Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Piano lessons, Chamber
Heather Safe has begun the fall session of piano lessons at the Harrington Opera House with her returning students, as well as teaching three students at Christian Heritage School. She has room for possibly three more students in Harrington. In previous years, children have had arts and crafts available in the Art Room. This season a professional art instructor may be available for structured lessons if sufficient interest is shown.
The Harrington Chamber of Commerce met September 7 with Cassandra Paffle-Dick leading the meeting and with Kathy Hoob, Bunny Haugan, Allen Barth, Tim Tipton, Paula Pike, Kathy Hansell (Rural Resource) and Heather Slack attending. Discussion centered around vendors for the Fall Festival, and questions were put forth about whether food vendors would be allowed.
In theory, the Commercial Club the olden days has evolved into the present day Chamber of Commerce. Each town began a little differently, but had a core of men working toward the advancement of the business community. The Harrington Improvement Co. was incorporated in January 1902 with Horace Haynes, A.L. Smalley, T.W. Newland, M.E. Setters and A.G. Mitchum as trustees. Their objective was to build, establish and maintain a hotel in Harrington, to purchase town lots and build improvements on those lots, to create a system of water works for the town, to construct and operate an electric lighting system and to borrow or raise money to have capital to work with so as to advance the town. In 1906, they held their first meeting in three years, and at that time their stockholders were satisfied with the management of the hotel. News items regarding this group were limited.
A membership listing in 1919 had the following names on its roster: A.W. Amundson, Oscar Andrews, A.M. Applegate, W.B. Armstrong, J.M. Baker, W.E. Barmeier, Ed Basler, Paul Beck, E.N. Becker, Jesse Boyer, Harry Brown, Clyde Charlton, Karl Conner, F.J. Coombs, Claude Cormana, Harve Cowger, James Cox, P.C. Crisp, L.P. Cummings, D.A. Dalziel, A.D. Davis, W.M. Davis, Wilbert Dobson, W.W. Downie, H.C. Dubert, L.A. Dunning, J.R. Dwyer, C.E. Ellis, F.W. Gateley, R.E. Gay, Eli Goodwin, John Gordon, Dave Gribbling, W.H. Hambright, Victor Haskins, D.W. Henderson, C.J. Hildebrand, J.E. Hitch, Henry Johnson, Fred Johnston, D.C. Keith, A.E. Kessler, A. Kloster, Ernest Lamp, C.F. Larsen, Lee Long, E.F. Miller, C.E. Moore, Depre Morgan, Harry Ochs, E.L. Perkins, Clarence Phillips, H.W. Reading, R.S. Reid, Henry Reker, J.A. Robasse, C.E. Schmidt, W.E. Shrader, M.R. Smith, A.J. Soash, G.E. Stober, T.E. Talkington, A.H. Teel, J,F, Tierney, Otto Timm, H.C. Turner, R.G. Turner, G.A. Unbewust, E.E. Urton, Fred Urton, Charles Wagner, Guy Wesp, Jesse Williams, G.M. Witt, and M.V. Yale.
In January of 1904 in Odessa, the charter membership for its newly organized Commercial Club had 24 members of “Odessa’s most energetic business and professional men at its head.” In March 1904, the following individuals paid their dues to the Odessa Commercial Club: F.J. Adolph, J.T. Ashworth, W.H. Becker, J.M. and L.L. Bennigson, L.A. Bigham, L.L. Black, H.L. Cole, R. Connell, R.S. Crowl, Geo. F. Finney, M.H. Goodenow, F.J. Guth, H.B. Hollenburg, F.J. Hoagland, W.S. Holmes, W.D. Kelly, Geo. A. Kennedy (president and first mayor), Julius Kunkel, E.J. Kriegler, F. Logsdon, F.J. McKay, John Meske, W.L. Michaelson (vice-president), B Minard, O F Minch, H A Manchester, L G Nuelsen, Eugene Page (treasurer), H C Phillips (secretary), L G Schendall, R E Trantum, J H Turner, C E and J P Weber, L C Weik, Chas Weisgerber and L P Zimmer. Their stated objectives were: “to advance in every legitimate way the growth and development of the city of Odessa, particularly by the following means: 1) By advertising the advantages of living in Odessa and the surrounding country, 2) By encouraging immigration to the country around Odessa, 3) By promoting the establishment of new business and encourage the investment of capital, 4) By securing the permanent improvement of streets, sidewalks, alleys and public highways, 5) By beautifying the city and encouraging the planting of trees and shrubs along residential thoroughfares and on public grounds, 6) By establishing and encouraging the development of market facilities for farm products, 7) By discouraging useless and improper competition and to encourage decent competition in all lines of business, 8) By assisting the city authorities in influencing and setting examples in the enforcement of city ordinances and laws, 9) By encouraging the proper economical expenditure of public money for public improvements and by discouraging extravagant and wasteful expenditures, and 10) By otherwise advancing the public welfare of our city and creating a spirit of enthusiasm for public good.” (Odessa Record: 3-11-1904) In 1908 the organization needed to be reorganized. One of their first activities was “First Market Day” which was touted to have brought out many of the farmers in spite of poor weather. An auction was held in the streets bringing in more than $1500, and they had enlisted the support of the Odessa Concert Band for several performances. In 1909 the women of Odessa formed their own commercial club, with their first project being the creation of a reading room. They claimed 75 members. “The Odessa Country” was a four page brochure sponsored by the Odessa Commercial Club in 1909 and again in 1927 which highlighted the Odessa businesses and the advantages of locating in the Odessa vicinity. Several copies of this brochure are available for viewing at the Odessa Historische Museum in the research room in the Barn of the museum. In 1911 the Commercial Club was the impetus behind the installation of an increase in phone service to 91 more new customers. The phone service had begun in Odessa in June 1902, prior to the city’s incorporation. By 1917 thirty representatives from newspapers around the county met at the Grand Hotel in Odessa, organized by the Odessa Commercial Club. Coming from Harrington R E Gay of the Harrington Citizen was noted.
The Krupp Commercial Club had a photo taken in 1910 with the following businessmen shown: Hugo Lenz, Elmer Schultz, J G Egbert, W J Weeks, P J Elmer, A H Carr, John Eggers, John Flanigan, H E Erickson, Adolph Streit, Earl Wingate, J M Wright, E D Wright, Lawrence Beck, C Z Haskins, John Urquhart, W T Mills, Dan Lynn, W C Dashiell, Dr J F Knox, E E Drake, M Z Haskins, R P Haskins, A W Post, B F Paff, Howard Lee, V W Weller, Vern Gorman and Jonathan Mills. This photo also may be viewed at the museum in Odessa. In 1918 a new “Marlin” Commercial Club was being formed to replace the former organization. Most readers of The Record will recall that in this time frame the name Krupp was dropped and Marlin chosen as the town’s new name.
Reader Comments(0)