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Pages of History
The Fourth of July passed quietly in Laurel but there was plenty of fireworks the next day.
On Saturday, July 5, 1947, the Laurel vicinity was hit by another bad storm, this one accompanied by high winds, heavy rain, and large hail.
The storm cut a swath three miles wide northeast of town. Many farmers reported a total loss of corn and small grain. The heavy rain also caused topsoil to wash over low-lying fields, highways and roads. A maintainer was used to scrape the mud and debris off of Highway 20.
Laurel‘s first and only soapbox derby was held on Saturday, July 12. The race was sponsored by Lamson Chevrolet and the Laurel Advocate.
Contestants reported to Lamson‘s garage (now the Hometown Market) at 10:30 that morning where the cars and drivers were weighed in. At 2 o’clock the cars were taken to the West Hill where the race was to start at 2:30. Six boys were scheduled to compete but two were disqualified because their cars did not have approved wheels.
The four boys allowed to race were Jerry August, Wally Loeb, and Bob Schuler – all of Laurel – and Gary Cleveland of Concord. In the Class B contest August defeated Loeb in the first race and Cleveland in the second. Schuler won the Class A race by default as there were no other contestants in that class.
August and Schuler were taken to Omaha to compete in the state contest. August took eighth in his class.
Schuler did not place.
Plans were made to hold a second Derby in 1948 but the national organization decided to ban races in small towns like Laurel. Girls, incidentally, were not allowed to compete until 1971.
Two more Laurel landmarks were torn down. Isadore Sudbeck, owner of the Laurel Gambles store, cleared the two lots east of his present location (205 E. Second) and announced plans to put up a larger building on what is now the post office parking lot. The buildings demolished were Lillian Trow’s Millinery (1894) and Brown’s Barber Shop (1893). Later that year Sudbeck’s former building would be replaced by the present Post Office. The other building taken down was at 107 East Second where Louie Jurgensen planned to erect a new building to house his dry cleaning business.
The Advocate noted three other firsts in Laurel construction. The first glass blocks were used above the windows in Harold Macklem’s new building at 214 E. Second (now Trends Salon). Laurel‘s first pre-fabricated house was being erected on the West Hill by Bill Fahnestock. Laurel’s first basement house was built by Hubert Fleer near the rectory of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. Fleer said he would later build up from the basement.
In June Editor Hill reminded readers that when Elm Street was paved in 1946, a half block of the pavement east of the auditorium was given an extra smooth finish so it could be used for dancing or roller skating. In July the Commercial Club asked the Village Board for permission to rope off the street on Wednesday and Saturday nights for skating.
That did not go over well with merchants. “It was decided that skating on Wednesday and Saturday nights will come to a screeching halt,” said Editor Hill after one session. “Skating would continue on nights when the stores were closed,” he said.
A 39-year-old Winnebago woman drove her 1929 Chevrolet into the path of an oncoming car. Although the damage was not serious, the woman fled the scene. Further down the road she stopped to investigate a funny noise coming from the front of her car. Finding the left front fender and bumper torn loose and slapping against the front wheel, she removed her bra and used it to tie the flapping parts to the radiator cap. Whether this resulted in other flapping parts was not reported. The lady was later arrested and fined $50 for driving while intoxicated.
Another accident north of Laurel resulted in the death of 19-year-old Paul Powers of Wayne. Powers was operating a tractor pulling a heavy road roller east of the junction of Highways 20 and 15 north of town.
He was going west on Highway 20 when a truck driven by Francis Yantsie of O’Neill rear ended the roller. The impact threw Powers off the tractor and into the path of the roller. The heavy machine rolled over him, crushing his body and pinning him beneath it. Another trucker who came upon the scene, rushed to Buck’s station south of the intersection to call for help. It took about a half hour to jack the roller up and get him out. After receiving first aid from Dr. Carroll, he was taken to a Sioux City hospital where he died a few days later.
After being inspected by a Civil Aviation Authority inspector, the Laurel Airport was approved for G.I. flight training. Luther Einung said training should begin by the end of the week.
Congressman Karl Stefan reported the U.S. was continuing atomic research in the hopes of finding peaceful uses such as a cure for cancer. He said the first large quantity of pure uranium was produced at Iowa State College. Uranium produced in the Ames laboratory was used in the bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.
Stefan also noted members of Congress were informed the U.S. had only a 12 year supply of crude oil left. The world‘s largest oil reserves were in Iran and Arabia, he said.
Laurel Water Commisioner R.B. Michels said water from a new well on the West Hill had been sent to the state for testing. Provided the water tested OK, it would be pumped into the mains, he said.
The State Department of Health’s mobile x-ray truck was in Laurel. The plan was to x-ray the chest of every adult to screen for tuberculosis, cancer, heart disease, and other abnormalities. If any were found the person would be referred to a physician for further treatment.
