SSgt. Jack W. Pumphrey Missing in Action - October 14, 1943

This news item appeared in The Sutton News in October, 1943

Our research on the 75th anniversary of the report found further details about SSgt Pumphrey including the information that he did become a prisoner of war and survived to come home. 

The newspaper item follows:

"Frank and Olive Pumphrey learned that their grandson SSgt. Jack Pumphrey of La Grande, Oregon was missing in action in Europe. Jack Pumphrey had attended Sutton High School while living with his grandparents. (A bit of research: B-17 #42-30708 of the 92nd Bomb Group was shot down near Wurzburg, Germany on 14 October 1943. Three crew members were killed. Waist gunner Jack Pumphrey and six other crew members were captured and became prisoners of war. They were part of the 92nd Group nicknamed Fame's Favored Few flying YB-40 aircraft which were B-17s modified as heavily armed escorts for other bombers. Records also indicate that the aircraft and at least some of this crew arrived in Kearney Air Base on August 8, 1943 for training. Jack Pumphrey died 1 September 1966 and is buried in Portland, Oregon.

SSgt. Jack Pumphrey's B-17 was one of 91 assigned to the first wave of an attack on the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany on October 14. Bad weather kept P-47 escorts out of the area forcing the bombers to go it alone. The day became known as "Black Thursday" as 45 of those 91 aircraft failed to return, 148 men were killed, 274 became POWs. An earlier Strike on the same targets on August 17 was almost as disastrous.  http://www.americanairmuseum.com/mission/1510"

The losses on this day caused commanders to re-assess tactics of sending B-17s deep into German territory on daylight bombing missions. 

Early I. N. Clark Businesses

These photos of early I. N. Clark businesses came from the Betty Sheridan archives.

We understand the Isaac Newton Clark and his brother Dr. Martin Van Buren Clark had the first business on Saunders Avenue. I thought that was the Clark House of the second photo. I'm now guessing the upper photo is the earlier business.

I. N. Clark had the first hardware store. Early accounts say that Dr. Clark had a pharmacy in the same building. I'd guessed it was in this building. We do know that the hardware business soon became a hotel. There are other photos that place this building on the west side of Saunders Ave., north of the tracks. 

The Clark brothers purchased the remaining 400 lots from Luther French's original 80-acre homestead after French had sold off several lots at the very beginning of the community. Clark's Addition to the original town plat is the west part of town straddling W. Cedar Street west of  Saunders Avenue.

WWI Inductees in October, 1918

The pipeline for draftees in World War I accelerated throughout the war and was showing no signs of slowing even as peace talks were rumored and/or underway in October, 1918.

This list of Clay County men appeared in The Harvard Courier newspaper on October 17, 1918.

I initially figured that the reference to Fort Kearney, California was an error, but upon a bit of research, there really was such a place. Fort Kearny was an army post established on July 18, 1917 north of San Diego. It was named after Brigadier General Stephen Watts Kearny. The post operated until October, 1920. The site is now the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. 

1918 Flu Epidemic comes to Clay County

The earliest mention of the 1918 flu epidemic did not appear in county newspapers until September. The disease spread quickly and was deadly. Between 3 and 6 percent of the world's population died in the outbreak, 50 - 100 million people.

These articles appeared in The Clay County Patriot newspaper on October 17, 1918

1943 -The Wartime Farmer - Milk & Cream Production

Advice about wartime food production was almost an industry of its own. The October 21, 1943 issue of the Sutton News carried this eight-page supplement about milk and cream production.

Sutton Mustang Newspaper - 1968 - H. C. King comments

The King newspapers of Clay County were owned by the King family and came to own all the county papers eventually consolidating all into The Clay County News.

Roy King was operating the papers in the '60's buy his father, H. C. King often contributed a column sometimes seemingly with an aim at stirring something up. Other times he just offered, or pontificated on a pet theme.

This item appeared in the October 17, 1968 issue of The Clay County News commenting on the Sutton Schools newspaper, the "Mustang." 

Personal note: I had the pleasure of being on the "Mustang" staff during the 1960-1961 school year under the sponsorship of Miss Stella Softly.

Jan McKenzie announces for the legislature - 1993

State Senator Jan McKenzie announced her candidacy for the 34th legislative district in October 1993. She had been serving in the post for almost one year after being appointed by Gov. Nelson to fill out a term.

WWI Vet Earl Buchtel died 1993

Long-time Clay Center resident and World War I veteran died on October 15, 1993 at the age of 100.

He left only four surviving WWI vets in Clay County.

Earl Buchtel - long time Clay Center resident

Earl Buchtel's obituary - October, 1993

1943 - Nebraska Public Power Districts created

The Nebraska public power system is uncommon, maybe unique. This ad in 1943 described the new seven districts created by the legislature that year.