Column - 1912: Automobile owners asked to pay $5 for highway maintenance
JUNE 2002 Wade Grimager of Miltona knows what it is like to “live on the edge.” He recently was just one vehicle away from falling off the Arkansas River Bridge after a barge hit the bridge and sent several vehicles and a 500-foot section of the road into the water.By: Marge VanGorp, Alexandria Echo Press
The following is a collection of stories and other items that were included in Alexandria newspapers over the years.
100 YEARS AGO
JUNE 1912
Each young lady living in Douglas County who marries in May or June will receive a free rocking chair from Johnson’s Furniture Store… Last week, local farmers held a “barn raising” to erect the last of the heavy timbers for the Forada Warehouse. The scales and 25-horse gas engine were installed and the company is now open for business… For sale: 7-room cottage with fireplace near Blakes. Deal also includes icehouse, rowboat and launch for $1,150. J.C. Meyers… The Douglas County Automobile Association’s “Good Roads Club” has proposed that each automobile owner in the county pay $5 into the treasury for the repair and maintenance of the county highways. If approved, the money would be equally shared in the five districts.
50 YEARS AGO
JUNE 1962
Washington School fourth grade Brownies learned the art of knitting from their leaders, Mmes. D.W. Bongard and Peter Perkins. Brownie members Jody Beheng, Nancy Boyd and Becky Kostman were shown presenting a knitted lap robe at Bethany Home… “American in Paris Night” with French cuisine amidst a Parisian setting on the Champs Elysees will open the social season at the Alexandria Golf Club… Gary Henningsgard is the Douglas County Teen-Age Road-E-O driving champion… Paul Harvey will be honored guest during Viking Days to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the Kensington Runestone. He will crown the Viking Queen on Saturday and will also broadcast his radio show from our town. Other weekend events include the Kiwanis Kiddie Parade and Horsemen’s Holiday.
25 YEARS AGO
JUNE 1987
Alexandria Housing and Development Authority entered an agreement with Hubbard Broadcasting to place two microwave dishes and a weather radar antenna on top of Viking Towers. Underground cables will then relay signals from KSTP to KSAX-TV, the satellite station opening soon… Unruh Motors donated a 1976 AMC Gremlin for give-away at the Jefferson High School graduation party… Don Welton of Alexandria used a minnow in 12 feet of water on Lake Carlos to catch the largest walleye of the week, a 9-pound, 8-ounce fish… The manhunt is still on for three men who abandoned their car and fled on foot following a high-speed chase. Deputy Sheriff Boerner’s inventory of the allegedly stolen car produced a pistol, shotgun shells and an empty gun case.
10 YEARS AGO
JUNE 2002
Wade Grimager of Miltona knows what it is like to “live on the edge.” He recently was just one vehicle away from falling off the Arkansas River Bridge after a barge hit the bridge and sent several vehicles and a 500-foot section of the road into the water. At the sudden sight of brake lights and smoking tires of the vehicle ahead, he quickly locked his brakes to stop. Communication with other truckers by CB guided him to safety as he backed up almost three-fourths of a mile off one bridge and on to the next one before it was closed to traffic… Under the guidance of Reading Enrichment Teacher Heather Schneider, St. Mary’s fifth graders wrote and published a magazine that they sold to other grade levels at 10 cents a copy.
•••
Marge Van Gorp of Alexandria is a regular contributing columnist to the Echo Press Opinion page.
More from around the web
RSS Feeds