The McCook Country Club and other venues in 1931

The above picture of the original McCook County Club came from a booklet prepared by Flora Dutcher, outlining the history of the Baptist Church. The picture is assumed to be taken after 1931, based on the model of cars and because in 1931, the VFW met in the old Elks Building on Norris Avenue, according to Sue Doak. Picture courtesy of Marilyn Anderjaska. Courtesy photo

I have the best back-up crew in the people that read my column! Two weeks ago, I posed the question concerning the McCook Country Club that in the 1931 City Directory was said to be located in NE McCook. I just couldn’t place where that might have been, but a call from Marilyn Anderjaska solved that mystery immediately.

Marilyn had special ties to the old country club due to the fact that her mother, Mrs. Wanda McBrien, cooked there when Marilyn was a child. She vividly remembers that she was able to help out with minor chores outside of the kitchen but the minute that the gentlemen came into the club and alcohol flowed, she was banished from the area they were in. That reminds me of the back bar at the Elks Club. We drove up from Indianola at times to eat Sunday dinner at the Elks, but mom, Jim and myself never ventured out of the main dining room. Only dad was allowed to enter the back bar room. By the way, eating dinner at the Elks Club, of which dad was a member, required dressing in our Sunday garbs and certainly being on our best behavior.

Apparently there was also a golf course associated with the club. The course was located in the same proximity as the 9 holes the McCook Elks Club had over between East 7th and East 11th streets. The clubhouse itself was situated on the block encompassed by East J, East K, East 6th and East 5th or where the now the privately owned, octagon shaped, Baptist church building is situated.

B Street AKA Highway 6 & 34 was originally the Detroit, Lincoln and Denver (DLD) highway. You see that designation on old maps. The McCook Auto Camp (Mrs. Edith Hall, Jack Leaton) listed it’s address as 811 DLD Hwy.

Ralph Steven’s McCook Bottling Works was at 222 West 1st street and the McCook Broom Factory (Benny Askey) was a 210 E 5th. McCook Grocery ran by L. J. Korf occupied 206 Main (Norris). McCook had three papers: McCook Daily Gazette, H. D. Strunk, at 420 Main, McCook Tribune, a tri-weekly, M.M. Kimmell, at 312 Main and McCook Republican, a weekly publication, C. W. Barnes, in the basement of 318 Main.

Gregg Furniture Company was at 116 Main but as was quite normal, Vernon Gregg also teamed with R.A. Herrmann to run the Gregg & Herrmann Funeral home out of the same building. Furniture stores were often also the source for caskets and funeral arrangements!

I have to mention Whitten Hatchery at 113 East B Street for two reasons. My brother-in-law, Harlow Wilhelm, remembers that his parents, Frank & Elsie, bought their chicks to raise from there. He also had a wonderful story about how the sex of chicks was determined in those days that I can’t share, but it is always interesting to hear the process. Wallace Whitten was the owner and he belonged to the Nebraska Baby Chick Association.

The Farmer’s and Merchant’s State Bank was located at 209 Main, Frank Real, President. McCook National (C. J. O’Brien, President) at 220 Main and First National (Albert Barnett, President) at 302 Main.

Finally, Main Street boasted three filling stations: Ogier’s at 323 Main right next to the Montgomery Ward store, Standard Oil at 525 Main and across F Street from the Standard station was Continental Oil Company at 601 Main. Standard also had a station at 201 West 1st while Continental had stations at 307 East B and 223 West B as well.

SWNGS library is located at 322 Norris in the Temple Building, Rooms 2-7 on the second floor. We are open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 PM.