Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

17
Dec

The Grave

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Fort Dodge Messenger, Tuesday, December 17, 1901


The Grave


John Holbrook Sr. died at his home, on North Tenth street, at 8 o’clock on Sunday morning, of paralysis of the heart. the deceased had been sick some time, having suffered a stroke of paralysis some time ago, and the death was not unexpected. The funeral will be held on Tuesday after noon at 2 o’clock from the residence. Rev. C.H. Remington will conduct the funeral exercises.


Mr. Holbrook was well known in Fort Dodge, where he had lived for many years, and the news of his death will bring sorrow to many friends. He leaves a wife and two children, John Holbrook Jr. of Manson, and Mrs. Milchrist of Sioux City.


The funeral of George McNett, whose sad death as the result of an accident, occurred on Tuesday, was buried from the Sacred Heart Catholic chuch at 10 o’clock Friday morning. In spite of the biting cold, a large number of the friends whom the dead man had made during his years of residence here, were present at the church, and the floral tributes were many and beautiful, including one elaborate piece from the members of the order of Locomotive Firemen, of which the deceased was a member, who attended in a body.


Impressive funeral services were conducted by Father Heelan, and many followed the body to his last resting place in the Catholic cemetery.


The sympathy of many friends goes out to the grief-stricken widow, into whose happy home life the rude hand of death has so suddenly broken.


The pall bearers were chosen from the number of Mr. Mcnett’s fellow employees.

George McNett on Find a Grave

25
May

To Ride to World’s Fair

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 25, 1904

To Ride to World’s Fair

Arthur Flint to Make Trip on Motorcycle

Machine Has Average Speed of 15 Miles Per Hour – Rides to Humboldt

Arthur Flint, of the Laughlin-Flint grocery, has purchased a new Rambler motorcycle and intends a little later to make a trip to the St. Louis World’s Fair on the machine. He hopes to make the trip at the rate of 150 miles per day and will count on arriving in the Missouri metropolis in about two and one half to three days.

As an experimental trip over rough roads he went to Humboldt and back Tuesday, making the round trip in one hour and forty minutes. He made the trip up in fifty-three minutes. The machine will be arranged for t seats and will carry two persons comfortably. The speed limit over good roads is forty miles an hour, but the usual rate over ordinary country roads is not more than fifteen miles, increased to twenty miles where the surface of the road permits.

23
Mar

Mange is Scourge Among Horses Near

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 23, 1904

Mange is Scourge Among Horses Near

Ottosen in Humboldt County Has Many Infected Equines

Has Been Prevalent For Year

One Man Has Lost Ten Horses – Dr. Baughman Says Bad Type

The northern part of Humboldt county, in the vicinity of Ottosen, is threatened with a scourge of mange, among the horses belonging to one man, have already died from the parasite, and many other horses in that vicinity have been exposed to the disease.

Assistant State Veterinarian Boughman of this city, received a call to go to Ottosen Tuesday to investigate the conditions of the affair. He returned today and reports the attack to be the worst he has ever seen. Mange is not an  uncommon disease in this county, but it has always been of a light form and easily treated, or comparatively so.

In Ottosen, however, the disease has been running for a year, and has gained such headway, particularly among the horses of Dave Anderson, the liveryman at that place, who has already met with the loss of ten horses that the cure of the animals infected will be very difficult. The treatment of the disease is by dipping for cattle and sheep, but with horses this cannot be done and they must be washed thoroughly with a solution that will kill the parasites. If one little spot escapes the application the treatment must be all gone over again.

It is thought that many other horses in the vicinity of Ottosen are infected with the disease and Dr. Baughman will make a further inquiry into the condition of the horses in that section and will endeavor to stamp out the infection.

29
May

Observance of Memorial Day

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 29, 1906

Observance of Memorial Day

Day Will Be Observed Here Tomorrow With Fitting Ceremonies

Stores Close in Afternoon

Parade Through the Street – Music by Band – Speech, Reading and Music At the Cemetery – Program in Full Given.

At a late hour this afternoon it was decided to not have any services at the cemetery because of the bad weather.

The program intended for the cemetery will be carried out at the armory.

Memorial day, May 30, which comes tomorrow, will be observed in Fort Dodge in the usual fitting manner. The G.A.R., W.R.C. and similar societies have taken great pains in preparing a program worthy of the hearing of all.

Nearly all of the stores of the city will close in the afternoon. The morning will be attended with the usual business transaction. At the post office the genera; deliver will be open from 7 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. The carriers will make a business delivery at 8 a.m. and at 11 a.m. and theusual forenoon residence delivery. Carrier windows open from 5 to 6 p.m. Business collections will be made at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Most of the offices and similar places of business will be closed. The Messenger will issue its daily publication as usual. The Chronicle will suspend. Following is the official program of the day in full:

Program for Memorial Day.

Marshal, Asa Wrenn.
President, M. Mitchell.
Speaker, H.W. Stowe.
Fort Donelson post will meet at G.A.R. hall at 9 a.m. and procession will move at 10 o’clock to the following order.
Martial band.
Carriages with president, speaker, Rev. Carroll, and Miss Minnie Oard.
C0. G. I.N.G.
Fort Donelson post G.A.R.
Sons of Veterans
W.R.C. in carriages.

Program at Cemetery

Call to order by M. Mitchell.
Music by band.
Prayer by Rev. Carroll.
Reading roll of honor by adjutant. Assemblage will rise and uncover during the reading.
Reading of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address by Miss Minnie Oard.
Memorial address by H.W. Stowe.
Music by the band.
Benediction by Rev. Carroll.
The G.A.R. post will reassemble at the First M.E. church and will march back to the post room.

The railway freight offices of the city will be closed during memorial day.

(Editor’s note: G.A.R. is Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Union soldiers. I do not know what I.N.G. and W.R.C. mean.)

7
May

Website update and spring cleaning

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Having this website live for more than two months now, I have thought about how I’ve been tagging articles. I started out only using categories, but later decided to add names. However, I added full names, or as much as was in the articles. I’m now going through and changing full names to just surnames. In some cases, the surname is already in use, so I am deleting that tag.

The next step is to go through all the posts and make sure I’m not missing any surnames. This may take some time, as there are 170 posts prior to this one. I should have it done today, however.

The reason for only listing surnames is that I’m finding a person may be listed more than once. Mayor Bennett was listed as Mayor Bennett, S.J. Bennett, and Sidney J. Bennett. He will only be listed at Bennett now, as will anyone else with that last name.

This will help cut down on the number of tags. There will still be a lot, but that can’t be helped. And the website is still searchable, so if you are looking for a particular name, just type it in the search box in the upper right.

Also, if there is something in particular anyone would like me to look up between 1856 and 1922, let me know in the comments. All comments are moderated, so I get a notification whenever someone comments. All but one so far have been spam and have been deleted, but a research request will be taken seriously.

Thanks for your patience during “reconstruction.”

30
Apr

Why Streets Are Dirty

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 30, 1906

Why Streets Are Dirty

Pointers For The Ones Who Object to Conditions.

Habits That Leave Trail of Dirt in Every Street and Alley – Everything Goes Into the Gutter.

Objection is frequently found to the condition of the streets and aleys (sic) in Fort Dodge as regards cleanliness and appearance. Chief Tullar has worked a vigorous campaign in this behalf during the present spring, a few fines have been assessed and the conditions are now fairly good. To those who find material for objection to the appearance of Fort Dodge’s streets the following list of a few causes for the same may be of interest:

Are You One of These?

The porter or janitor who sweeps refuse intot he street.

The teamster who drives through the streets with dirt sifting through cracks in his wagon or falling from the running gear where it was left after dumping.

The smoker who throws cigar or cigarette stubs, cigarette boxes, tobacco sacks or burned matches to the pavement.

The man who mows his lawn and throws the grass into the street or alley.

The woman who is neat and tidy at home, but who drops theater programs, candy boxes and equally offensive things on the street.

The man who reads a letter, tears it up and throws the pieces on the pavement.

The fruit vendor who throws tissue paper wrappers, banana stems and refuse into the gutter in front of his stand.

The ice cream merchant who places freezers on the curb and lets briny water run into the gutter, leaving a sediment of salt.

The conduit digger who never pretends to clean the street after tearing up the pavement.

The store clerk who does his sweeping out after the streets have been cleaned.

The man who repairs buildings and throws the refuse into the street.

The drivers of meat wagons who litter the streets with brown paper.

The man who gathers garbage from residences and restaurants and scatters it about.

The bill boards which are constantly discarding large slabs of old posters.

30
Apr

Hubby and Furniture Gone

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 30, 1904

Hubby and Furniture Gone

Webster City Man Hopes to Meet Wife in Heaven.

Tells Her to Be “A Good Girl,” But Shows No Inclination to Meet Her on Earth.

Webster City, April 30 –

“Mollie: You’ll never see me again. I’m tired of this kind of a life. Be a good girl. I hope I’ll meet you in heaven. Goodby, Albert.”

The above note and an empty house was what greeted Mrs. A.A. McFarland yesterday when she returned to this city from a visit in Afton. The note was laying on a table but that comprised about all of the furniture in the house. Beyond the information contained in the note there was nothing else to enlighten the woman as to the whereabouts of her husband.

The McFarlands lived on John street which is in the extreme northwest portion of the city. McFarland has been employed on the North western in this vicinity and has made his home in this city with his wife for two or three years. About a week ago Mrs. McFarland went to Afton to visit her relatives and expected to be absent about two weeks. For some reason she shortened her visit and arrived home yesterday.

She was met at the train by one of her neighbors who had learned of the proceedings during her absence. The key of the house was found at Crandall’s grocery store. When the home was unlocked it was a cheerless place. Nearly all of the furniture, including the cooking stove had been sold. A note, which was found on the table explained that the husband had left for other parts and did not expect to return.

Mrs. McFarland took a trip to Homer yesterday in search for her missing husband. He has a sister who resides there but no trace of the man was found. They told her he had left for Missouri.

27
Apr

Drink Habit Was Too Strong

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 28, 1905

Drink Habit Was Too Strong

Luke O’Brien Has Gotten in The Toils Again.

He is One of the Regular Customers At the Mayor’s Court – Can’t Break Off.

In spite of his terrible oath to get out of the city, Luke O’Brien, alias Happy Hooligan, has again fallen into the toils, and was put to work this morning cleaning up around the fire house. He was out of sight all day Thursday, and it was supposed that he had really departed, but this morning this bug juice receptacle was found in his usual state of coma and given his time honored place in the jail. He will have another ten days on the streets.

There is the same quality about this Happy Hooligan that is so very noticeable in the caricature character originated by F. Opper. His personality will draw a row of brass buttons to him by irresistible force for more than six blocks and he has become so used to the “come with me,” that he runs to meet the officer when he sees him approaching.

Luke O’Brien is certainly one of the strongest living temperance lectures that ever existed. Once a strong man with at least a fair amount of intellect, he is now a tottering wreck both physically and mentally and there is positively no show for him but a lonely death – possibly in a cell at night – and a grave in the potters field.

When he left the city hall Thursday morning he had every intention of getting out of Fort Dodge for good and all. He went down the steps and out onto the street full of this determination, but he was so shattered that he positively had to have just one drink to straigten (sic) him up so he could get started. The one drink was not enough, and he soon had forgotten everything in his burning thirst. He kept drinking all day and this morning woke to find his resolution unfulfilled and himself in the same old place behind the bars of the city jail.

The case of Luke O’Brien is certainly a most pitiable one.

15
Apr

Old Man is Painfully Hurt

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 15, 1904

Old Man is Painfully Hurt

Hugh Coyne Falls From Wagon, Wheels Pass Over.

Sustains Powerful Bruises, but it is Thought That He Escaped More Serious Injury.

Hugh Coyne, sixty years of age, met with a serious and painful accident Thursday afternoon by falling from his wagon just after crossing the Third street viaduct. The wagon, which was loaded with dirt, was in motion at the time and he sustained the heavy weight as the wheels passed over his body. The accident was witnessed by several passersby, who went to the old man’s aid and carried him into the residence of Henry Koll, who lives at the south end of the viaduct. Two physicians were summoned and made an examination of his injuries. It was found that he was severely bruised and at the time it was feared he had sustained internal injuries. He was later removed to his home and today was reported to be doing as well as could be expected. The possibility of his having sustained internal injuries is today regarded as unlikely and if such is the case his condition cannot be regarded as serious.

Coyne was engaged by the city to haul dirt taken from the grade, which is being made on the hill leading from the north end of the viaduct. The accident occurred at the south end of the bridge and was caused by the breaking of the board which he was using as a seat. Hitched to the wagon was a team of mules and when the driver fell from his seat the animals continued up the hill. His body fell in such a manner that the wheels passed directly over his back.

12
Apr

Editor’s note

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Ancestry.com is offering free access to Civil War records through April 14, 2011.