This is our thirteenth year of judging the 4-H Heritage Class at the Dodge County Fair.  As I look back through the scrapbook of years,  there have been some great entries.  For those who are not aware, the ENGS presents a “Best of Show”  plaque at the Fair.  The Best of Show always goes to the State Fair for further judging in this class.  It goes without saying, these 4-H members work very hard on their Heritage, and it shows in the items that are submitted for judging.  The number of entries are less than when originally started in 1989, but they are also more outstanding in ideas.

The summer has gone very fast, the heat and humidity was not welcome.  To keep our books free of dampness, Claire set her AC on 69 and the dehumidifier gets a good workout.  You would be surprised the water in the container each morning. 

We have had a number of visitors this summer making use of our library, and they all left with big smiles on their faces, as they found some new information.  It makes the large collection well worth while.

POSTAL CARDS

The new postal cards for correspondence authorized by congress will probably be very popular with the people.  The face of the card will be provided with lines for the address, and the back is to be ruled for the letter.

They are to be sold at one cent each, which includes postage.  It is decidedly a cheap way of forwarding short letters about which there is no secret, and they must also prove a great convenience.  They will be offered for sale in two or three weeks.

 Fremont (NE) Tribune 9 Aug 1872   3:2

Question:  One often sees commemorative statues of soldiers mounted on horses with their forelegs in various positions.  Is there any significance to the difference?

Ans:  Yes, although some sculptors may be unaware of the tradition or choose to ignore it.  A historian at Arlington Natl Cemetery explains that when both forelegs of the horse are in the air, the rider died in battle.  When only one foreleg is raised, the rider died of his wounds afterward.  And when all four legs are on the ground, the rider later died of unrelated causes.
   Thanks to Margie Sobotka for this note.

THE FIRE
Fremont Weekly Tribune 31 August 1874   3:2

Last Sunday morning between one and two o’clock the alarm of fire was given and the stable in the rear of Turn Halle was found to be completely enveloped in flames.  The Fire Department was promptly on hand, the Hooks with their buckets did good service till the Engine was in readiness to play, but the fire got under such headway that it was impossible to save the barn.

There were several Bohemians sleeping in the loft at the time, and it is supposed that it caught from a pipe.  It was at first thought that some of them lost their lives in the flames as they were not seen to get out and could not be found, but they afterwards turned up all right.  One of them had his feet slightly burned. 

 Ten horses were lost with several sets of harness.  The building was owned by Mr Welch and was valued at $600, insured for $500.  The total loss was about $2,500.

One poor Bohemian lost his team and harness which was about all he had except his family and homestead.  Others were nearly in the same fix.

UNCLE, WE ARE READY! 
– Registering America’s Men
1917-1918 by John J Newman. 

There is  Dodge county draft service information is on our web site.  Renee and several others worked long hours to complete it.  The old newspapers were most difficult to read from the microfilm.

We have come a long way in postal cards.  Nona and Claire noted many unusual kinds while in the British Isles.  Some were in the shape of the cathedrals, a stem of purple thistle, even one in the shape of the Scottish Highland longhorn cows.   With our fast system in the post office, wonder if the long horns on the cow would arrive with the cow at its destination.

 DODGE CO NE MARRIAGES 
AUGUST  1901 Book 9

Peter A Peterson to Clara Arnold on Aug 7
Thomas Morgan to Castella Clements on Aug 6
Barney Yosten to Lottie Eckrote on Aug 7
James P Jensen to Bertha Ogard on Aug 10
John E Paden to Frances P Montgomery on Aug 15
Peter Williams to Chloe Fosdick on Aug 20
Jacob H Moyer to Clara E Rodgers on Aug 21
Ernest C Farris to Fern E Carter on Aug 27
Peter Miller to Emma Janssen on Aug 28
William Hasch to Lizzie Moeller on Aug 30
Frank S Greenlief to Mrs Emily Greenlief on Aug 31

APPRECIATION AWARDS

Charlotte “Petey” Croshaw, Judy Czarnecki and Marilyn Estrada, ENGS members, were presented with Certificates of Appreciation from the Nebraska State Genealogical Society for their services in helping Renee with the Web Site projects.  CONGRATULATIONS!!

All of the Dodge, Saunders, and Colfax cemeteries will be on our web site, including the large Ridge cemetery in Fremont.  This was a huge project and required much proof  reading and even checking for possible errors. If not on the web site yet, be patient and it will soon be appearing.

THE TERRIBLE STORM
A CHAPTER OF INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS
Fremont Weekly Tribune 10 Jul 1874  3:3

The storm which had been wished for, for so long a time, came Wednesday evening.  When it did come (to be slightly profane) it “raised the devil.”  Rain and hail, wind, thunder and lightning seemed to be contending with each other, and from the stand point of a disinterested observer, it would be hard telling which came out first best.
    Many trees in the city were blown down, and much “garden beds” laid low; chimneys, barns and out houses were considerably inflated.
    The roof of the residence of Chas A Smith was blown entirely off, and took its position on the other side of the road.  The gable end of the house was also blown in.
    The large plate-glass window light in the First National Bank was blown in. Two of the large window lights of the new hotel were blown in.
    The U P Depot was set on fire by the lightning, but the blaze of the window curtain was seen by J C Cleland, who burst in the door and extinguished the flames.  The operator and all of the employees had gone to supper.  A section of the UP windmill was blown off, and, the cars on the U P side-track were “impelled” a considerably distance by the wind.
     John Henry was found under a load of hay which had tipped over on him. Usher’s celebrated coffin was completely annihilated.  Jack Lee was knocked down by the lightning, but he was not seriously hurt.  The new barn of Theron Nye was moved two or three feet from its foundation.  It is still on its own plantation, however.
    At this date it is impossible for us to estimate the damage which has been done in this county.
 

Sounds like what Fremont witnessed, on July 18th.  Downed trees, wind hail and rain, we looked like a “war zone.”