Articles

Times Gone By    posted
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 -- 50 years ago (1958)
After 40 years in business Stewart Pharmacy in Blair was sold to Wayne Anderson.  He had been employed by the pharmacy for nearly 10 years and said the pharmacy's name would not be changed.

Times Gone By    posted
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 -- 120 years ago (1988)
From The Pilot:  Stock totaling $30,000 had been subscribed and articles of incorporation drawn up for the new Blair Collar Factory.  A new building was to be erected to house the concern.

Times Gone By    posted
12/18/2007 -- 50 years ago (1957)
Owners Reed O'Hanlon Jr. and Alfred O. Sick sold The Pilot-Tribune newspaper to J. Hilton Rhoades owner and publisher of The Enterprise. Plans called for a twice-weekly schedule with The Pilot-Tribune delivered on Tuesdays and The Enterprise delivered on Fridays. J. Hilton Rhoades was named editor and publisher of both papers. Rufus Olson was named associate editor of The Pilot-Tribune and Kenneth Rhoades was to be associate editor of The Enterprise.

Times Gone By   posted
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 -- 120 years ago (1887)
From The Pilot: “John E. Smith is fitting up the Old Gallagher building and will open a butcher shop there. This makes the fifth shop in Blair and is unquestionably the cause of meat being so high priced and so poor. Each of these shops keeps a team and an average of at least three men, so that the people in Blair who eat fresh meat are compelled to pay, in addition to the first cost of the meat, shop rent and other expenses, a profit to the proprietors and the wages of 15 men regularly. This is too much to pay on the amount of meat consumed in a little town of this size, where one ship employing two men besides the proprietor could easily supply the demand.”

Times Gone By
Tuesday, October 2, 2007  -- 100 years ago (1907)
E.B. Redfield had entered the grocery business, buying out the Cook Grocery. He planned to continue his variety store in the old Higley Building.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 -- 5 years ago (1932)
Blair’s soup line for the vast army of transients was established for the second year at the rear of Robinson Café. Businessmen were contributing the bread and Mrs. C.J.Robinson and son, Mudge, were turning out the toast and soup.

Times Gone By    posted
Tuesday, October 2, 2007   -- 50 years ago (1957)
Dana College purchased a 100-acre addition to its campus as the first step in a long range development program. The addition increased the campus to 128 acres. The increasing number of students seeking a college education and the planned merger of the Lutheran church presented Dana with a challenge which prompted the expansion.

Times Gone By            posted
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 -- 50 years ago (1957)
The Jack Jensen Construction Company was the low bidder on the new church and rectory for St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church. The Blair firm, one of seven bidding, set the figure at $178,900.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 -- 50 years ago (1957)
Dirt movers working on Dana Hill could be heard throughout downtown Blair. They were transforming a steep clay hill into a level area that was to become the athletic field. Preparations were continuing for the initial fundraising drive for the expansion program.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 -- 100 years ago (1907)
Editor T.T. Osterman reported in The Democrat that Blair was in line for a new railroad passenger depot. Editor Osterman took occasion to remind Blairites that they would have had a modern station long ago, in addition to other railroad benefits, if they hadn't have exhibited such antagonism toward the rail companies.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 -- 100 years ago (1907)
Burglars chloroformed Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Haller and their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George Haller, Jr., at their home during the night Thursday. Then, with the Hallers unconscious, they ransacked the entire house, stealing a watch, shoes and clothing. The Hallers did not awaken until late Friday morning.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 -- 120 years ago (1887)
The Pilot complained of the smells emanating from R. Patrick's store, where 75 barrels of sauerkraut had just been delivered to the store basement by William McCormick. "It isn't exactly a fragrant smell," commented The Pilot, "neither does the perfume resemble that emitted from' a bouquet of heliotropes, tube roses or chrysanthemums. But what it wants in fragrance and sweetness it makes up for in power and ... stench."

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 25 years ago (1982)
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wiese of the Kennard area were honored at the Papio and Extension Annual Banquet with the 1982 Washington County Honor Farm award.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 25 years ago (1982)
Howard and Marymaude Hanson, longtime residents of Blair, gave title to their home to Dana College. In the 100-year history of the college, the $500,000 gift was the largest ever given by an individual, a foundation or a corporation. In addition to the opulent home, Dana also received approximately 88 acres of surrounding land.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 50 years ago (1957)
Workmen were driving huge steel pilings into place to stiffen the fill leading to the Blair bridge. The work was meant to correct a settling problem which had steadily grown for some time. The fill leading up to the bridge was built on quicksand and the ground was not supporting the weight of the roadway and the pounding of heavy traffic. The weight of trucks had more than doubled since 1929 when the bridge was completed and the vibrations set up by the loaded vehicles had steadily settled the fill into the ground.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 50 years ago (1957)
A railroad work crew was continuing to have considerable trouble keeping mud off railroad tracks between ho e. bank next to the tracks would pour out a large amount of mud every time it rained or thawed. The tracks were raised 15 inches but the problem continued. Upon further investigation it was found that a portion of a nearby field had given way. The deep hole that was created filled with water that entered an underground cave which then ran to the railroad tracks.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 75 years ago (1932)
A group of objectors appeared before the city government to protest the city's plans to apply for an $18,000 federal loan to finance a new water reservoir atop Dana College hill to augment the city's water service.

Times Gone By
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 -- 100 years ago (1907)
Seventy-foot towers had been erected on both sides of the Missouri River here for the purpose of holding telephone lines which were being put up by the several independent phone firms of this area.