A second grade class at Holyoke Elementary School is pictured with teachers Margaret Cooper and Catherine Flanagan in the mid-to-late 1950s. Flanagan taught school in the area for many years, starting in a one-room country school at age 16. To earn her teaching degree, she took correspondence classes in addition to classes in Greeley. She taught second grade for many years at Holyoke Elementary School and served as the principal for two. After retiring from the Holyoke School District in 1960, she taught at a Catholic school in Sidney, Nebraska, for a couple of years. She was a charter member of the Holyoke Business and Professional Women’s Club, actively participated in the local Girl Scout program for many years and was a long-time member of the Holyoke Library Board. — Source: Phillips County Museum
Peekin’ into the past
Five Years Ago — Nov. 24, 2016
With an abrupt end to the unseasonably warm weather for fall, Holyoke finally got its first snow of the year the evening of Nov. 17, with far more than the forecasted inch of snow blasted in by icy winds.
It’s been a long time coming, but the partial parallel taxiway project at Holyoke Municipal Airport is almost done, according to City Superintendent Mark Brown’s report at the Nov. 15 Holyoke City Council meeting.
Ten Years Ago — Nov. 24, 2011
What would have been the 15th season for girls swimming for Holyoke High School is not going to happen. While taking 2011-12 off, reconsideration will be given for the 2012-13 season. HHS sported its own team for a number of years and has co-oped with the Sterling High School team for the past several years.
Golden Dragon Martial Arts Academy held a sparring and forms level tournament on Nov. 18 at the Peerless Theatre.
All city of Holyoke utility bills will now be mailed to customers. There will no longer be a mail-out charge. This change will be effective Dec. 1.
Twenty-Five Years Ago — Nov. 28, 1996
HRC Recycling has decided to discontinue its recycling of cardboard altogether and collection of recyclables from the 20 businesses they have been servicing. The current drop-off site on the west side of Holyoke Electronics Plus will still be maintained. In addition, the current owners will possibly sell the business.
Performance Technology out of Evergreen recently conducted a study of how to improve the energy efficiency of the Holyoke Swimming Pool. However, the city will not go forward with the recommendations during this fiscal year because it would give up all financial assistance via grants if the renovation begins. The entire project is estimated at more than $213,000.
It was reported at the Nov. 19 meeting of the Holyoke School District Re-1J Board of Education that with seven volunteers in place, the school crossing guard program is ready to start.
Fifty Years Ago — Nov. 25, 1971
Moisture that moved into the area last week slowed field operations, but for the most part the sugar beet harvest is almost completed in this area, with only one grower still hauling to the Holyoke station. Harvest of corn has been hampered by the moisture, with the crop only about 75% harvested.
The Christmas holiday season will open officially Friday, Nov. 26, with the turning on of the street decorations and the first visit from Santa Claus. Holyoke merchants will keep their stores open until 8 p.m. for shoppers to visit and see the many fine gift ideas that have been stocked for the coming Christmas season.
Holyoke Boy Scout Troop 32 will hold an Eagle Court of Awards honoring Ronald Boller, Douglas Denney and William T. McWilliams. The three boys will be installed as Eagle Scouts by Scoutmaster Pete Knight.
Seventy-Five Years Ago — Nov. 28, 1946
The clothing drive, which was sponsored by the churches of Holyoke and in cooperation with the American Legion Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week, collected over 1,000 pounds of used clothing which will be shipped to the destitute and shivering people of Asia.
Colorado may have as many as 34,453 tractors rumbling over its farmlands by 1950 under the impetus of a vigorous nationwide drive toward complete agricultural mechanization. This number would be the state’s quota of the 3,000,000 tractors expected to be in use on all U.S. farms by 1950. This full total is dependent upon the South mechanizing to the same degree now prevailing in the Middle Atlantic states.
One hundred thirty-five buildings at the former prisoner of war camp near Greeley are still for sale and will be readvertised by the regional office of the War Assets Administration. Eighty-five buildings of the 220 in the camp have now been sold by WAA.