By Jerry Johnson
and the Sutton Historical Society
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| This historic photo from August, 2007 captured the conditions of the west side of the north end of Downtown Sutton. Did you ever notice that only some of the "pinnacles" on the roofs are still there? Does this look the same today, even disregarding a tornado and a fire? |
The
objective of the Sutton Historical Society is to collect and preserve the
artifacts and information about the Sutton, Nebraska community. That’s a
carefully worded statement that directs us to find and save things that are part
of Sutton’s history and to find and record the story of Sutton’s past.
The
Museum has accumulated a respectable collection of Sutton related items, most
donated by generous people who decided a valued item would be enjoyed by more
if it were displayed in a publicly accessible place rather than remain where
only a few even know about it. It’s an on-going program. We’re currently
expecting two more very nice items.
A
Sheridan family relative in Oregon plans to donate a large wardrobe that was
built by Ellen Sheehy’s father on the occasion of her 1879 wedding to John
Sheridan. John and Ellen were the grandparents of Roger and Bill Sheridan and
Regina Leininger among others.
The
second of these two new items is the 6 foot clock that sat in the window of
Lewis’ Jewelry for many years. Grandson Bill Johnson is “downsizing” and this
clock too will be “coming home.”
Many
bits of information that tell Sutton’s story have become foggy in the
collective memory or lost entirely. Traces of the story remain in old
newspapers, scrapbooks, boxes in basement corners and a variety of other hiding
places. It’s been a hoot digging out those stories, or more often, stumbling on
to them.
We’ve
reconstructed profiles of the population of Sutton at specific points in the
past; uncovered the identities of immigrant families, settlers, business owners
and others who’ve lived in Sutton’s past. We’ve found some forgotten Sutton
residents who moved on to make their mark beyond our community.
Newspaperman
Walter Wellman got his start in the 1880’s at age 14 publishing an early
(perhaps first) Sutton newspaper. He later talked his Chicago newspaper into
funding his attempt to be the first to the North Pole, via hot air balloon.
Herbert
Johnson left Sutton and became a political cartoonist in the 1930’s drawing
covers for the Saturday Evening Post and Country Gentleman magazines.
Madeleine
Leininger rose to the pinnacle of the nursing profession creating a new
discipline she called Transcultural Nursing which revolutionized how the
medical profession related to patients in diverse cultures.
So,
the Sutton Historical Society is quite successful in meeting that objective of
collecting and preserving the artifacts and information in Sutton’s history.
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| The west side of the south end of Downtown Sutton looked like this in August, 2007. Looking good, but we know that the structural health of several buildings is, or will someday soon be a problem. Don't we? |
But
there is one major part of Sutton’s history we’ve been unable to address in
anything like the manner of those things I’ve mentioned. And that is the most
important part of Sutton’s history: Sutton itself.
What
is Sutton? Well, it’s a lot of things. I won’t inflict you with my version of a
complete answer. But when people think of Sutton be they residents, ex-pats or
visitors the thing that defines Sutton is the downtown business district. It’s
a compact area, split by the railroad and where much of the commercial and
social activity occurs.
Sure,
the school, community home, bowling alley are at the north end. Businesses line
Highway 6 as it skirts the town. Industrial activity is dispersed to the east,
west and south extremities of town. But there in the center, straddling 500
yards of Saunders Avenue from the Catholic Church to School Creek is the heart
of our community.
And
what is the definitive attribute of downtown Sutton, the personality of Our
Town? What is it that a visitor takes away from Sutton and likely recalls if
reminded of the visit months later?
We’re
prejudiced, but members of the Historical Society lobby for the idea that the
historic buildings, generally on the west side of Saunders Avenue are what
makes Sutton, Sutton. These distinctive buildings are treasures that make Sutton
what it is, what visitors remember, what we should be very proud of.
We
understand that during the settlement of plains from the 1870’s into the early
1900’s many towns in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and elsewhere saw the construction
of buildings similar to ours. Over time these historic buildings have thinned
out and often disappeared entirely. People who have looked into the state of
buildings of this style of architecture tell us that our downtown may well be
the last place with this much of a display.
If
we had a State of the Town message similar to the State of the Union or the
State of the State, what would be the State of Sutton?
The
State of Sutton is good. The agricultural economy is solid; our schools and
youth activities are sound; the lives of our older generation are
well-supported by the community; downtown parking slots are well-used. We have
recreational facilities. Weaknesses are few.
How
about the future?
Our
strengths in early 2015 appear to be sustainable. We know how to keep things
going and on track.
How
about any weaknesses? Do we have any?
Well,
we do have a “canary in the coal mine.” Remember that story? Miners carry caged
canaries with them into the mine knowing that the little birds are more
susceptible to noxious gases than the miners. A dead canary warns the miners of
possible danger.
We
have such canaries, warnings and hints of future distress and problems. Our
canaries are those downtown buildings which have lost their luster. Ornamental
bric-a-brac on roofs is missing. Windows are damaged. Bay windows are fragile.
Once occupied second story spaces are boarded up.
Visible
deterioration and damage hides weakening structures. A tornado and fire within
the past year only accelerated a long trend. Patches and repairs after those
2014 events arrested the downward trend, in some buildings, for a time.
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| The post office, bank, library and grocery store at the north end of downtown Harvard are holding on but along the main street these lonesome sets of buildings tell a sad story. |
Our
canaries are telling us that the treasures in the heart of our town are in
danger.
So
what are the potential consequences of aging to downtown Sutton? Where could we
find some clues? Consider taking a short drive, or two.
Harvard
and Clay Center have some clues. Residents of both towns have seen venerable
old buildings deteriorate past the point of being viable for saving and are now
gone. The result is empty spaces in the once solid wall of occupied businesses.
It’s kind of like a few missing teeth from a once healthy mouth.
Harvard’s
downtown still has functioning businesses but they tend to occupy scattered
islands of structures along the main street. Clay Center’s north side recently
saw a gap open in its once solid wall of buildings. Once a store front becomes
vacant or a building disappears, there seldom is a future for that space. It is
a dying process.
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| The buildings across from the court house in Clay Center were intact just two years ago. |
Is
there an alternative? You’ve been west to Harvard and Clay Center. Now go east
to Friend. Something different happened in Friend. Just driving or walking
around that main block that sits on the south side of Highway 6 is a different
experience from that in our neighboring Clay County towns. Step into a
business; I recommend the coffee shop on the south side, and strike up a
conversation. Find out what happened in Friend, and is still happening.
Next
time you’re in Hastings drive down 2nd Street. Things have begun to
happen there that are reversing a long downhill trend. Sure, Hastings is a much
larger town than Sutton and other towns along 6, but city planners are taking
on a bigger project than we’d face. And they have the challenge of reversing
the multi-year symptoms of Wal-Martitis.
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| The north side of the square in Clay Center has lost buildings that once served an active community leaving and open space that is unlikely to contribute services, goods or appropriate tax revenue to the community, again, ever. |
One
more illustration much further away: Grinnell, Iowa. Next time you’re driving
east of Des Moines on I-80, take a four-mile detour and visit downtown
Grinnell. It’s a college town of about 9,000 residents who, at some time in the
past took steps to preserve, restore and protect the buildings in their
downtown. The thought, “I could live here” may well slip into your mind. Again,
visit the coffee shop; it’s on the west side.
Let
me anticipate your response likely formed much earlier: “So what could we do?”
or even earlier than that, “Cost, cost, cost, money, money, money?”
Too
true. You will not find the answer to either in a 1600 word article by someone
associated with your local museum that struggles just to keep afloat, let alone
meet aspirations.
No,
if the future of the historic
buildings of downtown Sutton will be other than continuing decay and the slow,
steady loss of individual buildings, one by one, then some very specific things
have to start happening, pretty soon.
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| About 30 miles east on U.S. 6 is a good model for what can , and should be done with historic buildings . The good folks of Friend, Nebraska have engaged in projects to preserve the character of their town. This section illustrates exterior work. Down the street and around the corner to the right is the old Opera House building where interior restoration was the focus. |
Any
attempt to preserve, maintain or restore our downtown buildings will have to be
a community effort for a community asset. If the whole community isn’t
interested, we might as well just go watch “Dancing with the Stars” of
something.
We
need a few people with a few smart ideas. And we need a whole bunch of people
who care. We need individuals and groups: the City of Sutton, Chamber of
Commerce, Historical Society, American Legion, bridge clubs, business people,
teachers, librarians, the retired, coffee klatches, the newspaper, this
magazine, school kids (who’d I leave out?).
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| These Friend buildings are a lot like those in Sutton. Look what some TLC (and money, of course, but first the "C") can do. You may critique the few missing decorative "bars" on the angled section, but when that kind work is what's left, you've won. |
How
did Friend, Grinnell, Hastings get started? I’ll bet they’d be glad to tell us?
What
is the list of grants, foundations, government or corporate sponsored programs
or sugar daddies that might think our distinctive architecture is worthy of preservation?
What
clever things can we do ourselves?
We’ve
taken a run at this question in the past, broke some ground but met resistance
we couldn’t quite push through. Could it be time to try again?
We
had a good discussion of the topic at the Chamber of Commerce meeting in
January. There’s a sizeable group that indicates they’re interested. We’ve new
city officials. Is this a good time?
Our
town got its start in 1871. Its 150th birthday will be in 2021, six
years from now. Wouldn’t it be a great birthday present for our town, and for
ourselves if, at Sutton’s sesquicentennial we could have plans in place to
preserve, protect and maintain our historic downtown buildings and maybe have work
in progress? Or maybe, just maybe have some piece, some significant project
completed and on display?
There
would be a significant cost to preserve our historic downtown buildings. It
will be a huge cost if we don’t.
I
don’t know how to start sooner than today. Is the ball in play?
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| Downtown Grinnell, Iowa has several blocks of restored buildings with operating businesses and occupied second floors. Intersections are spacious and almost a work of art with decorative designs in the pavement and sidewalks; lamp posts match the original time of the buildings. It's worth a stop. |
This article appeared in the January, 2015 issue of Sutton Life Magazine. For more information about the publication contact Jarod Griess at neighborhoodlife@yahoo.com or at 402-984-4203.
What do you think? Post a comment of contact us at suttonnehistory@gmail.com
