Bartley thriving community in 1916

When you are researching the Southwest Nebraska region, it is good to find as many different newspapers as possible to peruse. As indicated in my last column, I had been reading the Bartley Inter-Ocean paper from 1916 when I came across the Bandit War(s) information. Nearly all the small towns had a newspaper at one point or the other, sadly most didn’t survive the years for us to even hope to read. That is why those that are available are so important for filling in the blanks about life in our area.

August 10, 1916 from the Bartley Inter-Ocean: Local news from School Creek and Vicinity- “ Edd and Grandma Vandervort were visitors at the Ira Lyon’s home last Tuesday. Mrs. Pearle Yager returned home last Wednesday, after a four weeks visit with her cousin at Trenton. Her cousin, Mrs. Mary Stauke accompanied her home for a few days visit with relatives. Vera and Ora Emrich visited with Ruby Bailey Sunday and Monday.”

From the same issue came these personals column entries: “ The Lebanon Chautauqua commences today. The Bartley ball team is playing at Lebanon. Born to Mr. and Mrs. William Premer, a 9 lb. girl, August 6. There were 15 cars of wheat shipped from this station last week. E.E. Smith and the Farmers’ Equity Exchange each shipped a car load of hogs to market Saturday. S. R. Grissell, the contractor and builder, was awarded the contract to build the new school house. Frank Ball has sold his hardware and furniture business to L. E. Moore. They will commence invoicing next Thursday.”

Bartley, being a thriving little burg in the early 1900’s, had a new problem with the increasing use of those new fangled automobiles: “It has been suggested that as automobiles are becoming so numerous in this vicinity, and at times there are so many lined along the sidewalks that it is almost impossible to get close to the sidewalk when a persona wants to load or unload, it would be a good idea for the town board to mark a plot in the center of the street where the autos could be parked.”.

Opera houses were prized by all towns and Bartley was no exception though this news item involved changing the use of the building: “Peter N. Ledou, of Yuma, Colo., the new proprietor of the Opera House, came in Saturday. He was accompanied by Mrs. Ledou and their little boy. Mr. Ledou left here Monday evening, in his auto, for Omaha, and Mrs. Ledou and son took the train Tuesday morning for home. It is the intentions of the Ledous to come back in the forepart of September, when they will fix up the opera house for moving pictures. The Ledous are pleasant people to meet and we are pleased to announce that they are to become citizens of our little city.”

Garfield Precinct news, August 10, 1916: “Eugene Allen has been secured by the Stockville-Faber (newspaper) to write a series of articles on the early history of Frontier County. Mr. Allen has lived in Garfield Precinct a long time, in fact was living here when “Old Glory”, the Cazique, roamed the plains. We feel sure that these articles, while being authentic, will prove very interesting. John Teeter holds the high record for big wheat yields, in Garfield, as yet. His wheat made 22 bushel an acre.”

Lastly, from the same paper came the Freedom News, a Frontier County settlement: “Wren Allen, Frontier County’s jolly bachelor, marketed hogs in Bartley Thursday. Mr. Allen had great deal of tire trouble along the way and was quite late arriving in the little city. Miss May Payne has contracted to teach the Crampton school for the coming session. Miss Payne has had no experience in teaching, but we feel safe in saying she will make a very successful teacher. Jim Winters, Bert Garfield, Jim Housley and Irwin Wymore hauled grain to Bartley Saturday.”

The Bartley Inter-Ocean is available for research on Newspapers.com which is a for pay site, but according to a notice I found on the internet, the Bartley Public Library also has digitized copies available on their website which you can find by entering www.libraries.ne.gov + Bartley in your search bar.