1918 Ads for the Third Liberty Loan

War bonds financed much of the United States participation in World War I. The Ad campaign was aggressive.

Castle Garden NY Immigrant Center became an Aquarium

Everyone has heard of Ellis Island and may have visited the museum where immigrants were processed into the United States. And we talk about when our ancestors came through Ellis Island.

May of our ancestors actually did come through Ellis Island, but many others came into Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, New Orleans and other points of entry. 

But many who came into New York did not enter through Ellis Island. The Ellis Island processing center only opened up in 1892. Before that time, Castle Garden in lower Manhattan processed immigrants.

This item in the Harvard Courier in April, 1893 discloses what happened to that earlier big part of our history - it became an aquarium in the New York park system.

Buying Power of WWI War Bonds

The public was tapped often and hard for money to support the U. S. entry into World War I. There were multiple war bond drives with business, schools, scouts and churches participating in the sale of bonds. Celebrities volunteered to promote bond sales.

Interest rates were normally 5% but varied at times. 

1893 Railroad Time Tables

The development of early settlements depended on access to water, rivers being the best but a good creek would work (School Creek).

But very quickly, the railroad became even more important. The Harvard Courier newspaper carried this railroad time tables weekly for the two railroads through their town. The top time table is for the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, the lower one is for the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley route.

The Burlington came through Sutton. The F. E. & M. V. went through York, Henderson, Harvard and Hastings. 

It's easy to see how our people were able to travel comfortably via rail. My great, grandfather went to Chicago to visit his son often. Newspaper ads promoted vacations on the west coast or to Chicago at reasonable prices, even for those days.

We have items showing that merchants, the Stevens & Curtiss millinery shopkeepers made seasonal trips to St. Joseph, Missouri to buy stock, normally down and back in two days - one account makes it sound like the left early in the morning, conducted their business and were back in Sutton that evening.

You can Support the Sutton Downtown Restoration Project

Join your friends and neighbors; help save our unique downtown business district.

Sutton south side business district. Can you date the photo?

The Sutton Community Foundation is administering a fund for the Sutton Downtown Restoration Project. A brief description appears on the "PROJECTS" page. And most importantly, the "HOW TO DONATE" page offers the opportunity to become a part of this worthwhile effort to preserve Sutton's unique downtown.

The north side, again, can you date the photo? The photos were taken the same day.

Thanks in advance from the Downtown Restoration Committee for your consideration.