Party Like It's 1892

  From the Oskaloosa Times, Jan. 5, 1893

Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Huddleston gave a New Year’s party to their many friends last Saturday evening. Doctors taking rides on the bannister and merchants standing on their heads and turning somersaults were among the amusements of the evening. All present say they had a merry time.

 

This story appeared in "Yesteryears" in April 2020.
(Contributed by Leanne Chapman)

A Bicycle Ride, 1893

  From the Oskaloosa Times, Apr. 20, 1893

Several Oskaloosa boys concluded to have a little outing last Sunday with bycicles (sic), among the number were Alt Buck, Ray Patterson and Curt Patrick, boarding the train on the Northwestern for the Falls, where after riding around for a while on the bycicles, made a stop at the Hillyer House, where they enjoyed the hospitality of that prince of landlords, R.D. Simpson. After partaking of one of his sumptuous dinners, they were taken in charge of Messrs. Piazzek and Tutt, owners of the little steamboat that plys the Delaware above the dam, who extended an invitation for a ride, which the Oskaloosa boys graciously accepted, going up the river about five miles and back. The Cyclone Cadet Band of Valley Falls furnished enlivening music on the trip. Getting back to the hotel about half past 4 o’clock, they immediately started for home feeling grateful for the gentlemanly and courteous treatment received at all hands. About an hour’s ride from the falls, the three arrived at Dunavant where they took supper with Geo. Elston. The boys got safely home at 7:30 being delayed a short time on the road.

 

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 2002.

Ozawkie Postoffice Robbed

  From the Perry Mirror, February 24, 1910

 The Ozawkie postoffice was robbed about 1 o’clock Sunday morning and about fifty dollars in cash and twenty-five dollars in money orders were taken from the safe. The thieves used dynamite in wrecking the safe and the people of the town heard two distinct reports. Nobody saw the thieves, although the dynamiting of the safe woke almost everybody in town. 

 

"West Side, Ozawkie, Kan., 1907"
from Ozawkie on the Delaware

The county authorities at Topeka believe that the men who robbed the postoffice at Ozawkie passed through, or are still in Topeka. A buggy occupied by two men believed to be the parties who wrecked the postoffice at Ozawkie, passed through Meriden at 3 o’clock Sunday morning just two hours after the robbery occurred and at 4:25 the same party entered North Topeka. A search of all the livery barns in Topeka revealed nothing and it is evident that the party did stop there.

 

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 2003. 

 

Other papers included more details: 

 

The Oskaloosa Times,
Feb. 24, 1910

From the Valley Falls New Era, February 24, 1910

 

Saturday night the Ozawkie postoffice, location in the Ford Quiett store, was entered and robbed, more than $200 being taken from the postoffice safe.

 

It is supposed that two men were implicated in the robbery, which occurred about one o’clock. Fred Littlejohn and son were across the street in the Frost residence and stated early Sunday morning that they had noticed the men in the building and had heard the explosion, but didn’t notify any one of the facts because they “didn’t want to get mixed up in the affair.”

 

The robbery was discovered by people returning home from a country dance. “Shorty” Clark noticed the door was open and tried to close it, but discovered it was out of plumb. He struck a match and noticed the damage done inside and the safe, which had been blown open. He notified others and the sheriff was notified.

 

The men were traced west of Meriden, and later to Topeka. U.S. postoffice inspectors are working on the case.

 

 

Jefferson County's Pastime

Baseball, Oskaloosa vs. Ozawkie

From the Oskaloosa Times, June 13, 1902

Last Tuesday, before a good-sized crowd, the Oskaloosa first nine defeated the Ozawkie ball club by a score of 3 to 1. It was a great game, both sides playing fast ball and but few errors were made. The battery work of Conant and Davis for Oskaloosa was excellent and Root pitched a good game for Ozawkie. Conant struck out 12 men and Root 7. Oskaloosa scored 2 tallies in the 2^nd inning and 1 in the 6^th. Ozawkie’s tally was made in the 3^rd inning, but according to the rules which were looked up afterwards this tally should not have counted. In the last half of the 9^th inning it appeared as if Ozawkie would score several more runs, but effective work by Conant, Mains and Dick prevented it. Three men were on bases and only one out, a fly was knocked out into right field but it fell into Irl Mains mitt and stuck there. The next batter knocked a beauty out into left field and it dropped into Homer Dick’s basket and nestled there. The Ozawkie nine was strengthened by Geo. Chapman, former shortstop for the Oskaloosa club, while the home team had Ernest Thompson, a new player on 1^st, and he did good work. This game demonstrates the fact that Oskaloosa has a first-class ball team, and they deserve encouragement and better support than they have been receiving.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1988.

Street Lights: Coal Oil to Electricity

The Old Lamp Lighter

From the Oskaloosa Independent, Mar. 29, 1962

Electric lights came to Oskaloosa in 1902 through formation of a local group headed by Jay S. Buck. Prior to that time the only street lighting was a number of oil lamps supported on wooden posts placed around the square. The death last month of Tom Shaw of Topeka recalls to some of us older citizens the fact that Tom’s father, who was also “Tom Shaw,” was the city lamp lighter at the turn of the century. He carried fuel (coal oil), extra globes, cleaning and trimming supplies in a small cart, together with a short ladder upon which he climbed, in late afternoons, to the posts to light the lamps . . .

Electric Lights Planned for Oskaloosa, 1899

From the Oskaloosa Times, Jan. 20, 1899

Mr. Parker, representing the Oskaloosa Light, Power, Heat and Telephone Co., who has been in town for some time, informs us that he is in a fair way to make a success of the enterprise. The company wants him to secure the guarantee of 420 16-candle power incandescent lights before it starts to put in the plant. At present there are about that many promised, but not more than 25 per cent are guaranteed. Mr. Parker assures us that his company has plenty of cash to carry the enterprise to a successful finish, provided the citizens will take the lights. An electric plant would be an excellent thing for our town, as well as for the users of light, and there is no reason why the town should not put in quite a number of street lights.

Jay Buck’s Electric Light Machine, 1902

From the Oskaloosa Times, Aug. 22, 1902

Jay Buck’s electric light machine is doing very good work. He lighted the park Tuesday night for the Methodist ladies who gave an ice cream social there. It was not a fair test, however, because of the fact of the lack of the right kind of wire. Mr. Buck was unable to turn on the full volt power. Jay is receiving much encouragement from the people of Oskaloosa and he says the plant is a sure go. He has received orders for 200 lights with fair prospects of getting 300. The city will take forty 32-candle power lights to be placed where the street lamps are now. Jay also had an electric fan in operation at McCreight’s drugstore this week and it worked to perfection. Saturday night he will try his luck with a 1,000 candle-power arc light. He will place it on the corner of the square.

These stories appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1981, October 2007, and April 1988.

Free Roaming Cows in Town

From the Oskaloosa Times, March 13, 1896

It would be something in the neighborhood of a blessing to this town if every cow that roams the streets day after day should mysteriously disappear and could never be heard of. The writer counted eleven in one herd one day this week. It is an outrage and a shame that this town has to deal with, it is decidedly a law breaking matter. It would be well if this town was corporated, we are quite sure that the city marshal if he attended to business could make big wages. 

As it remains, a farmer cannot come to town to do any trading and leave a sack of flour or the like without one of these town cows has it partly eaten before he returns. It is high time something of this matter should be looked into in its true light. Treat your neighbor like you would like for him to treat you.

This story appeared in “Yesteryears” in April 2005.