1890 — When fires broke out in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cry for help went out to friends and neighbors, who quickly formed a bucket brigade, keeping the fire from spreading to other buildings rather than extinguishing it. In 1890, Mayor G.W. Garland issued an urgent plea to the young men of the community to “join up” and form a volunteer fire department. Fire Chief Garland asked the Holyoke town board for a fire bell, and the board purchased a bell and three extension ladders to reach the top floor of two-story buildings. A hose cart and hoses were also purchased and were manually pulled to the scene of the fire when the local dray man could not be located to pull the cart with his team of horses. But quite often, the firefighters were too late to do much good in extinguishing the fire. Holyoke Fire House No. 1 is pictured on July 4, 1890. — Source: Phillips County Museum
Peekin' into the Past
Five Years Ago
May 2, 2013
The Holyoke School District technology committee is researching the implementation of a 1-to-1 iPad program in the district. Such a program would put an iPad in the possession of each student in the school district.
Laughter filled the HHS auditorium April 23 as Holyoke residents gathered to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the “City of Pride and Progress” with a melodrama entitled “Shawnee Lou, the Prairie’s Purest Dressmaker,” put on by the Phillips County Players.
Ten Years Ago
May 1, 2008
John Ayoub, Melissa Memorial Hospital administrator, reported the resignation of Kathy Meyer, FNP-C, effective July 16, at the East Phillips County Hospital District board meeting April 22.
Colorado liquor stores will be able to stay open on Sundays, starting in July, under a bill signed by Gov. Bill Ritter, reversing a law dating from the repeal of Prohibition.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
May 6, 1993
A group of close to 50 turned out for the April 29 public meeting to hear about the plans for the renovation of the Peerless Theatre into the Peerless Center to help serve the needs of the community.
Conditional use permits for an additional nursery and finishing site for D&D Farms Inc. confinement hog operation south of Holyoke were approved by the Board of Phillips County Commissioners on April 30.
Four HHS architectural drafting students took second-place awards at the Annual Drafting Exhibit at the Voc-Tech School in Goodland, Kansas, April 14. Placing second for their floor plans or elevation drawings were Maggie Deden, Kelly Roberts, Cory Beal and Todd Waln.
Fifty Years Ago
May 2, 1968
Fires destroyed thousands of acres of sandhill grass in the region southeast of Holyoke Tuesday and yesterday. Hundreds of volunteers, including firemen from several towns, battled the flames for many hours before the fire could be brought under control.
A preliminary discussion concerning possible organization of a Phillips County Sheriff’s Posse was held at the courthouse last Thursday evening. Sheriff Fred Thietje said that the budget of his office has no provision for an outlay of funds for such a program at the present time. However, it is suggested by some that membership in the posse would be strictly voluntary, with no outside financial support necessary to maintain the organization.
The last day of school will be Friday, May 24 — and this appears to be final. It was switched to Saturday, May 25, recently but was changed back to the original date. The Saturday date was causing complications.
Seventy-Five Years Ago
May 6, 1943
Opinions of a limited number of citizens of Phillips County at a two-hour conference at the county jail Tuesday afternoon to discuss the question of native-born American-Japanese women being employed as nurses at the Holyoke hospital indicated that it was advisable to keep the hospital functioning even if it were necessary to open the county to admission of American-Japanese to that extent. At the present time, this county is closed to the employment of Japanese in any capacity.
Milk and cream producers are again reminded by W.H. Skitt, state dairy commissioner, that because of approaching warm weather, care must be taken to cool milk and cream promptly and keep them cool until they are shipped.
Phillips County was short about $8,500 of its quota of $109,400 in the purchase of war bonds during the big war bond drive in April. Time has been extended for the raising of the full quota until tomorrow night. Other counties nearby have exceeded their quotas considerably, while the state as a whole is also over the top.