Camp Fire Girls Mark French Dugout - 1922

Sutton Camp Fire girls celebrated the 50th anniversary of Arbor Day by planting a tree on the site of Luther French's dugout on the banks of School Creek.

The story appeared on Page 1 of the April 28, 1922 issue of The Sutton News.

.

A couple of things:

Marking the anniversary of the founding of Arbor Day offers some choices. J. Sterling Morton suggested such a thing in January 1872. The day was first celebrated later in the year - a couple of dates show up in accounts. The day was officially named a Nebraska holiday in 1874.

Secondly, this account places the French dugout on the south bank of School Creek. I've had seen references that it was on the north bank. Several of my contemporaries, town kids, tell of working their way through tall weeds to visit, and play in the dugout. Us farm kids were spending our time on tractor seats so weren't involved. Anyhow, I've had fellows tell me the dugout was on the north side, others say the south, not a few can't remember. 

The article begins by referring to "April Day." I'm guessing the editor meant Arbor Day and used that reference in my account of the article for the column in the April 27 issue of The Clay County News. I wonder if that was accurate.