From the files of the March 17, 1988 edition of The Ellsworth Reporter.

144 YEARS AGO March 7, 1878

Mr. Cone's new chair at his Grand Central barber shop is a luxury that is appreciated by those who sit in it. It is quite worth the fifteen cents for the rest it gives a man.

White schooners are more plenty that ever before and they are as well filled as usual with large families.

We took a look yesterday at the new hotel just opened by our old townsman John Kelley, who used to keep the American House. One year ago his hotel burned down and John was left with little except a good stock of perseverance and a good wife. He tried country life for awhile, but having been “born to keep a hotel” he went to work to build a new one, and the new two story Farmer's Hotel is the result. Its location is on south Main street and it commands a pleasant view. The house contains a large dining room, kitchen, parlor and office on the first floor and eight nice sleeping rooms in the second story. The beds are entirely new and the house will be kept neat and clean.

134 YEARS AGO March 15, 1888

W.H. Goodell is building quite a nice residence in the western part of the city in the Minnick addition.

County Clerk Fagin has lost his mustache, any one finding the same and returning it to him will be liberally rewarded.

F.A. Russell has purchased the feed store on Douglas avenue owned by Scott & Durnil. He will have all kinds of feed for sale constantly.

The Creamery has been located on the bank of the Smoky Hill river, on Lincoln avenue and is now being erected.

109 YEARS AGO March 13, 1913

On the cover of the last number of “The American Breeder” is a remarkable fine reproduction of a photograph of the stallion “Norbit,” owned by Harry Brownlewee. One of Mr. Brownlewee's two small sons is shown mounted on the big horse while the other is holding the bridle rein. It is a fine picture and justly deserves the distinction given it. — Lorraine Items.

Wheat is selling on the local market today for 76 cents a bushel.

Louis Bohl took out a new surrey Tuesday, purchased from W.C. Eldred.

Demuth & Shepard have put an attractive new electric sign in front of their store.

84 YEARS AGO March 17, 1938

Now showing at the Dickinson in Ellsworth “The Buccaneer,” a Cecil B. DeMille production starring Fredrick March with Franciska Faal.

Thirty-seven grade school pupils entered the annual elimination music contest Friday afternoon at the high school auditorium. The following will represent Ellsworth at the county meet in Ellsworth: Francis Sowell, girls' vocal solo; Duane Miller, cornet; Steve Doubrava, clarinet; Maurice Pizinger, trombone; Gene Sinclair, baritone; Clarence Kolachny, Eb alto horn; Lester Dale Haase, french horn; John Stowell, tuba; Leroy Britton, xylophone; Edward Huycke, drums; Betty Jean Janousek, bass clarinet.

59 YEARS AGO March 14, 1963

Towering nearly 50 feet in the sky, in the north part of town, the new concrete mixing plant of the Truhlar Sand and Gravel Company is not in full operation. This centrally located 75 ton plant is geared to fill many of the needs of Ellsworth County and surrounding areas.

County Agent Kermit Engle interviewed John Westerman and Gary Urbanek, local FFA members, for the KSAL radio program he gives every Monday morning for Ellsworth County. The program is taped on a recorder ahead of time.

Seven students at Kanopolis High School took the 1963 National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test. They were Vicki Holecek, Nancy Herrington, Robert Hand, James Hand, Nancy Irvin, Carolyn Cromwell and Janis Hoffman.

44 YEARS AGO March 16, 1978

The traveling trophy at the Kansas Scholastic Press Association journalism contest found a permanent home Saturday — the trophy case at Ellsworth High School. For the third straight year the high school journalism students took first in the 2A competition enabling them to keep the trophy permanently.

The 60-voice choir of St. Paul's College High, Concordia, Mo., presented a concert of sacred music at Immanual Lutheran Church March 21.

39 YEARS AGO March 17, 1983 As a result of a

As a result of a motion passed by Russell's school board Monday night, there won't be school at Dorrance next year, thus ending a year-long controversy surrounding the future of DHS students. Sherri Denise Hart, a sophomore at Cloud County Community College, has been selected as one of the 13 students chosen as the most outstanding campus leaders. Her name will be listed in the 1983 edition of “Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.” Sherri is the daughter of Kellye and Diana Hart and attended EHS.

34 YEARS AGO March 17, 1988

“I don't want to go to a nursing home,” are words that Fern Dolezal has heard often. Fern and her husband Lloyd Dolezal care about people who are in the position of making that difficult choice. That concern for others shows through in their new business, Custom Care, Inc., a business designed mainly to help the elderly in Ellsworth, Saline, Rice and Lincoln counties take care of themselves without having to be placed in a nursing home.

Shelby Dawn Landon, Ellsworth, has signed a letter of intent at Sterling College to participate in the Warrior volleyball program. Landon, daughter of Ted and Rosa Landon, will graduate from Ellsworth High School in May.

Jeanne Schroeder, Lorraine, was a part of the 19-member orchestra for the 11th annual Barton County Community college spring musical, “The Music Man.”

Connie (Sneath) Schmidtt, a 1977 Ellsworth High School graduate, has been promoted to sales representative at the Hutchinson Holiday Inn and Holidome.

After the Flight attendant announced there was a celebrity aboard the plane, Mildred Holt received a lot of attention — and she enjoyed every bit of it. Ellsworth's 105-year-old resident who appeared on the Johnny Carson Show last August, returned March 8 from Birmingham, Ala., where she had traveled for the wedding of a granddaughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Delmar Wesseler will be honored at a reception from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27 at the First Baptist Church, Lorraine, in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary. Barton County

Barton County Community College's production of “The Music Man” was presented March 10-12 but Gena Miles of Ellsworth started working behind the scenes a long time before that. Miles logged many hours as a set designer for “The Music Man.”

A baby shower honoring Teresa Froese was given February 20 at the Roger McCaulley residence, Ellsworth. Hostesses were Shirleen Shepard, Salina; and Lori Kaufmann, St. George.

There's more than “a bit of Irish” in the O'Donnells of Ellsworth when St. Patrick's Day rolls around. Leprechauns are among the memorabilia from Ireland that add to the atmosphere of their homes as they entertain during March. But more important is the feeling they have in their hearts for the Emerald Isle, their father's homeland. Kathleen O'Donnell visited the original family home in County Clare, Ireland in 1955 and then, again in 1977 when her sister, Marian, accompanied her. Another sister, Eleanor Payton, has hopes of traveling there some day.

The historic items on this page appear as they did in the original publication.