1930: Randolph mill is being dismantled

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - Miss Emma Schwerin, county superintendent of schools, called on her Randolph friends Monday and visited at the Lee Brenner home. Miss Schwerin recalls her teaching days in Randolph at the time our schools were crowded and our new high school was building.

Miss Schwerin was principal of an intermediate school in the old Stewart furniture building, long since destroyed by fire. “I have often wondered,” she said, “how we could do creditable school work in the center of town with the busy machinery of a planing mill and a noisy blacksmith shop across the street. Then there was a family up stairs whose water pipe passed through the school room and when they pumped water, all semblance of recitation had to stop. Yet we managed to teach those youngsters.”

Miss Schwerin was teacher here under Supt. Joseph Fulk, going from here to the Wayne schools, and from there to the city schools of Lincoln, thus laying a teaching experience that has helped her in placing Cedar county schools on their present high plane.

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - The new license plates for 1931 are pretty nifty, being lettered in maroon on a very light gray background.

County Treasurer Riibe has received 4,600 pairs of these plates for pleasure cars, the same number as for 1930. But there will also be about 600 truck license plates, a few for motorcycles, and an increased number for trailers, over 100 perhaps, besides the special plates for dealers.

These license plates are made in St. Louis and cost our state many tens of thousands of dollars, every dime of it going out of the state and to workmen of St. Louis.

This editor can see no good reason why Nebraska should not manufacture her own license plates in our state reformatory at Lincoln, thus saving money to the state and what is perhaps of more importance—giving healthful employment that the men there need so much.

Iowa, Wisconsin, North and South Carolina, Kansas, Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan, and many other states make license plates for themselves. And why shouldn’t our state make these articles for the state?

Every newspaper in Nebraska and every taxpayer in the state should sit down right now and write his senator and representative to support a bill for the home manufacture of our own license plates.

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - Another old landmark in Randolph will soon be removed. The Randolph Mill is now partly dismantled, and will soon give way to a filling station. From the building of the mill 39 years ago to the present time, the history of our progress is told in the character of the building now being torn down and of that to be erected.

In 1890, James Thorndike came to Randolph from Blair. He was a miller, having learned his trade in Canada, and having operated the first flouring mill at Blair, a mill that was moved from DeSoto in 1875.

In 1891, James Thorndike and his son, J. S. Thorndike, built the Randolph mill, the first flour and grist mill in southern Cedar county. Flour was made from locally grown wheat, patrons coming from 40 miles in that early day to exchange grain for flour. James Thorndike moved to Eugene, Oregon, 31 years ago.

The late Mayor O.O. Reed bought the interest of his father-in-law, James Thorndike, in the mill, and with J. S. Thorndike operated the business until 1916, when Mr. Reed became sole owner.

The mill was in its prime 30 years ago. It manufactured high patent roller process flour that compared favorably with the product of larger mills. When this section ceased to produce wheat, Minnesota hard wheat was shipped here in carload lots. High freight rates made this procedure unprofitable and the mill gave more attention to feed grinding and grain buying. Some 15 years ago the extensive flour machinery was taken out, steam gave place to electric motors, and the mill became an elevator. An immense quantity of locally grown grain has passed through the old structure to be shipped east in car lots.

Some 35 years ago Randolph’s water supply was secured from the deep well at the mill, the mill steam engine doing the pumping. This plan continued until the city’s first rather crude water system was built.

It will be strange to no more see the big structure, but its usefulness has passed. The Reed elevator business will now be exclusively done in their other elevator along the Burlington tracks.

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - Early risers Tuesday morning saw white frost in the low places about town. Monday night was the coldest of the season, and a light freeze was averted only because the wind shifted to the south during the night. No damage was done.

Farmers would welcome a freeze to kill the growth of corn and dry the stalks ready for corn picking.

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - Clyde Andrew is another Randolph lad who is making good, and who has the courage and nerve to carry him along the rough places of life.

Clyde visited his mother and brothers in Randolph over the weekend and gave particulars of his encounter with a hold-up artist on the streets of Omaha. Clyde carried the unhealed marks of the encounter.

Due to a rush of watch repair work, Clyde had been working at night in the repair department of Ben’s Jewelry Co., 303 Farnam St., and on this occasion left the store at 10 o’clock for his room at the Y.M.C.A. He was followed, and when near the “Y,” a gun was pushed against his ribs from behind, with a demand for the store key. Clyde’s response was to take a swift poke at the would-be yegg. The fellow dropped the gun and countered with a swing at Clyde that caught the Randolph lad in the eye, breaking his glasses, an ugly cut resulting from the broken glass. Clyde’s alarm was the signal for the bandit to run, and a policeman to soon appear.

Clyde was taken to a hospital where his injured eye was given surgical attention. The cut was very near the eye ball. Clyde was commended very highly by the store owner, who said the Randolph lad had more nerve than he would have had under those circumstances.

Oct. 16, 1930

RANDOLPH - Cedar county has seven accredited high schools. These schools must meet the entrance requirements of the University of Nebraska. Each year these are checked by a representative sent out by the Nebraska University. These schools are as follows, each offering a four year course: School Teachers Supt. Randolph 18 R. A. Dawson Hartington 19 Ralph Brooks Laurel 13 H. N. Rhodes Coleridge 9 E. M. Weber Holy Trinity 9 Sr. M. Ida St. Frances 7 Sr. M. Amanda Belden 6 C. A. Jones Wynot 6 K. R. Mitchell Magnet 5 Donald Metcalf Cedar county has six non-accredited, or Approved high schools. These high schools must meet the requirements set by the State Department of Education.

Each year a representative from the State Superintendent’s office visits these schools and approves them. If the school is approved, it is entitled to high school tuition from non-resident pupils. The approved high schools are as follows: Obert, Fordyce, Beaver Creek, Pearl Creek, Rose Hill, and St. Helena.

These non-accredited high schools offer two years only, except Obert, which offers three years.

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