Fairground was city limits in McCook

Before I delve into North McCook, I have a couple of things I would like to share. Friday my Aunt and cousins joined me in decorating graves throughout SW Nebraska and NW Kansas which was a 200-mile circle encompassing 9 cemeteries and over 50 of our relatives. Every cemetery was beautifully maintained, even the one that is “abandoned” wasn’t bad, and it made me very proud to be part of an area which honors our loved ones final resting places. I’m sure that some of these towns budgets aren’t large but they do a wonderful job.

Secondly, I was unable to attend the ceremony for U. S. Air Force Captain Danny Thomas in Danbury, but I was there in my heart as they honored him. SW Nebraska/NW Kansas lost a lot of good men in the Vietnam War and we are blessed to have Danny returned to his home.

North McCook encompassed a large area which is covered in the McCook Tribune, available on www.chroniclingamerica.gov. When you get to their digitalized newspapers section, you click on advanced search, then go to newspapers and scroll down to McCook Tribune and click on it. Then in the section below choose how you want to search and enter the name or place you are looking for.

Many of the articles are divided by either town, rural delivery address, town, township or which side of McCook the writer was located on. If you know your ancestors lived north of McCook, you are going to have to search both “North of McCook” or North McCook, keeping in mind that the current fairgrounds area was outside of McCook’s city limits in the early days.

“James H. Short, who has resided for about a year on the old Rider farm seven miles north of McCook, died on Friday last week, July 9th, after an illness of three weeks, with typhoid pneumonia. James. H. Short, was born in Delaware in 1860. Came to Red Willow County, Nebraska, in 1904, settling on the old Rider farm, seven miles north of McCook. Deceased leaves a wife and five children, three sisters and two brothers to mourn his departure. May his soul rest in peace.” McCook Tribune, July 14, 1905

“This section of the country was visited by one of the finest rains of the season, last week. All the small grain is doing nicely, but the corn needs a little more sunlight. Mrs. William Hammel got a hatch of 128 chicks from a 150-egg incubator. She now has 542 chicks. Mrs. August Droll and daughters, Miss Augusta and Mrs. Jake Zimmer, visited the former’s daughter, Mrs. Koetter, one day last week.” McCook Tribune, June 9, 1910

“The patrons of school district 41 surprised the teacher, Miss Ethel Middleton, Friday, it being the last day of school. The ladies brought plenty of good things to eat and a splendid time was enjoyed by all. The pupils of the school made Miss Middleton a nice present. She gave good satisfaction as a teacher. Will Procter has moved to his farm, which he purchased of Fred Carter. Fred Carter and family have moved to their new home east of McCook. Before leaving for their new home their neighbors gave them a happy surprise at D. C Shaw’s.” McCook Tribune, March 30, 1906

Don’t forget the re-schedule Cemetery Tour will be Sunday, June 10th from 2-4 at Memorial Park, Calvary, and Riverside Cemeteries. There is no fee to attend, however a free will donation will be accepted at the gate.