Red Willow County seat

Before I journey into the past, I need to correct my article last week about Gen Wagner. Gen’s location on Norris Ave did change before she retired when she moved to a storefront on West C Street. I didn’t remember that at all, but her grandson tells me they moved into a smaller one level store in the 80’s.

At large amount of history has been written concerning McCook taking the county seat away from Indianola, but I found this article that Indianola had actually taken it away from Red Willow prior. From the McCook Tribune, July 29, 1892: “L. H. Lawton of Lincoln was a city visitor, Wednesday. He was a resident of Red Willow County in the early seventies (1870’s), and served as a judge of election at the county-seat removal election held then. His recollection and recital of the way our Indianola friends made sufficient voters to steal the county-seat from Red Willow are interesting. Mr. Lawton has since had considerable interest in Hitchcock County. He explains why Red Willow (the town) did not contest the election was because at that time they had nothing else to do but to go fishing and buffalo hunting, and that the county-seat game was not considered worth the powder.”

Since the fair just ended and the exhibits selected for the state fair have been selected, I thought this article from the McCook Tribune, September 13, 1895, was interesting. Apparently Elmer Rowell was in charge of showing the exhibit: “An exhibit of the agricultural products of Red Willow County will be made at the state fair in Omaha, next week. It will consists of some of the display made at the county fair, this week, besides quite a tasteful private display provided by different individuals in this part of the county. One feature of the display will be a ship, “The City of McCook”, which will carry on its deck all kinds of small grains, corn, vegetables, etc., while the sails will be decorated with grasses, wheat, oats, rye, alfalfa, etc., in the straw. This plan was very successfully carried out a few years since, and attracted no small attention and comment, and it was thought advisable to repeat the project this year. The ship is unique and handsome and besides displays to good advantage our products, which are altogether of a grade of which the county may be proud and well satisfied.” (Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a picture of the ship?)

On a different note, three news items in the May 4, 1911 McCook Tribune caught my eye as I was scanning through pages: “Owners and drivers of automobiles and motor cycles are hereby notified to in future give close heed to the laws respecting speed and lamps on their machines. The speed limit is ten miles per hour. Lamps are required to be placed on the front and rear of machines at night. These laws must be observed. L. A Fitch, Marshal”

“Two of the largest deals that have been made in this city for some time were closed through the agency of Dorwart & Barger of McCook Land Co. recently: A. Strawder’s 800 acre ranch on the Driftwood at $ 24,000.00 and the Doan Mill at $ 18,000.00.” ( Can you imagine a ranch on the Driftwood selling for $30 an acre?)

“A crusade must be waged relentlessly against dandelions in this city or disaster will overcome the lawns. These weed pests seem to be especially numerous this spring, and threaten to take the lawns of the city. Get busy, property owners as well as renters.”

In the August 13, 1885 Tribune there is a precious story concerning the marriage of two young lovers who had not seen each other for seven years, he, John Winter, having come to the United States to stake his claim to a new life, she, Miss Susanna Johnson, remaining in England until he could send for her. John was a dairy-man from McCook according to the article and went to Plattsmouth to meet her on the 7 o’clock train. He was afraid he would not recognize her, which was unfounded, and upon her alighting from the train, they immediately went to a jewelry store to obtain a ring and then on to be married. The article is too long for the column but if they are your ancestors, you must get on www.chroniclingamerica.gov and search for image 4, McCook Tribune on that date!

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