easy one if the person(s) passed away in McCook but unfortunately Adolph had no obituary that I could find, and Antonia’s did not include a maiden name. As always though another clue surfaced in her obituary when it stated she died at her daughter’s home, which just happened to be a lady well known for her passion (and her husband’s accordion playing) for music: Mrs. Gus Tonozzi. I’m out of time this week, but with that lead I will be able to track down the answers!

Get answers to your genealogical or historical questions at the SWNGS library, 110 West 1st, Suite M-3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or look at our web site: www.swngs.org. You do not need to be a member to do either.