As we ring in the New Year I thought
it might be interesting to look back at the old newspapers and see how much
things have changed over the years.
In the January 2, 1914 Daily Union there
were many social events to ring in the New Year. There must have been something
to do every night in December in Junction City.
The highlight of the season was the
annual Gamma Tau Beta event. The Ball
was held at Woodman Hall on Tuesday evening. “The occasion was a full dress
affair, with the ladies becomingly attired in gowns of the new shades, while
the young men in dress suits added dignity to the ball.” The hall was decorated
with hundreds of pennants representing schools and colleges across the nation. Streamers
of green and white, the fraternity colors, formed a canopy above the crowd and
framed the GTB symbol. The Sixth field artillery orchestra from Fort Riley
serenaded the party.
The paper continues on with more
mundane matters. There were forty six fires in 1913. It seems that July and
August were the most active months with eight fires each month.
Cattle were selling for above
average prices. Col. L. R. Brady sold two Holsteins. One for $165 and one for
$150, three heifer calves went to the same man for $25 each. The livestock
reports from Kansas City price prime fed steers at $8.50-$9, dressed beef
steers $7.25-$8.40, cows and heifers $4.50-$9.00.
The B. Rockwell Company paid the highest
tax for a privately owned business, $2,895.96, according to the County
Treasurer.
Dickinson County was having quite a
problem with gophers. Crop losses were estimated to be $50,000 according to
farmers. The county commissioners raised the bounty on gopher scalps to ten
cents each.
The parcel post celebrated its
first birthday at the first of the year. The allowable weight was also raised
from twenty to fifty pounds.
There was an organized gang of box
car robbers operating out of this area but their headquarters was believed to
be Salina. The police are still investigating these crimes.
Over fifty men participated in the
wolf drive that was held in the west part of the county. After the hunt the
total count was an astounding one coyote and a sighting of two others that
escaped.
The Cozy Theater will be showing
vaudeville acts on the Sullivan & Considine circuit this coming season.
Ticket prices will stay the same, 5 and 10 cent admissions, except when a
tabloid musical comedy is shown in conjunction with the regular act.
Fifty years later the Junction City
Republican from January 2, 1964 starts the year on a more sober note. The front
page features a large photo of the elevator at Alida with the caption, “Silent
Sentinel in the Republican Valley… All activity has ceased in this once
bustling community. Houses are all torn down. No school stands…only the
elevator is standing… a silent reminder of things past… a silent reminder of
Milford reservoir of the future.”
Inside the newspaper is more
optimistic with the first major headline stating “Prizes Offered To First Baby
Born in 1964”, there are twelve sponsors participating by offering a plethora
of prizes ranging from cash and baby supplies to a box of cigars for the new
father.
The YMCA sponsored a ski trip to
Hidden Valley, Colorado for a large group of Junction City youth. Youth paid
$25 each to participate in the trip and will be returning by the end of the
month.
Highway construction contracts in
Kansas reached a record breaking total of $84,480,000 for 1963 due to the
increased volume of work on the interstate system. Interstate contracts in 1963
totaled $36,112,000 for work on I-70, I-35, I-35W and I-435. 90 percent of the
project was funded by federal taxes and the state funded 10 percent from the collected
highway user taxes.
Agriculture fills a good portion of
the paper; “The first consolidation of regional grain co-operative in the
United States was announced in Kansas City, Friday by P.J. Nash, secretary and
general manager of the Farmer’s Union Co-operative Marketing Association.” They
will now be able to better serve co-operative grain elevators in Kansas,
Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming because of combined assets valued at
$35,000,000. They will be processing and storing grain for over 100,000 farmers.
The storage capacity will be in excess of 50 million bushels. This allows for
an increase in exports, grains will be loaded on barges at St. Joseph and
Kansas City.
On the next page there is a large
article about the Kansas Agricultural Convention. Topics to include Wheat Marketing in South America and What’s Ahead for Beef Producers.
The Agriculture outlook for 1964 is
“much of the world is short of food… heavy purchases of grains will do more to
bolster U.S. farm income than will government-supported prices in 1964.”
As I turn to the next page full of
advertisements a used car ad catches my eye; 1963 Buick Skylark $2,895, 1960
Chevy El Camino V-8 $1,499, 1959 Chevy Bel Air $1,099.
On the last page of the paper is
the newspaper’s prediction for what will be major stories in the coming year. The
Milford Dam project will feature heavily as it nears completion. At this time
the contractor is 105 days ahead of schedule and may have the project completed
by mid-summer if the weather cooperates.
Fort Riley
is discussing the feasibility of acquiring approximately 50,000 acres. If
acquired it will double the size of the fort. “The additional land would
provide for adequate firing range and maneuvering of vehicles and personnel.”
The article
concludes with the prediction that “continued growth and development of
Junction City and Geary County appears to be the pattern for the New Year. “
I
guess some things don’t change as much over the years as you would expect. From
all of us at the Geary County Historical Society we wish you a safe and happy New
Years!
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