Frontier Sociables

The Clay County Sun of August 11, 1938 carried this look back at a early social custom out here on the frontier. We mentioned this in our column for the August 7th edition of the Clay County News.

1913 Fourth of July Sutton Travel News

While working on the newspaper column this Sutton News section in the Harvard Courier for July 12, 1913 caught my eye. People were mobile 100 years ago due largely to dependable and reliable passenger rail service.

Several of these trips were probably tied to the Fourth of July, but still...

Sutton's mid-20th Century Health Care System

Three Memorable Gentlemen

I’m addressing a certain group of Sutton folks here who grew up over a specific period of time. You’ll know soon enough who you are.

Now, by show of hands, who had Dr. Pope for a dentist? Who was a dental patient of Dr. Ochsner? Who was ever treated by Dr. Nuss? Better yet, did Doc Nuss deliver you? Or your parents? Your kids?

Beulah and Doc Ochsner

Personally, Dr. Ochsner was the only dentist to auger in my mouth before my first permanent assignment in the Air Force. Dr. Nuss was my only doctor not counting Dr. Foote in Hastings yanking my tonsils when I was five. And yes, Doc Nuss delivered me early one morning after a night he still recalled many years later.

These three gentlemen constituted Sutton’s health care system for quite some time. And to a great extent, they were three of a kind.

All six of their parents, William and Katherina Popp, John and Margareta Ochsner and Christian Jr. and Hannah Nuss were born in Russia. All three fathers were farmers near Sutton. All three were younger children in the family, two extremely so. Herman Victor Nuss was the fourth of six children; David J. Pope was fourteenth of fourteen; and Herbert Ochsner was ninth of nine. Mrs. Popp and Mrs. Ochsner had both lost a child by 1900.

Heck, darn, even their last name initials are sequential letters.

The three were born locally in a ten year span, left for medical or dental school, returned to practice nearly all their professional lives here and all are buried in the Sutton Cemetery. How common was that?

We’ll start with the oldest; David J. Popp was born April 14, 1895 to Katherina and William (Wilhelm) Popp the youngest of 14 children, of which 13 lived. Wilhelm and Katherina immigrated from Russia taking the German ship Suevia from Hamburg to New York via La Havre, France. Only their oldest son Georg were with them when they arrived in New York on July 18, 1877, fourteen days out from Hamburg.

With them on the Suevia were several of their extended family: Heinrich and Catherina Giebelhaus, Wilhelm and Catherina Brehm, Conrad and Catherina Brehm and Conrad and Catherina Pop, all headed to Sutton. Dr. Pope’s parents were listed as Wilhelm and Catherina Pop on the passenger list for the Suevia.

O.K., two things. First, note the spellings: Pop, Popp and Pope. Pop appears only on the ship’s manifest; don’t worry about it. Popp was the proper German spelling of the name. According to family legend, an early teacher told the Popp kids that if they pronounced their name that way, the proper English spelling would be Pope (the long vowel preceding a silent “e” thing). The kids adopted that spelling and in his will Pop (as in Dad) indicated he was all right with that spelling.

Secondly, did you notice any pattern in the wives’ names in that group? Catherina’s all. Why would that be? If you have any Germans from Russia heritage in your background and can’t come up with a good explanation, we need to talk. The answer is part of who you are.

The Popp family farm was the extreme southeast quarter in Sutton Township appearing in the 1886 plat maps in the same section as farms belonging to Conrad Popp, Conrad Brehm and L. Brehm. Nine children were still at home in 1900 ranging from age 19 to 5 year old David.

David registered for the World War I draft on June 17^th 1917. He was a student in the Lincoln Dental College but listed himself as a private with three years in the Nebraska “malitia” then preparing for the Dental Reserve Corps. The 1920 census found Dr. D. J. Pope back in Sutton with wife Lydia and four-month old Maxine. Suzanne and Olive would follow, the three being ’37, ’41 and ’42 Sutton High grads.

Dr. Pope appeared in the list of 1921 Sutton businesses in the History of Hamilton and Clay Counties book by Burr & Buck. He bridges a time when the first of Sutton’s medical men were still around and the later time we are heading toward. Joining Dr. Pope were such fellows as Dr. D. W. Dulaigh, a dentist; Griess & Griess, dentists; Dr. Jesse L. Hull, an older physician; H. W. Kellogg, early chiropractor; Dr. J. W. Thompson, physician and Dr. M. P. Yokum, dentist. Those numbers were not sustainable.

One-year old Herbert Ochsner appearing in the 1900 census as the youngest son of John P. and Margareta Ochsner, both 1874 immigrants as young teenagers. Mrs. Ochsner would have one more son in 1902.

John Ochsner’s farm was in east part of Lincoln Township, later renamed Eldorado.

I did not find Herbert Ochsner in the ’20 census. He was 21 at the time, likely in college or dental school in a boarding house or apartment – a challenge to locate but in 1930 Doc and Beulah were residing on Cedar Street, he proclaiming his parents birthplace as Odessa, Russia, she listed as a school teacher.

By 1940 they’d been joined by Shirley and Janet, ’51 and ’56 local grads. Doc was 40, Beulah was 35 with many, many more years to come.

Doc Nuss was the youngest of these fellows born on August 22, 1905 one of six of Christian Nuss Jr. and Hannah; she also indicated a child lost before the 1900 census.

Dr. H. V. Nuss, long time Sutton physician, sole doctor for much of the time.

Christian Nuss Sr. and his wife “Margr” (as indicated on the passenger list) arrived in New York on June 17, 1875 with two kids, Christian Jr., Doc’s dad and a daughter also listed as “Margr.” They came on the Suevia, the same ship the Popp family would take two years later. Listed with them were an “Adam Trautman” age 16 and another Nuss family, Ana and Magdal with seven more including another Margr, probably a sister and kids down to 11 months of age. A New York Times article noted that the Suevia carried 79 cabin and 491 steerage passengers on that voyage.

The Nuss farm was in western School Creek Township not far from the Ochsners. Herman was a doctor in an Omaha hospital in the 1930 census (listed as Herman Nus) living in an apartment on Howard Street with wife Mildred and one-month old son Richard.      

Janet, Sutton class of ’50 and Victoria, ’54 would arrive by 1940 when the good doctor had returned to Sutton.

Everyone I spoke with about this article had great things to say about Dr. Nuss, his skills and his importance to our town. He probably delivered about 2 ½ generations of us. I mentioned earlier that he remembered the night I was born. Three of us Sutton babies were born that night, Bob Mohnike, Wanda Hornbacher and me. Mrs. Hornbacher was at home here in Sutton. Mrs. Mohnike and my mother were in the hospital in Hastings. All three were dragging out the process that night. Doc Nuss would lean back, squint a bit and tell of driving back and forth checking progress from evening until well after midnight. Finally in Hastings, Bob was born. I wasn’t ready so drove back to Sutton, again. Doc drove. Doc drove like a bat out… you get the idea. Wanda arrived. Then back to Hastings where I checked in at 5:15 AM.

Doc had lots of stories like that but he delighted in telling me that story in a manner that to this day kind of makes me feel responsible for his lost night.

Dr. H.V. Nuss nursed the image of an old-school country doctor. But I can picture him in a spare moment deep into the latest journals and technical publications staying at the top of the field for us.

So what have we done here? A few things. We’ve pointed out the similarities between the three fellows who constituted the health care system for Sutton for several years: second generation Germans from Russia, local farm kids, went off to study and came back to their home town to work their chosen profession.

These are not definitive biographies but I’d like to see them start a conversation. We invite you to add your memories and stories of these three gentlemen and to comment on any material on the blog. That’s how these systems work best.

We did not find a good picture of Dr. Pope but did find a photo of the freshman class in the 1912 annual. Let's have some fun...

Sutton High School Freshman Class in 1912, the class of '15. Dr. David Pope is in this picture - anyone see him?

There were 28 in the 1912 Freshman Class and the school annual kindly printed their names, even if the order does not appear to have anything to do with  the accompanying photo.

So, there you have it. Your quiz for the day. Good Luck and fill in your guesses in the comment section.

1963 Sutton Picnic in Long Beach, California

Sutton ex-pats living in Southern California used to have an annual picnic in Long Beach - I think it was always in Long Beach. Does anyone still do that???

The 1963 picnic was held on Sunday, June 23rd and a story appeared in the Clay County News in the July 4th issue. Ralph Ochsner of Long Beach sent the pictures and information back to Sutton. Ralph was the official promoter of the event.

The Official Group Photo from the Sutton Picnic held in Long Beach, California on June 23, 1963.

 Among those in attendance were the Yosts from Chula Vista, Lt. Alex Leitner, Bob Figi, Jr. from San Diego and Armin Stover from Bakersfield. My guess for Bob Figi, Jr. is the fellow kneeling behind two seated fellows just to the left of Mr. Griess in the chair in the center.

Does anyone recognize any of these folks? We're waiting to hear from you - comments welcome below.

A few of the guests were honored with a special photo.

Standing from left to right: Marie Griess Mettler, Ralph Ochsner, John Reger, Homer Gray (84), Mrs. Ed Ochsner and Mrs. Wesley Sanburg. The gentleman seated in the front was Billy Griess, the oldest person present at age 88.

Homer Gray in this second photo was the son of John and Emma Gray who was raised in the original home at 311 N. Way Avenue, now part of the Sutton Museum.

Gray Family Documentation for Sons of the American Revolution

Women who can trace their ancestry to someone who contributed to the creation of the United States of America by participating in the Revolutionary War are eligible to become members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.)

Men have a similar organization, The National Society, Sons of the American Revolution and their documentation is more readily available.

The images below are from the application of a member of Sutton's pioneer Gray family when he applied for membership in the sons of the revolutionary war organization. The images are not perfectly legible and the important text is repeated below:

The application was made by Thomas Gray Marsh of Oklahoma in 1970. Mr. Marsh identified himself as the son of Catherine Gray Marsh who was born in Sutton in 1906. Her father, Thomas Marsh's grandfather, was Homer W. Gray who was born in 1876 also in Sutton. Homer W.'s parents were John and Emma Gray who built the two houses that are in use as today's Sutton Museum. John Gray and his father, Col. Hosea, Wilson Gray were among the very first settlers in Sutton in 1871. Col. Gray was a veteran of the Civil War.

Each of these listings of the ancestral line in Thomas Gray Marsh's application lists the names of the spouses and the dates and places of their births, marriages and deaths making these applications valuable documents for family historians and genealogists.

Col. Gray's parents were Silas Gray and Omira Wilson who came from New York and Vermont. Silas was born in 1792 and his father was James Gray, born August 3, 1759 in New Boston, New Hampshire. James Gray is the Revolutionary War veteran who established the justification for all of his descendants to qualify for membership in the D. A. R. and the Sons organizations.

The application needs to establish the lineage of the applicant to someone who participated and it needs to describe that participation.

This second document is the next page of Mr. Marsh's application.

On this page, Mr. Marsh described what he knew about his ancestor's contribution to the cause of the founding of the United States. He listed three items.

Guarded Major Andre and witnessed his execution
Engaged in a number of battles
Served under Captain Bailey and Captain Hanley and also served under Col. Henry Jackson: State of Massachusetts.

The third item is probably the most important and those who try to verify the application have access to the rolls of the units that served in the war, especially the formal units formed by states. The incident about "Major Andre" may have been useful - it is probably a known story. The line about having been in a "number of battles" probably wasn't helpful. A list of battles would have been nice but clearly, Mr. Marsh and the Gray family didn't know specifics.

The criteria for membership in these organizations is not as strict as you might expect. The ancestor did not have to wear a uniform in an organized army unit. "Contributing" to the war effort includes merchants who sold goods to the army or donated funds to support units or supported the cause in other ways.

The next information on the page reference pension documents for James Gray and a D. A. R. document to further support Mr. Marsh's claim.

At the bottom is a place for the classic genealogical proofs: birth records, marriage records, death certificates  family bibles or other documents that support the facts and dates listed in the application. Since the application was completed in 1970 vast amounts of this kind of documentation has become readily available online and is used by family historians and genealogists to complete similar documents on individuals and families. A member of the Gray family filling out their own application today would be able to provide much more information and much better references for that information.

A Look at Edgar in 1888

The July 8, 1938  issue of the Edgar Weekly Times ran this story describing the news in an issue of The Edgar Weekly Times from May 25, 1888. This is a pretty good snapshot of several aspects of life in Edgar 125 years ago...

The 1888 paper was a special edition with extra advertising and photos of the town. If you are looking for information about businesses in a town, the Christmas and New Years issues always have ads from almost everyone in town.






There were photos of several homes, probably among the more prominent residents at the time.













Here was some information about early settlers. The Isham family shows up in many stories of early Edgar.





















This special issue gives a good inventory of the businesses in Edgar in 1888. It would have probably been bad form not to have advertised in this issue of the local paper.


















And we learn who ran this paper in 1888.

Clay County Rural School District #13, Sutton Township about 1897

This photo appeared in the Sutton Historical Society column of the June 26, 2013 issue in the Clay County News.

District #13 in Sutton Township about 3 miles south of town.

As promised in the newspaper, here is the key to these folks:

Back row: John Urbach, Lena Rasby, Edith Buttell, Philip Urbach, Kate Buttell, Mary Sheridan, Will Hurst, May Chandler.

Middle row: Louise Rasby, Margaret Uhrich, Tillie Uhrich, Christine Rasby, Anna Hurst, Maude Lange, Emma Hurst, May Lange, Pauline Wachter, Anna Sheridan, Nellie Sheridan, Maude Stacy (teacher), Laura Lange

Front row: George Uhrich, Sam Buttell, John Hurst, Jake Uhrich, Fred Ebert, Will Buttell

Please contact us for any corrections or additional information...

Sutton Co-op Bus Tour - 1959

We used this photo in our weekly column in The Clay County News on June 19, 2013 with a promise to identify these distinguished area citizens. Here goes:

Sutton Co-op Bus Tour to the Co-op facilities in Kansas City, Missouri. This photo was taken on February 5, 1959
in front of the Co-op Office Building.

First row, left to right:
Reuben G. Griess, Sutton; E. K. Nuss, Sutton; John O. Griess, Sutton; Benjamin E. Nuss, Aurora; Clarence Johnson, Sutton; Carl E. Nuss, Sutton; Tom T. Griess, Sutton; Ronald A. Ochsner, Saronville.

Second row, left to right:
Frank Starr, Edgar; Deldon Sedersten, Sutton; Lindell Hawthorne, Lushton; Henry Rath, Grafton; Fred Peter, Grafton; Richard Trautman, Harvard; Harold Hofmann, Sutton; Samuel Nuss, Saronville.

Third row, left to right:
Mrs. E. K. Nuss, Sutton; Mrs. Earl L. Hansen, Saronville; Mrs. John O. Griess, Sutton; Mrs. Richard Trautman, Harvard; Mrs. Carl E. Nuss, Sutton; Mrs. Samuel Nuss, Saronville; Mrs. Fred Peter, Grafton; Mrs. Harold Hofmann, Sutton; Robert R. Griess, Sutton.

Fourth row, left to right:
Marvin Jones, Hastings; Earl L. Hansen, Sarvonville; Mrs. Lindell Hawthorne, Lushton; Mrs. Deldon Sedersten, Sutton; Mrs. Henry Rath, Grafton; Mrs. Clarence Johnson, Sutton; Mrs. Frank Starr, Edgar; Mrs. Reuben G. Griess, Sutton; Mrs. Benjamin E. Nuss, Aurora.

The Untold Story of Girls' High School Athletics

The story of girls' athletics at Sutton High is an untold story, at least we haven't told it here or in our articles in Sutton Life Magazine.

We have a short list of potential future topics that are worthy of the research and time and effort to become one of our articles. We could use a little help with that.

We have an intermittent collection of school annuals that tells an intermittent story at some level. A more personal touch would be appreciated.

The kinds of questions that we have include:

When did specific girls' sports begin in Sutton - volleyball, basketball, track?

How did the programs get started - who were the first coaches and girls?

How long did it take to achieve success on some level?

What were the competing schools? Did everyone in a conference begin the same year or was the sport introduced gradually across school districts?

What girls' sports existed "way back?" We seen accounts of girls' sports in the '20's and 30's; when did those programs fold up? How long did Sutton High go without any girls' athletic programs, etc.

Our short list of article topics account for the June and July Sutton Life Magazine articles with a few candidates for August in the queue. How about we time this story for August or September to coincide with the beginning of the school year?

If you have information on this topic, or have anecdotes or personal experiences we'd really appreciate hearing from you. Please comment to this posting or contact Jerry Johnson at jjhnsn@windstream.net

Thanks for the help

Honest Headlinesman - Clay Co. Invention

Radical Football Measurement Device: This is the story of two Clay Center gents who became disgusted with the rules of football. There they were, it was 1938 and rules required that just to measure the progress of a football team down the field, three men from the sidelines had to stop the game, pick up a couple of sticks tied together with a chain, run all the way out into the field, sometimes all the way across the football field, set the stakes, stretch the chain and then, and only then, see if the ball had been advanced far enough for a First Down.

Then those three men would pick up their two stakes with the chain, traverse the distance back to their sideline, reset the sticks on the sideline and then, finally then signal for the game to resume.

Disgusting. You would think that by 1938 some kind of better system would have been invented.

So Leonard (Bum) Cassell and D. B. Massie, both of Clay Center devised the mechanical Honest Headlinesman to streamline and speed up the game of football, improve accuracy of measurements and keep the game running smoothly for the players and fans.

This description of the device appeared in the Clay County Sun newspaper on May 5, 1938. The device was implemented in high school conferences on one college conference in the fall of 1938. It lasted for a few years and faded from the scene.

Clearly, an idea whose time has still not arrived.

Personal note: Leonard Cassell was better known to me as Uncle Bum. - Jerry Johnson, Sutton Historical society.

Little Nebraska Annie

Minnie (Rowe) Crabb, 1886 Sutton High grad likely when she was living in New Mexico. We do not know the circumstances of this photo but one wonders if the costume designer for a certain 1939 Judy Garland film might not have seen this pic.

Among the ten names in the Sutton Alumni Directory for the graduates of the class of 1886, the school’s third class is Minnie Rowe listed with her married name of Minnie Crab. It’s probably be a good bet that no one in Sutton today ever heard of Minnie Rowe.

That changed a couple of weeks ago when a small package arrived in P. O. Box 92 for the Sutton Historical Society. Minnie’s grandson, a retired college professor had assembled a biography of his Grandma Minnie with the text and photos of her life – her diaries, the text of books and poems she wrote, her family story and more.

Our articles normally require an effort: pick a topic, determine if there might be enough material, research that material, organize a proper article and then write it. Imagine the excitement of finding a topic with organized material of a story ready for the telling. So, thanks to David Thayer of Coralville, Iowa for sending the story of Minnie Rowe back to Sutton.

Minnie Rowe was born in 1870 to Joseph and Mary (Whatton) Rowe in Leicester, an industrial city in the middle of England. The men in Joseph’s family were listed in the English census as “cordwainers” who were shoemakers but generally associated with a better class of shoes especially leather shoes and other luxury footwear.  Joseph owned a shoe factory and Mary was the supervisor of the women workers.        

In 1872 Joseph sold his factory, packed up his family of wife and five kids including two-year old Minnie, his mother and step-father and two step-brothers and headed for Nebraska “where oranges grow” or so he was told. Well, Osage orange is another name for a hedge apple.

The family arrived in Boston and took the train west to Sutton and bit more to the rail stop of Inland. Apparently Inland was just across the line into Adams County at that time. The brothers filed for two homesteads just north of the railroad tracks northeast of that Inland settlement. The account of homesteading makes it sound like as a farmer, Joseph was a darn good shoemaker. Within a year he pulled up stakes and came back to Sutton setting up a small shop to make and sell shoes.

Joseph was no more than the second Sutton cobbler. One of his step-brothers, William Wollman preceded him becoming Sutton’s first shoemaker according to the Andreas History of Nebraska. Wollman had some experience in the pulpit in England and was recruited by Sutton folk to serve as their first preacher until a real one made it to the new town.

Just a word here about the surnames. Joseph Rowe’s mother was Harriet Rowe who later married John Wollman. Joseph kept his mother’s maiden name and grew up in the Wollman family with their eight children.

The Wollman and Rowe brothers must have had some influence in the community as the northwest township in Clay County became Leicester Township named after their home town. The pressing question here is, “How do you pronounce “Leicester?” I’ve heard a range of attempts though many avoid trying. The font of all useful knowledge, Wikipedia includes audio clips of such words. The mechanical voice says something close to “lesta” – a spelling that would have saved some paper over the years.

Thus, Minnie Rowe arrived in Sutton where she graduated at the age of 16 in 1886. There is one other Rowe, Grace who graduated in 1893 but she does not show up with this Rowe family.

Minnie taught grade school in Albion right after high school. Among the documents pictured in the material from her grandson is a teaching certificate from Adams County issued in January 1892. The back is endorsed by officials from Hamilton and Boone Counties and by G. M. Graham, Co. Supt., Clay Co.

She attended Hastings College and one of her poems is identified with “Hastings 1890.”

In 1890 and 1891 Minnie took a trip to England where she visited siblings who did not emigrate and other family members. Her diary from that trip is only one of the segments of diaries included in Mr. Thayer’s story of Grandma Minnie.

Minnie met a young man when she was at Hastings College. Charles Crabb was from Fairmont who

Minnie (Rowe) Crabb’s wedding picture, June, 1901, Stockham, Nebraska

completed two years of college before running out of money. He went back Fairmont until he heard of a new college in York. He persuaded the school master to let him teach a few preparatory classes so he could afford to continue his own college studies. Those circumstances gave him a firm grip on the pole position and a good head start to be one of two in the first graduating class at York College in 1894 – the next class was in 1897.

Charles and Minnie married in June of 1901 while she was teaching and was the assistant principal at Stockham High School.

Charles and Minnie Crabb lived in Missouri; New Mexico; Oklahoma; Deer Lodge, Montana and Los Gatos, California during their married life.

Charles was a chemist, published a country newspaper and was an ore buyer and assayist for Sherman-Williams Paint Company for a time. The paint company sent him to Kelly, New Mexico, now a ghost town near Magdalena, NM. So what kind of mine do you suppose to be working in? The family does not have

Downtown Stockham, Halloween, 1900 where Minnie 

taught school and was the assistant principal.

solid evidence for the answer but Mr. Thayer and I would guess a lead mine.

A bit of research uncovers that the mines at Kelly did produce lead and silver but the interesting story involves turquoise rock in the waste tailings of the mines. After the mines played out someone sent some of this waste off to be analyzed only to learn that it was an uncommon jewelry grade rock found only in a few places in the world. Labs at the Smithsonian did that work and the rock was named smithsonite. A “kelly mine new mexico” search will lead you more on this story including a couple of youtube videos or the Kelly Mine.

All during these adventures our Sutton grad was keeping diaries, writing poetry and stories, many about places she lived including Clay County. Minnie had also been known as Myrtle but she appears to have not been fond of either name. She chose to write under the name of Little Nebraska Annie.

One of her products was a set of children’s books called “Mrs. Gray Bunny Books” which do warrant an entry at amazon.com but are out of print, surely to no one’s surprise.

The temperance movement figured in much of her writings including the bunny books and when the Crabbs moved to Los Gatos, California in 1925 Minnie became active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) attacking the perils of Demon Alcohol. It was in 1940 while returning from a WCTU meeting in San Francisco on her way home to Los Gatos that Minnie and a friend entered the busy San Jose intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Winchester Boulevard, were hit by a drunk driver and both killed. Karma.

Minnie (Rowe) Crabb’s story again illustrates that the interesting history of a community includes the stories of its people, however loosely connected and however minor that connection may be. Minnie Rowe’s story was likely completely lost to us unless her grandson graciously thought to share his work preserving her memory for her family.

Minnie walked along Saunders Avenue many years ago, shopped Sutton stores and had close friends here but she left no lasting footprints and hardly any memories of herself. We hope that you and the Sutton community enjoy making, and re-making her acquaintance. 

This article appeared in the March, 2013 issue of Sutton Life Magazine. For further information about this publication contact Jarod Griess at 402-984-4203 or at neighborhoodlife@yahoo.com

Sutton's All-Time Top Sports Story

1922 Championship Trophy engraved with names 

of eight players and Coach Knapple.

How do you pick an all-time “Top” thing? Was the Nebraska football dynasty of 1994-1997 superior to Alabama 2009-2012? What could really prove the question one way or the other?

Our question here is “What is the All-Time top Sutton sports story?”

There are several candidates: the football careers of Johnny Bender or Morrie Kohler, the boxing team as well as an array of championship banners in the high school gym. My candidate is one of those banners, the 1922 Sutton High School basketball team. Follow their story and tell me I’m wrong.

Sutton High won the Class A championship that year. They were Class B champions three years earlier. Visit the NSAA tournament history site at https://nsaahome.org/textfile/bask/bbball.htm if you’re curious about class structure of that era. Spoiler alert: it’ll take some time.

Sutton had a good regular season in 1922 with only four losses. Omaha Central was considered one of the fastest teams in the state beating Sutton 20-13 with Phil Steinhauer scoring 10 of those 13. The trip was a split with the boys beating Ashland on the way home 27-11.

Another loss came at Lincoln High though the local team won the rematch at home later in the season by 23-16. There was a loss to Geneva and a 19-10 loss to Clay Center. Accounts are incomplete and sometimes ambiguous, but there was apparently a 37-1 win over York and wins over Superior, Hastings, Grand Island and Omaha Commerce (later Tech) among others.

The 1922 Class A Championship banner in today’s gym.

We should mention Sutton’s home basketball court of the era. The gym was below the basement of the big brick school building southeast of downtown. If that school were a house, the gym was the fruit cellar, a full flight of stairs below the basement. The east sideline was a brick wall. Court length was scrunched so that the center jump circle intersected the keyhole circles – not just a little. Opponents called it “The Crackerbox.”

Clay Center won the Clay County tournament with a second win over Sutton 26-25 score when a Sutton buzzer-beating shot, didn’t. But their overall record qualified the Sutton Mustangs for the state tournament joining Clay Center in Class A competition.

Sutton defeated Fremont in the opening state tournament game 20-9 (or 22-9 or 30-12 depending on which contemporary account you’d like to use. This kind of research can be as much art as science.) Clay Center went down to Hastings in the first round 19-8.

Sutton’s second game was a rematch with Omaha Commerce who had won the 1921 championship and defeated Central in the first round. Sutton beat them for the second time by 16-2. Commerce became Omaha Tech the next year and won championships in ’23, ’25 and ’26.

The Mustangs reached the finals by beating Grand Island 13-9.

Two hundred and sixteen teams competed in the various classes with attendance well above previous meets. Presentations of trophies for all lower classes were completed before the Class A final game between Sutton and Crete. Crete was a much taller team led by a 6’ 7” standout. The shorter Sutton captured the support of one of the largest crowds in the coliseum to date.

It was a close exciting game led by great team play by Sutton. The Mustangs led by 6-5 at the half led by forward Milton Wieland’s who finished with seven points. Our local team prevailed 13-11 to earn that Class A banner in today’s gym.

You might expect that winning the Class A State Championship would be a fitting end to a glorious season and by itself, would have made this team’s performance competitive to be Sutton’s top all-time sports story, but these fellows weren’t done yet. They now faced a Dakota challenge.

Yankton High School had won the South Dakota state championship and then won a series with the North Dakota champions. Yankton offered a “loving cup” as a trophy for the winner of a three game series with Sutton – challenge accepted.

The Yankton newspaper account of the first game raved of the “fastest and cleverest” game on the local floor in years. It was 10-10 at the half and a final of Sutton 24 to Yankton’s 17. The “Bucks” promised a better second game and delivered in the first half for a 9-1 lead. Sutton recovered to trail 17-10 with eight minutes to go then ripped off eleven straight points to win the second game 21-17.

Two wins secured the loving cup in the best of three series with one more game to play, a game won by Yankton 23-17. The Sutton News pointed out that Sutton players were distracted by news of their continuing season.

University of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg (a character himself) had a vision of a national high school basketball championship tournament. His 1917 effort kicked off that dream before World War I intervened. His ’20 and ’21 tournaments gained ground and in 1922 he moved the meet to April to accommodate state champs. Sutton businessmen contacted Stagg, raised funds and Sutton was one of twelve state champs among the 32 team field.

The Mustang’s first opponent was the Illinois state champion from Canton. Again, Sutton fell behind 16-10 at the half before Gilbert Wieland and Harvey Schwarz led a spurt to a 27-23 win. Mt. Vernon, Ohio defeated Sutton’s friends from Yankton to become the next opponent.

Sutton lost to Mt. Vernon in that second game. The Sutton News story was headlined, “Cagers Get Measles” describing that the team had gotten sick before the game. The Sutton yearbook mentions fatigue from travels and the effects of Dakota water. Philip Steinhauer’s memory supported the second option – the team had a collective serious digestive condition that forced them to play with only three men on the court for a time.

Yes, it was a Great Run (pun intended.)

Who were these fellows?

The Starting Five of Sutton’s 1922 Class A Championship team – l to r: Milton Wieland, forward; Herbert “Piggy” Spielman, guard; Team Captain Philip Steinhauer,forward; Coach Frank Y. Knapple; Gilbert “Gibb” Wieland, guard and Harvey “Blackie” Schwarz, center.

Forward Philip Steinhauer was team captain. He became a successful farmer just north of town and served on the county board of supervisors for many years.

Milton Wieland was the other forward, later a Lincoln dentist.

Harvey (or Henry or “Blackie”) Schwarz was the center and team captain in 1923. He later lived in Oceanside, California.

Herbert “Piggy” Spielman was a guard and became a coach in Pilger and Minden by 1940.

Gilbert “Gibb” Wieland, Milton’s cousin, was the other guard and became a dentist in Sutton.

The bulk of playing time went to the five starters. Three reserves earned engravings on the state trophy. Earl Vauck was usually the first sub – later Sutton businessman and mayor. Edwin Wieland, Gilbert’s older brother, served for a time as Clay County School Superintendent. The third substitute was Milton Grosshans, an Alliance pharmacist in 1940.

A pre-season news article listed Alex Kahm, E. Rauscher, C. Wolfe, Leo Grosshans and Fred Schultz as trying out for the team.

Sutton’s second year coach was 25-year old Francis Y. (Frank) Knapple of Lexington. He had played four years at Cotner College in northeast Lincoln and was the basketball coach at Omaha Central about 1950. Knapple was the Douglas County School Superintendent in 1963.

The post-season exploits of the 1922 basketball team is my candidate for Sutton’s All-Time Top Sports Story. Do you have a better one? Lemme know.

Local newspaper headline from March 17, 1922
for the Class A State Basketball Champions.

This article first appeared in the February, 2013 issue of Sutton Life Magazine. For further information about this publication contact Jarod Griess at 402-984-4203 or neighborhoodlife@yahoo.com.

            

New 1913 Harvard Town Marshal

Research for our weekly Clay County News column regularly turns up interesting history told in the distinctive journalistic style of the times.

These items, the first and third, not the vandalism item though that's worth the time also, attempt to tell the story of the May, 1913 turnover in the position of Town Marshall in Harvard, Nebraska. Our interpretation appears after the clipping.

O.K. What happened? It appears that the incumbent marshal was appointed by the mayor in May, 1912 but did not ever receive the blessing of the city council. Why not? "...division in the council upon the license question." What does that mean? I'd guess Mr. Hickman found himself, at the moment, on the wrong side of the alcohol/prohibition discussion.

As for the new marshal, we are not given his name just this not to strangers describing the new fellow in a manner that suggests everyone in town was imminently familiar with him. Clearly, the editor was comfortable describing him this way - must have been a pretty good friend.

Early History of Clay Center

This story of the early history of Clay Center appeared in two parts in the March 10th and 17th issues of the Clay County Sun in 1938. It was written by Faye Palmer, daughter of long-time publisher of the Sun.

Local History - It's Everywhere

Our posts from articles in Sutton Life Magazine have been mostly about local Sutton area history. This article makes an obvious point, every place has its own local history. A recent visit to Key West, Florida reminded me that if we do not look into the local history as we travel, we will miss out on the personality of a locality and much of the joy of travel.

Local museums and landmarks are easy to find but the real stuff may take a bit of effort. I knew that Ernest Hemingway had lived briefly in Key West and did some of his better writing there, including A Farewell to Arms. I prepared for the trip by investing a few minutes of research into the Key West-Hemingway connection.

Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West for ten years starting in 1928 though he was still flitting about the world: Paris, Cuba, East Africa and, yes, Kansas City and he spent several summers in Wyoming during his Key West years.

Two Key West locations attracted me: his home and his favorite bar. The home is one of the prime tourist attractions of the town. A rich uncle of Hemingway’s second wife Pauline bought the house for them. It had been the grandest home in town when built by an early shipwreck scavenger who became the wealthiest man around but the house had been vacant for some time and became a project of Ernest and Pauline, mainly Pauline.

After their divorce, Ernest’s second of three, Pauline remained in the house; it became part of her estate and was purchased by a family that continues to own it today after turning the house and grounds into a classy attraction.

The T-shirt is a big part of any tourist attraction. Capt. Tony's Saloon
continues to tout its 1930's Hemingway connection.

Hemingway’s favorite bar during his stay on the island was called Sloppy Joe’s. There is a Sloppy Joe’s bar in Key West today which competes for the Hemingway folklore but it is a later incarnation. The original Sloppy Joe’s at 428 Greene Street is now called Capt. Tony’s Saloon, a large rustic, even crude room, bar in the middle with walls and ceiling decorated with thousands of notes, personal items and at least two hundred brassieres, many autographed. (An estimate, I really didn’t count them. Maybe next time.)

A bit or research uncovered a rich history for the Greene Street building. It was an ice house (and city morgue) – hence today’s wide doors that accommodated horse drawn ice wagons. In the 1890’s the building was a wireless telegraph station where news of the sinking of the battleship Maine was first received and relayed to the mainland.

The building next became a cigar factory, a bordello, a major gambling venue and a string of speakeasies.

In April, 1928 Ernest Hemingway walked into the establishment with a $1000 royalty check that the local bank had refused to cash. Josie Russell, owner of the bar cashed the check and the two men became fast friends and long-time fishing buddies. Hemingway’s notoriety made Sloppy Joe’s one of the most successful bars among the many in Key West.  

The landlord raised the rent $1 a week in 1938 angering Russell and he moved Sloppy Joe’s to its present location.

Fast forward to 1958 when Tony Tarracino created today’s Capt. Tony’s Saloon.

Tarracino was a colorful fellow himself starting when he helped his bootlegger father make whiskey in New Jersey. He and his brother found that he could intercept signals from a race track getting race results before local bookies – a profitable business model right up until one bookie took action resulting to Tony waking up in a dump after being unconscious for two days following a beating. He headed for Hialeah, Florida where gambling luck was not-so-good. He lost everything including his pick Cadillac before hitching a ride to Key West on a milk truck with $18 in his pocket.

The building as 428 Greene had its own share of notoriety during Tony Tarracino’s tenure. Literary connections continued with Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, Harry Truman (who had a vacation White House in Key West) and John Kennedy provided a political flavor while Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Frost were also regulars. Jimmy Buffett performed at Capt. Tony’s early in his career and dedicated a song and album to the place. That story is told here: http://www.capttonyssaloon.com/AudioTrack%2002%20(range).mp3  Buffett is the current Key West celebrity though he’s never been mayor as Tony Tarracino was.

If I had a bucket list I’d have checked off one of the items on this trip: having one of Hemingway’s favorite drinks while reading one of his works in his favorite bar (recent Facebook profile pic). Hemingway had several “favorite” drinks. The bar goes with cheap scotch (Teacher’s) and water. I was interested in two others – a rum thing and “Death in the Afternoon.” The barkeep knew of the former but had never heard of the DITA. I showed him the Wikipedia entry on my phone and he vowed to market the thing. (it does not come well recommended)

Just a cat on a fence if you don't know the historical background. This
regal feline is named Hairy Truman.

Hemingway’s house also has an extensive history. A well-known attraction of the tour is the result of a gift Hemingway received – a six-toed cat named Snowball. The author liked cats and accumulated several. Today there are 45 cats on the property, about half with six toes. Docents call each by name and they are a big part of the tour.

There is at least one interesting physical connection between the old Sloppy Joe’s bar and the Hemingway house. Hemingway and several friends were at Sloppy Joe’s the night Russell was closing before making the move to the second Sloppy Joe’s location. As the night wore on the clientele decided to make a statement to the owner and began to tear out bar stools and throw them in the street. Someone said that they should strip the place of everything but the urinal. Hemingway said that he’d … how should I put this … “he’d sent a fortune down that thing.” Hemingway ripped the urinal out, carried it home and threw it in the yard.

The attractive and stylish cat watering
trough at Hemingway's House in Key West,
Florida - an olive jar Ernest and Pauline found in
Cuba and the urinal from Sloppy Joe's.
Ain't history fun?

Pauline found the relic offensive; she’d tired of Ernest’s antics by then and the marriage was crumbling. A workman tiled the fixture and paired it with a large olive jar the Hemingway’s had found in Cuba. Pauline kept the attractive art piece and today it is the main water bowl for those 45 cats.

So, I hope you get the idea. Local history is everywhere and a little effort can add a lot to your enjoyment of travel.

You need not go far. Red Cloud, Nebraska City, Kearney all have great local stories. The North Omaha section of Florence has a Mormon Cemetery that you should visit just for the statue. Military assignments took me to Great Falls, Montana; Tracy, California; Omaha, Biloxi, Wichita and other places. I learned Every Place has a history and a little effort to find it adds enormously to the joy of even the shortest visit.

This article first appeared in the January, 2013 issue of Sutton Life Magazine. Contact Jarod Griess at Mustang, Inc. for more information about the magazine: neighborhoodlife@yahoo.com or 402-984-4203.