Our Museum Location Was Once a Croquet Ground.

This from The Harvard Courier on May 20, 1905.

We have often stated that the Historic House that is part of the Sutton Museum was built in 1905, but more recent evidence points to 1908 as the time of construction.

New Homes in 1905 including A.W. Clark

Bertie Clark was planning his house in 1905 in the west part of town, on the west side of Glen Lake, now Clark's Pond.

This from The Harvard Courier on March 18, 1905. 

Mr. Burke Buys Property to Build St. Mary's Catholic Church - 1905

An item in The Harvard Courier on February 25, 1905, reported that Mr. Burke, likely Michael T. Burke, bought land that where the Catholic church was to be built.

Sutton High Grads in the Military thru 1946

Mayme (Wieden) Clark, Alumni Association Secretary compiled this list of Sutton High grads who had served in the military. This list was presented at the 1946 Alumni gathering and published in The Sutton News on May 23, 1946.

The list is compiled by class year. Has anyone done this recently? Seems like a project. Call me.

(*) indicates killed in action. Just noticed that Mayme indicated Donald Bulin, class of '40, was KIA. I do not have him listed as such. Have not researched this - any help?

Yost Motor Court Opened in 1946

The new motel in Sutton was big news in May 1946. This was most likely C.G. (Conrad George) Yost (1885-1967) though it may have been his son - the town Ford dealers forever.

Trivia question: What was C.G. Yost's son's name, the Ford dealer. You more likely know the name he went by but also, what was his real name? Answers below.

Answers to trivia question. C.G. (Conrad George) Yost's son who took over the Ford dealership in 1948 was Merlin Yost, though most would answer "Snort."

Creating Sutton Memorial Field - 1946

When a bond issue to build a new ball field failed by a few votes, proponents began planning for a new vote. The the Sutton folks decided on another way to pay for the field on the south end of town - pass the hat.

This article appeared in The Sutton News on May 23, 1946.

Arlene (Kessler) Reighter WWII Red Cross Volunteer - 1946

Arlene Kessler, Sutton High Class of 1936, came home in May 1946 from Red Cross service in Europe during WWII.

Her parents were Arthur Sr. (1887-1975) and Zella (Lamb) (1896-1974) Kessler. Arlene was born 25 Nov 1919 and died 23 Sep 2009 in Lincoln at the age of 89. She is buried in the Reighter plot in the Sutton cemetery.

Arlene Kessler was listed in the 1940 census at age 20 living with her parents in Sutton and teaching grade school in "public school" - likely Sutton Schools (or in a rural school?)

This article appeared in The Sutton News on May 23, 1946.

Centennial Princess Mona Lemkau - 1971

Sutton's 1971 Centennial celebration included a Princess - Mona Lemkau, daughter of Artis and Dale Lemkau.

1971 Class C District Track Meet Results

 We promised this post in our column today, May 12th 2021 - the district track meet results from 25 years ago.

Clay Center 1971 Track Team District Meet Results

We promised in our newpaper column to post the results of Clay Center's 1971 Class D District Meet Results.

Sarah (Brening) Everett - Founder of Runza Restaurants

Sarah Edna (Sally) Brening was born on 12 Aug 1912 near Sutton. In 1920 her parents Alex and Katherina Sophia (Sophie) (Leur) Brening were farming in Momence Township in Fillmore County east of Sutton. Sarah Brening married Wilbert T. Everett on 1 June 1938 in Lincoln.

She started the Runza business with her brother Alex (b. 1 Jan 1916).

Alex Brening (Sr.) arrived in New York on 18 Nov 1907 on the ship Caronia with his brother David. Ship records identify Sutton, Nebraska as their destination and Hy Reifschneider as their contact person. Alex Brening listed his home as the village of Popofka, Saratof (Saratov), Russia. The Saratov origins survive on the Runza Restaurant Wikipedia entry where the recipe is attributed to German Volga immigrants.

Sarah Everett died 23 Jan 1989 at the age of 76 and is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park.

Sutton Theater presented "Oklahoma" in 1996

"OKLAHOMA" was the Sutton Theater show in May 1996.

Hosea Gray & Party arrived May 4, 1871

Hosea Wilson Gray

Colonel Hosea Wilson Gray, his son John M. Gray, his son-in-law George W. Bemis, and W. Cunning and his wife arrived at the Luther French dugout on May 4, 1871. 

The Gray party's arrival marked the beginning of the 1871 growth spurt that took Sutton from one farmer on the banks of School Creek to a bustling community on the Burlington Railroad by the end of the year.

Hosea Gray was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, spent some time in Indiana and came to Marion, Iowa in 1837. He practiced law in Marion for several years, was the first sheriff of Linn County and served for four terms.

He left Iowa for Nebraska in 1871 arriving in Clay County along the expected route of the Burlington Railroad. His wife Nancy, daughter-in-law Emma, and daughter Ada shortly joined their husbands in their new home.

W. Cunning's wife Kate has been credited with being the first married woman onto the land that became Sutton. I'm unsure why there is the distinction that she was married. Does that imply there may have been a single woman here? Where? Unaccompanied? The only inhabitant was Luther French. Surely not.

Hosea Gray was active in politics helping to form the Republican Party in Iowa. He served in Iowa's Constitutional Convention in 1856 and his portrait hangs in the state capitol.

 

When the Civil War broke out, Hosea Gray organized Company A of the 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned a Captain serving nearly three years before sickness forced him to leave the army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was promoted to brevet Colonel at the end of the war.

Hosea Gray practiced law in Sutton with his partner A.A. McCoy engaging in land deals in the new community. He was the senior partner with son John in the Gray lumber company located to the northwest of the intersection of Maple Street and Way Avenue on the Hunzeker property and on the grounds of the Sutton Museum. Two houses built by John Gray house the museum. 

Hosea Wilson Gray died on April 28, 1885 and is buried in the Sutton cemetery.