Voices of Harvey County Archives - Page 87 of 122 - Harvey County Historical Society

Champions Past: the Harvey County Fair 4-H Events Photographs

Posted on August 5, 2016 by hchm-curator

A 4-H Farm

Eulalia & Arnold Keller Farm, Halstead 4-H, 1936. “Landscape Demonstration Farmstead” Harvey County Extension Collection.

A Girl and her Jersey Calf

Doris Mueller and her championship Jersey calf. Harvey County 4-H Fair, Newton, Ks 1936. Harvey County Extension Collection.

Champion Poland Fat Barrow

Goodson Wright, Jr shows his champion Poland Fat Barrow, Harvey County Fair, 1936. Harvey County Extension Collection.

Cooperation was not always guaranteed.

Phil Adrian and championship Poland breeding gilt. Harvey County 4-H Fair, 1936. Harvey County Extension Collection.

The 4-H Parade Float

4-H Float in the Harvey County Fair Parade, 1954.

Harvey County 4-H Fair Events Photographed by Dr. C.M. Brown

Harvey County Fair 4-H Events Photographed by Dr. C.M. Brown. Duane Steeler is at left. ca. 1970s.

Brett Gilmore at Harvey County Fair 4-H Events photograph by Dr. C.M. Brown, ca. 1970s. Harvey County Extension Collection.

Brett Gilmore at Harvey County Fair 4-H Events photographed by Dr. C.M. Brown, ca. 1970s.

Rhonda Brown giving her project talk. Harvey County Fair 4-H Events, photographed by Dr. C.M. Brown, 1976.

Pam Dicken, Helen Sizelove and Claudie Sizelove with steer. Harvey County Fair 4-H events, photograph by Dr. C.M. Brown, 1978.

Norma English, Champion Clothing Construction Style Review. Harvey County Fair 4-H Events, photograph by Dr. C.M. Brown, 1978.

Cory & Rory Stahly, Best Groomed Boy, Harvey County Fair 4-H Events, photograph by Dr. C.M. Brown, 1978.

Shelly Dicken with Grand Champion Steer, Harvey County Fair 4-H Events photographed by Dr. C.M. Brown, ca 1980. Harvey County Extension Collection.

“Enthusiastic 4-H Girls:” Harvey County Extension Office Collection

Posted on July 29, 2016 by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

There is a wealth of information in the Archives at the Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives in Newton, Ks. As the repository for Harvey County, records from various agencies and eventually find their way to us. One collection contains the Annual Reports from the Harvey County Extension Office from 1913 to 1968.

The Reports begin in 1913 and include statistics, descriptions and photographs related to farming in Harvey County. Many of the reports feature the activities of the Harvey County 4-H Clubs.

John Whitlock, photo curator, has been working his way through a collection scanning the photographs that were often included.

Front Cover of the 1920 Harvey County Extension Annual Report.

These are just a few.

“An Enthusiastic 4-H Girl”

“Helen Sharits, an enthusiastic 4-H girl, who has the ambition of becoming a leader. She attended the 4-H round-up and has attended a number of community meetings since her return, helping entertain with games and recreation. She was also one of the leaders of the 4-H stand at the Wheat Festival, August 6th. At the reorganization meeting she was elected secretary of the Newton 4-H club.”

Helen Sharits, 1928.

“Helen Sharits and Irene Wantland . . . both are good leaders and very enthusiastic over the work.”

Helen Sharits & Irene Wantland, 1928.

***

“These Women are Interested in Remodeling Woolen Garments”

IV Unit of Clothing, 1929.

“Miss Loretta McElmurry holds her IV Unit of clothing with her clothing leaders in the Chamber of Commerce assembly room. These women are interested in remodeling woolen garments.”

***

Millinery Class, November 1927.

“A group of women wearing fall hats made a s a result of the training school held at Newton, Kansas by Miss Maude Deely, Millinery specialist of K.S.A.C., the early fall of 1927. This picture was taken at the Farm Bureau Women’s Annual Picnic held at Halstead, November 9, 1927. Miss Deely is standing to the extreme right of the group.”

***

Household Management, 1929.

“Miss Harper, Household Management specialist and her leaders rest long enough to have their picture taken. They are making ‘Whatnots’ and hooked rugs.”

***

Carmen Gillmore, Walton Club with her blue ribbon ;Shropshire ewe, 1934.

Carmen Gillmore, Walton Club, 1934.

“Carmen Gillmore, Walton Club, with her blue ribbon Shropshire ewe.”

***

Margaret & Lois Spangler, State Representative at National Dairy Show, 1935.

Margaret & Lois Spangler, 1935.

Margaret and Lois Spangler, State Representatives at National Dairy Show.”

These are just a few of the photos related to activities of women and girls as reported by the Harvey County Extension Office during the 1920s and 30s. As John works through the collection, we will share more photos and activities that give a glimpse into life in Harvey County.

Sources:

Harvey County Extension Collection, 1913-1968, Harvey County Local Government, HCHM Archives, HCHM, Newton Kansas.

AVI Station Mystery – Putting the Pieces Together

Posted on July 22, 2016 by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

Recently, HCHM archivist Jane Jones came across a letter written by Carl Chapman to Mike Hurley in the late 1970s-early 1980s. Chapman, living in California, answered some of Hurley’s questions about the AVI. In the letter, he mentioned “Theis Park.” This was not familiar to us as a place in Harvey County, so we did some digging.

Carl Chapman wrote:

“I rode the AVI back and forth to school when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade for a short time. I went to school at Lincoln School. I would run up to the depot on 5th street to catch it at 4:00. They were supposed to leave at 4:00, but would wait for me. When we got to Moorlands Station they would go on by. The conductor said the ticket had Theis Park on it and not Moorlands. They would go a little ways past Moorlands and then back to let me off. “

Chapman describes the location of the Theis Park Station:

“Theis Park Station on the north side of the tracks and just east of the road that ran along the west side of Moorlands. There was another station east of the Moorlands right by Vetters farm on Meridian Rd.”

He also noted the location on his hand drawn map (blue arrow).

The AVI Station, Theis Park, was a mystery. The station name was not familiar. Due to his handwriting, it was difficult to determine the spelling at first.

However, the map below shed some light.

The stop is also listed on the AVI Schedule and ticket in 1932.

Theis Park was likely named after George J. Theis, Jr, “local financier and stock broker” who was elected president of the Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway in 1913. At that time Theis owned the majority of stock in the company and lived in Wichita.

George Theis, Jr. Photo courtesy David G. Stuart, Find-A-Grave Memorial #7626469.

A review of the Evening Kansan revealed that Theis Park was a popular site for picnics from 1919 to 1922. Often a group would “hike” out to the park west of Newton, have a wiener roast and then ride the AVI back into town.

Carl also had other fun memories about growing up in Harvey County to share in his letter to Hurley.

“When I was going to High School I had a 1926 model T. I drove it across the 5th St wooden bridge over Sand Creek on time. Kind of Daring.”

“My grandmother told me years ago that on Halloween the kids would grease the AVI tracks on the hill on No Main St just north of 8th Street so they couldn’t make it up the hill.”

Carl noted that his father was the caretaker for the Moorlands for quite a few years.

In the end, all of the pieces came to together to give another glimpse of Harvey County history.

Sources:

Chapman, Carl, Oceanside, Ca, letter to Mike Hurley, Newton, Ks, ca. 1980. Mike Hurley Railway Collection, File Drawer #4, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks.
Evening Kansan Republican: 23 July 1913, 2 May 1914, 7 June 1917, 2 August 1919, 17 May 1920, 11 June 1920, 12 June 1920, 2 October 1920, 7 May 1921, 20 September 1921, 10 October 1922.
Hurley, L.M. Mike. Newton, Kansas #1 Santa Fe Rail Hub 1871-1971. N. Newton, Ks: Mennonite Press, 1985.
Isely, Malcolm D. Arkansas Valley Interurban. 1956.