Historical Times

Published by the Historical Society of Stanton County

Volume 1, Number 1 – December 2002

 

One who has pride in the past will soon

 have a future of which to be proud

 

Letter from the Editor

 

      It has been several years since the Society printed a news letter. Its about time we let our members and contributors know that your support is greatly appreciated. Much has happened over the past couple of years including 1. Upgrading the electric service to the Museum in Pilger and installing a new heating and air conditioning system, 2. Installing new sidewalks and flag pole in Pilger (see photo), 3. Acquisition of the Old City Hall in Stanton and 4. The gift of District 13 (a rural School-house) (see photo) from the Art Barr family.

       An Endowment Fund has been established thanks to Marian (Wolverton) Beckman. She challenged the Society to match her $5,000 contribution with the promise of an additional $5,000 if that goal was reached. Thanks to the many contributors, that challenge was met and exceeded.  The fund has currently grown to nearly $18,000. The campaign to cleanup the Old City Hall resulted in contributions of over $5,000. The grand opening of the Stanton Heritage Museum took place on July 4, 2001.

      The rural school restoration project spearheaded by the Stanton Community Club’s “buy a brick” campaign has brought in over $17,000. This funded the moving of the school from its rural location to its present site adjacent to the Stanton Heritage Museum. Our funds are fast being depleted by the restoration of the school house itself.  New side walks have been laid and carpentry work has started.  Abiding by the requirements of the ADA to make the facility handicap accessible increases the cost of completing the school project.  Your help is still needed. Much is left to be done.

      In addition to the school project, the Stanton Heritage Museum needs the electrical system upgraded from it current knob and tube vintage to comply with current safety requirements. Heating and air conditioning need to be upgraded, as we have already done in our Museum in Pilger.

      In Pilger, we have a nice Annex, but is deteriorating primarily due to lack of volunteer help. A gas line has been installed and a used furnace was donated which needs to be installed.

      It is hoped we can develop a long range strategic plan to accomplish these goals over the next three to five years and certainly within the next ten.

      You can help. Fill out the contribution form and send it with a check to Historical Society of Stanton County, PO Box 213, Pilger NE 68768.

 

Roland Jensen, Editor

 

 

Rural School Restoration Project

 

      It has been a very busy year since we acquired the District 13 school by  way of the very generous donation of Art Barr and his family.  Volunteers are now needed for the restoration to preserve this unique form of elementary education that existed in western pioneer America.  A series of historical articles are being published in the Stanton Register, depicting the development and demise of these learning institutions that are such an important part of Stanton County heritage.  Residents of Stanton County have enthusiastically offered donations of time, funding, and assistance in the restoration project.     

      A “Join Hands Day” (Sponsored by the Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8958, AAL.  Branch 448, Stanton Community Club, and the Historical Society) brought youth and adults together for paint scraping and general clean up at the original site of the school house, northeast of Stanton, in June of 2002.

      Jensen Construction Co. graciously excavated the site west of the Stanton Heritage Museum for the foundation under the school. Bill Dahlkoetter poured the foundation and laid the concrete blocks to support the school. The building was then moved onto the site early on a Friday morning, by V&L Movers (see photo), assisted by the Stanton County Public Power District personnel.

      The proceeds of the Ted Melcher Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament and a generous anonymous donation were used to cover the moving costs. Two coats of white paint were applied by the Legion Baseball team of Stanton on the hottest day of the summer. In return the team received a grant from the Youth Fund of the Stanton Community Club for the purchase of baseball equipment. The Stanton High School Class of 1952 alumni donated a very nice wood/coal burning stove to add to the authenticity of the restoration. Myrna Vollbrecht donated rail-mounted cast iron/wood desks from the early era of the one-room rural schools in Stanton County.  Myrna was given the Home Town Hero Award for all she has done and continues to do for the Stanton community during and since her years as a revered rural school teacher.

       

        Curator’s Note: Individual tours and groups are welcome to visit at any time the museum is open (now Saturday afternoons from May through October) or by appointment.  Call 439-2208.

 

Buy A Brick Fund Raiser

 

     The Stanton Community Club initiated a drive to raise funds for restoring District 13 at its relocated site next to the Stanton Heritage Museum (Old City Hall). Members of the Historical Society have continued with this project which also includes honoring county superintendents and rural school teachers as well. Bricks are being sold for $100 for each district and name plaques are being sold for $25 for each superintendent and teacher. So far, the following school districts have contributions of $100 or more: 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21. 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 51, 53 and 55. More than 85 teachers and 18 superintendents have been remembered. In the months to come we will concentrate on identifying and sending letters to those districts that have not contributed for their brick. Once all bricks are sold they will be taken to an engraver in Columbus.  Each brick will be of standard size (4 inch by 8 inch) and will have three lines. District number on line 1, district name on line 2, and opening and closing years on line 3.

 

For Example:  

 

DISTRICT 13

CANADIAN

1873 - 1997

 

 

 

      The engraved bricks will be incorporated into the landscape. A final decision has not been made as to how this will be accomplished. Several ideas have been received for consideration. The superintendent and teacher plaques will be located inside the restored school. A special book, listing all contributors, will be inside for everyone to review.

 

Stanton Heritage Museum

 

      On July 4, 2001,  the Stanton Heritage Museum officially opened. One year later, on July 4, 2002, we celebrated its first anniversary as part of the Stanton Fabulous Family Fourth of July Celebration (see photo).   The response from the community has been very good in terms of contributions of Stanton memorabilia (artifacts, tools, books, photographs, etc.) all related to the history and the development of the community as it exists today. 

      An outstanding display is the collection that Dr. William Peters assembled as part of his experience in a field hospital in France during World War I (1917-1919).  The collection contains: Photographs of the hospital group that was trained in Iowa, the troop ship that transported them to Europe, and Lt. Peters in full dress uniform. The complete dress cavalry style uniform with the wide brimmed hat, olive drab jacket and jodphur trousers, riding boots (including the boot straps and metal hooks for “boot strapping” and spurs). Two bolt action German Mauser rifles, a broom handle pistol in its original holster, several revolver holsters,  a Very pistol used to fire flares, a de-activated German “potato masher” grenade, a trench knife, a bayonet for a German rifle. Four combat helmets: British/American, French, German, and Prussian. Shrapnel - i.e., small pieces found on the field and/or removed from the wounded, and larger intact/unexploded projectiles. Gas masks. French barbed-wire cutter and much more.   

 

        Curator’s note: This material was on display in his medical office in the Peters building, still existent on Ivy Street, until his demise in 1927.  His wife and daughter (Virginia Marsh of Central City) packed it all away.  Virginia and her son opened the boxes in 2001 and opted to donate all to the Stanton Heritage Museum.  We are honored and pleased to share all of this with the community.

 

Note

 

 

      The Historical Society of Stanton County meets on the first Tuesday of every month except January and February. The meeting place alternates between Stanton and Pilger. The meeting time is 7:30 PM except for 6:00 PM in December for the Annual Christmas carry-in. Meeting times and locations are normally posted in the Stanton Register.

 

Articles on Rural Schools

 

     The Stanton Register and the Historical Society are working together to publish a special series featuring rural schools in Stanton County. The goal is to run the feature weekly, and feature all of the schools that have existed in Stanton County since the late 1800’s.

      A driving force behind this project is the effort to renovate and restore the one-room schoolhouse that was recently added to the Heritage Center in Stanton.

      Anyone who has information or photographs from any of the rural schools is asked to contact Myrna Vollbrecht (402) 439-2518, PO Box 764, Stanton NE 68779 or Roland Jensen (402) 396-3422, PO Box 111, Pilger NE 68768 of the Historical Society or the Stanton Register editor (402) 439-2173, PO Box 719, Stanton NE 68779. The success of this project rests in the hands of those who have the information about the schools.

      So far, articles on the following districts have been published: Districts 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 28, 43, 46 and 47.

 

Listing of Rural School Districts

 

      Number                Name             Open - Close

            2                      Koch               1868 - 1987

            4                     Lammli             1868 - 1963

            5                   Armbruster         1873 - 1961

            6                Hoosier Hollow      1873 - 1970

            7                      Ryan                1873 - 1970

            8                      Benne              1873 - 1963

            9                  Chamberlin          1873 - 1972

           10                  Number Ten        1873 - 1994

           11                   Euhrmann           1873 - 1965

           12                      Bega                 1873 - 1970

           13                    Canadian            1873 - 1997

           14                      Scherer                        1873 - 1985

           15                      Brown              1873 - 1970

           16                      Clinton             1873 - 1970

           17                      Axen                1874 - 1965

           18                    Patterson           1875 - 1970

           19                   Ackerman           1875 - 1999

           20                     Forney              1876 - 1964

           21                      Sporn               1877 - 1966

           22                      Belz                  1877 - 1959

           23                 Schellpeper           1879 - 1977

           24                  Fairview               1880 - 1963

           25                    Orelup                1880 - 1970

           26                      Pfeil                 1880 - 1970

           27                     Busch                1880 - 1966

           28                Cedar Creek           1882 - 2000

           29                  McInerny             1882 - 1968

           30                  Butterfly              1883 - 1995

           31                    Glandt                1883 - 1989

           32                  Haymow               1884 - 1981

           33                   Vierson               1885 - 1959

           34                    Sauler                1886 - 1970

           35                  Canfield                1886 - 2001

           36                Maskenthine          1887 - 1991

           37                  Simonton             1887 - 1968

           38                    Lackey               1888 - 1972

           39                     Trine                 1888 - 1964

           40                     Sweet                1889 - 1964

           41                   Hammon             1890 - 1965

           42                    Rabeler              1890 - 1965

           43                      Doty                 1891 - 1970

           44                     Clinch               1891 - 1963

           45                    Daniell               1891 - 1977

           46                 Machaelis              1891 - 1971

           47                    Carson               1892 - 1970

           48                     Albert                1893 - 1970

           49                    Podany               1894 - 1964

           50                    Nelson               1894 - 1961

           51                      Koza                 1894 - 1970

           52                      Muhs                1895 - 1968

           53                  Nykodem             1896 - 1964

           54                     Johns                1901 - 1970

           55                     Duffy                 1901 - still open

           56                         ?                    1901 – 1964

           81                         ?                    1901 – 1992

 

Historical Evangelical United Brethren Church

 

    Built in 1878 by the Salem Evangelical Congregation, this was the first church building (see photo) in the City of Stanton and the only one until 1882.  Thus, it was used by Methodists, United Brethren, and Congregational groups from time to time.  A memorial to our Germanic heritage, the Evangelical church services were in German except during the world wars, when they used the English language.  In 1951 the Salem Evangelical congregation united with the United Brethren churches and became the Evangelical United Brethren Church.  In April, 1968, the E.U.B. Church united with the Methodist Church and the members of the E.U.B. Church became members of the newly named United Methodist Church.    That same year, the E. U. B. building was transferred to the Historical Society of Stanton County, whose members contributed the money to buy the lot.  The sanctuary was restored, and it is being maintained in its original condition.  The wooden benches, pulpit, and original wall clock and pump organ allow the visitor to imagine the worship services as they were presented in German for so many years.  In 1976, it was named a historic site and received a federal grant which helped members add new roofing and exterior paint.