Our Yesterdays

Gretchen Hendrickson has enrolled as a sophomore at Iowa State College in Ames.

Epworth League elected the following officers: president, Jack Bottorff; vice president, Grace Trigg; 2nd vice president, Janet Trigg; 3rd vice president, Frances Curtis; 4th vice president, Jay Horning; and secretary, Patsy Paxson.

The ladies of the Methodist Church gave a reception for their pastor and the teachers in the public school.

Mrs. Maurice Gould received her embalmers license from the college of Mortuary Science. This makes her a fully equipped embalmer as is her husband.

Emmett Mowery, capable sports writer on the Ottumwa Courier, hits center in the following comment, that appeared in his Palaver column in the Courier. “Over in Keokuk County the high school folks are havin’ plenty to rave about this season. But the biggest rave of all is heard over at Richland where Coach R.O. Sjostrom has another bunch of Wildcats in hand and is really going to town. Winning football teams at Richland is nothing new. In fact, in the last four years, Richland high elevens have lost just one game.”

1953, 70 years ago

Jan Kelly wrote the following:

Eulogy of an Era

Decades ago, way back when not many people remember, the square was lined with boardwalks and horses stood in the mud, waiting patiently at hitching posts. A man and a woman came into the store to use a new and modern service, to make a call on the telephone. They awesomely rotated the crank and soon there sounded crackling in the earpiece and over the wire came the Voice of Central.

There was a World War, which later was known as the first. Over the ever extending miles of silver wire and into the little switchboard hummed messages of loved ones far and away. The fingers of Central lifted to speed messages of home coming and joy and heartbreak.

The country grew and the towns. Automobiles replaced horses at the curb, and hard surfaces, the mud. Most everyone came to have a phone to call the grocer, or neighbor, or the doctor, etc. Over the years, Central became a part of the community. A sort of general information office, lost and found department, and town news bureau. Central usually knew where to find a man or when the weddings and funerals were held or the birth of the community’s latest newcomer. Central would take your calls if you had to be gone away for a bit; would even yell out the door to catch someone.

Sometimes ice and wind broke the fragile threads of communication and men worked long and hard in the cold or rain or snow to once again tie the community together. The Atomic Age arrived and swifter, more modern transportation and communication, too. The rural communities enjoyed the same luxuries and modern necessities as did the city folk.

One day the shiny trucks came and men climbed poles and dug into cables, installed gleaming modern instruments with impersonal, calculating faces. An automatic switch board was built to replace the flying fingers and banging plugs with an electric impulse. It? s almost ready. Soon the switch board will stand idle and useless. Silent, resting from years of buzzes and rings and clicks, empty of neighborhood chats, of tragic messages, of recipes exchanged, or calling Aunt Mary. Central folds up the headset for the last time. The little ‘one-horse’ switchboard buzzes a last farewell. Progress marches on. The outworn, outdated ways and things are left by the wayside, fade into the past the horse and buggy, the covered bridge, the old well, the Model-T, the crystal radio set and Central.

1960, 63 years ago

Mr. and Mrs. Orin Davis, Patty and Rex, will leave next week to make their home in Colorado. Mr. Davis has been associated with Charles Widner in the building business, since selling the produce business to Chalmer Hoskins. Mrs. Davis has operated the Beauty Salon.

Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Swartzwelter have purchased the equipment from the Davis Beauty Salon. They are remodeling rooms behind the Richland Cafe’ for a two-chair beauty shop. Mrs. Joylyn Nichols Smith will be the operator.

The Methodist folks of Ollie had a farewell party at the church for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hixson who are moving to Ottumwa where Bob is a meat cutter in a store. Marilyn has been organist for the church for several years.

Howard Williams, Ollie, have bought the little house on the west end of Main Street from Bob Sheetz. He will have an insurance office there. They have the frame up on the new home they are having built.

Home Oil Station, operated by Doug and Virginia Nichols, will have an addition to their service room. The addition will be some twenty feet in length in order to service at least two cars at one time. The Nichols have operated the service station for several months. Doug Nichols formerly worked for the Hannah Auto and Implement.