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From the files of the August 4, 1988 edition of The Ellsworth Reporter.

142 YEARS AGO

August 8, 1878

Last week a man was drowned in attempting to cross the Saline near Lincoln Centre. He was returning home from Ellsworth where he had been with a load of wheat. One of his horses was also drowned.

Mr. Tarr threshed 325 bushels of wheat for J.R. Spencer Monday. The machine is a Masselon make and it does excellent work.

Drs. Doig and Weaver have formed a partnership for their mutual benefit as for the benefit of their parents. At the office, formerly occupied by Dr. Doig, one of the firm can always be found, either day or night. It will be their endeavor in the future as it has been in the past to minister to the afflicted to the best of their ability. ...

132 YEARS AGO

August 2, 1888

During a storm Monday night, Ernest Morse’s house was struck by lightning. The roof was knocked off and the most remarkable part of it was that Ernest sat about three feet from the bolt and was not hurt.

The frame work has commenced on the Lutheran Church, Handy and Goff furnished the lumber.

The Saline baseball nine played Ellsworth, the latter was made up of the Ellsworth and Kanopolis club. The game was played for the championship between the two counties, the Ellsworth and Kanopolis boys coming out best 9-16.

107 YEARS AGO

July 31, 1913

Hard coal is selling higher than last year, but soft coal is down $4.50 a ton.

The thermometer reached the hundred point every day last week, the highest being 106 degrees above zero.

Wheat is selling for 73 cents a bushel on local market today, the same price as a week ago.

There will be a matinee at the Elite next Saturday afternoon. See the tenth installment of “What Happened to Mary,” also the “Deer Slayers: by copies in two reels. These pictures will be shown in the evening.

82 YEARS AGO

August 4, 1938

Wm. Schmidt of Ellsworth defeated Sheriff J.M. Toman for the nomination for sheriff on the Republican ticket at Tuesday’s primary election, providing the only contest for office in the county. Schmidt’s unofficial majority was 125 votes.

This week in the south window of the Seitz Drug Store George Jelinek has on display a most interesting and attractive group of rocks, together with a thigh bone of a prehistoric animal found in a sand pit near Ellsworth. The rocks have been gathered from nearly every state in the union and Mr. Jelinek has also collected a number of rocks from foreign countries. Some specimens have been polished and mounted, adding to the attractiveness of the collection.

57 YEARS AGO

August 1, 1963

In a game played at Tescott Thursday night the Ellsworth Club lost to Tescott by a 6 to 4 score. Inability to hit by the men cost Ellsworth the game as they left 12 men stranded on the base path.

Five Boy Scouts from Ellsworth and two from Holyrood left Sunday to attend a week’s session at Camp Brown in Abilene. From Ellsworth, the scouts are Bob Hulse, John Markham, Bob Ferguson, Billy Fox and Junior Welk.

A rural fire truck will be purchased. The decision was made in a meeting at the City Hall of firemen, townships and city officials.

42 YEARS AGO

August 3, 1978

The congregation of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church will gather at the church, five miles north, two miles west and a half mile north of Ellsworth on Sunday, August 13, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the church.

Holly Cornwell, Bruce Bourne, Steve Long, Karen Larson and Jeff Cranston were all first place winners in their age divisions at the Ellsworth Recreation tennis tournament last week.

Governor Robert Bennett Thursday announced the appointment of Mrs. Gail Moore of Ellsworth as Register of Deeds of Ellsworth County. She will fill the unexpired term of Dave Quade of Ellsworth, who recently resigned. ...

37 YEARS AGO

July 28, 1983

Ellsworth’s Matt Seitz shot a 54-hole total of 217 to finish in a tie at eighth place at the Kansas Open golf tournament July 28-30 at Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence.

Only the shell remained of this 1981 Chevrolet after it was destroyed by fire August 1 near Black Wolf. The car is owned by Merle Funk, Wichita.

Approximately two acres of pasture owned by Alfred Vodraska, also were destroyed in the fire.

The Hospice of Ellsworth County, Inc., has received nearly $4,000 in donations with $450 of that coming from memorials, according to Hospice Board President Mary Ann Kempke. ...

32 YEARS AGO

August 4, 1988

TRYING TOMMIES 4-H CLUB

The Trying Tommies 4-H Club tour was held July 24. After visiting each member’s home and seeing their projects, the club gathered at the Marquette park. Everyone enjoyed a delicious potluck supper and immediately afterwards we held our meeting.

President Sarah Kratzer called the meeting to order. Roll Call was answered by 13 members. The minutes were read and approved and there was no treasurer’s report. The reporter said the news had been published. Kathy Rolfs and Junior Kratzer gave their leader’s report. The also reminded everyone that their record books are due soon. No old business was discussed, new business included a vote for no money-making activity at Geneseo Play Day and a gift to Lena Campbell for all her years as community leader. Thank you Lena! The meeting was adjourned with recreation being swimming.

Monica Kratzer, reporter

COUNTY AG ECONOMY SHOWING IMPROVEMENT

Agricultural “trends” such as crop yield per acre, farm net worth and cash value for crops, are on the upswing for Ellsworth County and the rest of the state, according to Ellsworth County Extension Agent Kirk Roe and the Kansas State Board of Agriculture’s publication entitled “Kansas Farm Facts.”

“In 1986, the 504 Ellsworth County farms belonging to the Kansas State Farm Management Association had an average farm net income of approximately $20,000,” Roe said.

“In 1987, the average new farm income was $40,000,” he continued, “and the average government payment was around $19,000. You can see where last year, the farmer was making some money off of his farm and didn’t have to depend as much on the government. The figures haven’t been released for 1988, but it looks like the trend will continue to rise.

The four main sources of income for farmers in Ellsworth county are wheat, grain sorghum, alfalfa and cattle, according to Roe. The major source of crop income is wheat and looking to last year there were 86,000 acres harvested, yielding 36.6 bushels per acre, compared to 31.8 yield of 1986.

Roe feels positive about the agriculture trends rising for Ellsworth County and the rest of the state for next year.

OPEN HOUSE FOR SCHMOEKELS’ 50TH

Fred and Valeria Schmoekel, Ellsworth, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, August 14, at Immanuel Lutheran Fellowship Hall, Ellsworth.

Hosts for the occasion will be their children, Robert and Suzan Schmoekel, Junction City, and John and Janie Sundgren, Merced, Calif.

The couple was married August 14, 1938, at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, north of Ellsworth.

FROM OUR READERS

The I-R received this letter from long-time subscriber Harold Choitz, Rochester Hills, Mich., regarding the above photo.

Just a couple of lines about the picture on B-4 of the March 19, 2020 issue.

I attended Fairchild School from 1933-1935, and St. Paul’s school after that. I left Ellsworth in 1945 and I don’t remember any such sign, nor does my brother, who left in 1942.

The year of the picture must have been 1948. The war was over then, and the sign probably names all Ellsworth County residents who served in World War II. The print is too blurry to make out any names.

There was very little to celebrate in 1938, except maybe the dust storms weren’t as bad as they had been.

Cordially,

Harold Choitz