Jesse Holmes, cousin Jim Holmes and Jesse’s brother Clarence Holmes are pictured in front of Clarence’s kitchen door after a successful rabbit hunt in the winter of 1911. Jesse and Clarence were residents of Phillips County for many years. In 1923, they formed a partnership and bought Bruce Waln’s Ford agency. The partnership was dissolved in 1934. Clarence then became custodian at Phillips County High School and a few years later was employed as a powerhouse attendant by the town of Holyoke. After the partnership with Clarence was dissolved, Jesse opened a repair shop in the rear of the American Legion building. In the fall of 1946, Jesse and his wife Rilla went to California. They returned to Holyoke in 1947, and he was parts man at the Holyoke Motor Company. He later became the local dealer for Allis-Chalmers farm equipment and continued in that business until 1952, when he operated a small repair shop at his home until his death in 1959. — Source: Phillips County Museum
Peekin' into the Past
Five Years Ago — Feb. 25, 2016
A successor to Snuffy the leaf vacuum has been named, as approved at the Feb. 16 Holyoke City Council meeting. Snuffy II will be a 2015 Tarco Windy 100. This model is approximately 65 years newer than Snuffy I, which was estimated to be manufactured between 1948-1953 (and repaired and rebuilt many times since then), and the accompanying upgrades reflect the technological advances since that era.
Now that industrial hemp is legal to be grown in Colorado, as well as Oregon and Vermont, farmers are jumping on board little by little, even if they start cautiously and only plant an experimental acre. Great Plains Hemp Cooperative, which covers 19 counties in northeast Colorado, held an informational meeting Feb. 20 at Phillips County Event Center.
Holyoke gained a new Chamber of Commerce director as of Feb. 16, as Carissa Mill officially took on the new position.
Ten Years Ago — Feb. 24, 2011
Mark Edmonds was declared the 125-pound 2A state wrestling champ last weekend. This is the second straight title for the Dragon junior.
Holyoke Ball Park will receive a slight facelift once newly purchased bleachers are in place, after Holyoke City Council members approved the purchase at the Feb. 15 meeting. The area under the seat near the feet is completely enclosed, which was the primary concern that put the project in motion. A GOCO grant was applied for and received to cover the cost of the project.
Tricia Michael and Sheryl Farnsworth recently traveled to Uganda, Africa, and spent Jan. 12-28 at the Children’s HopeChest care point in the village of Kayango and put on a Global Training Ministries pastoral conference in Bugiri.
Twenty-Five Years Ago — Feb. 29, 1996
Ace Thacker, Melissa Memorial Hospital administrator for the past three and a half years, has resigned his position, effective April 30. The East Phillips County Hospital District board accepted the resignation at the Feb. 20 meeting.
Springlike weather came to a halt early this week as temperatures plummeted. High temps took a 52-degree dive during the past week, falling from 76 degrees on Feb. 22 to 24 degrees on Feb. 26. February remained a dry month, with absolutely no moisture reported through Feb. 26.
“Welcome to Holyoke, Colorado,” says the first of 29 cement blocks featured in a welcome wall on Holyoke Co-op property on the north side of town. The blocks display colorful paintings of flags from countries all over the world. The community service project was part of the Up With People visit last week.
HHS senior Shari Johnson has been named a Community Hero and will carry the Olympic torch for a half mile when it is brought through Sterling on May 13.
Fifty Years Ago — Feb. 25, 1971
A blizzard moved into the area last Thursday night, and 6-8 inches of snow picked up by high winds caused drifts up to 10 feet high, closing roads in the county. School was closed Friday and Monday.
The rugby game that was to be played here Sunday has been canceled until further notice because of field conditions.
Leo C. Ruby, Holyoke, Phillips County service officer for the past six and one-half years, has resigned, effective March 1. Phillips County commissioners at their meeting Tuesday appointed H.J. Sandstead, Holyoke, as service officer. The duty of a service officer is to aid veterans and their dependents.
Due to the fact that our high school gym is too narrow, the regional basketball playoffs will not be held here.
Seventy-Five Years Ago — Feb. 28, 1946
The Junior Women’s Club reports that 360 chest X-rays were taken in east Phillips County Monday and Tuesday of this week, and 296 were X-rayed at Haxtun on the previous Saturday. Pupils of the county over 12 years of age were given the patch test Feb. 15.
Four bright-eyed young men and a vocational agriculture instructor with an enviable record of accomplishment with his students of Phillips County High School last Tuesday told a seven-state radio audience what it takes to make a top-notch chapter of the Future Farmers of America. The men were featured in the first of a series of “youth broadcasts” planned for the future by Lowell Watts, “farm reporter” for radio station KLZ in Denver.
One hundred seventy-one students of PCHS were given the tuberculosis patch test, and only 15 gave a positive reaction. This test is important because it is one of the best ways of finding the students who are infected with the tuberculosis germ, although a positive reaction does not necessarily mean disease.