BIG FIELD DAY/LAUREL IN 1904!

        Back on September 24, 1904 Laurel, Iowa held what they called the BIG FIELD DAY. I am sure it would compare to our Oktoberfest's that are held around the country today. I have also written about the main event which featured my grandfather, Henry Smith, versus Harve Morgan in a 100 yard dash for a purse of $30.00.

      What struck me of interest was the other activities that were held then and can't imagine even being thought of today for enjoyment and entertainment. Here are some examples from the "flyer" at the time.

        There was a 50 yard dash for children 50 pounds or under with 50 cents for first prize. A running broad jump (free for all) with a prize of $1.00. A biscuit contest, a pie contest, with a 50 cent prize. There was a fat man's race(over) 200 pounds with a prize from LR Maytag. I would have loved to have watched the Turkey Chase or the Throwing of the 16 lb. Hammer with a pize of $1.00.

       Sadly, my grandfather lost that race, but, I still possess the original photo of the race, his spiked racing shoes and jersey that he wore for races like it. Interesting times and I think would have been lots of fun!
       

LAUREL'S NEW HOTEL OPENING-1904!

       The following was taken from the "LAUREL DEPARTMENT" a Laurel newsletter put out by a Vera McBroom October 27, 1904.

        "The opening of our new hotel Saturday was a grand affair. There was not much doing until 5 o'clock when the guests began to arrive and a little after 6 o'clock they were seated and partook of a sumptuous supper, prepared by our landlady, Marha Autry, whom everybody knows to be an excellent cook. 

        There were guests from Marshalltown, Newton, Gilman, and Kellogg, and with one or two exceptions all our business men had their families at the opening. John Emery of Newton, the Swedish dialect man, was the toast master and his toasts were very much enjoyed, as well as the musical numbers given by Lewis Maytag of Newton, Miss Dolly Funk of Grinnell and Misses Maggie and Emma Patton of Laurel. 

      After supper there was a dance at Woodman Hall, which many attended, some to hear the excellent music and others to dance,m music being furnished by the Marshalltown Orchestra. 

      We can now boast of a first class hotel--large, roomy, new through-out and modern in every respect. There are but a few towns in Iowa of our size and many much larger, that have as fine a hotel as we have. 

******a copy of this article provided by Donna Ingraham Wernberg classmate of mine at Laurel Consolidated School.

MY GRANDPA /BIG LAWSUIT-1904.LAUREL,IOWA

      The following was taken from the "LAUREL DEPARTMENT"- a newsletter put out by a Vera McBroom in October, 27, 1904. Henry Smith was my grandfather.

          "An interesting trial occurred Monday in which Henry Smith was defendant to an action brought against him by Tony Brown, who sued for $70 damages. Counsel for defendant was Aurel Moser; for the plaintiff Gus Smith. The rendered a decision in favor of Mr. Brown, but divided the costs between the two contestants." 

*******copy of this article provided by Donna Ingraham Ernberg classmate of mine at Laurel Consolidated School. 
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BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO DORIS MAY SMITH LAVERTY KORTE

     
      She was born on September 3, 1913, on a a farm northeast of Laurel,Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Minnie Schultz Smith. She was married to William John Laverty on December 1, 1932, in Rock Island, Illinois. He preceded her in death in 1953.

      Reared and educated in the Laurel area, she graduated from the Laurel High School in 1931. While in school, she helped at her parents restaurant and pool hall and became very good at shooting pool. She also worked at the grocery store in Laurel, was a switch board operator for the Laurel Telephone Company and was a cook at the Laurel School House. 

      Her memberships include the Laurel United Methodist Church of which she was a long time youth fellowship leader and Sunday school teacher, the Laurel Federated Study Club, a charter member of the Tuesday Study Club, the UMW of her church, active in the Laurel Alumni, past president of the Laurel PTA, the Melbourne 50 plus Club and had attended the Melbourne United Methodist Church.

       On December 12, 1964, in Van Cleve, she was married to Maurice C. Korte, he preceded her in death in July of 2002. 

       At age 89, of 106 College Drive, Melbourne, Iowa, she died suddenly early Wednesday morning April 9, 2003, at the Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center. 

      **The following information was  as of her passing April, 9, 2003.

       Three children survive.: Doris Eddy of Gilman, Dennis Laverty of Marshalltown and Deborah, Mrs Jim Arges of Winfield, Indiana. There are seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren surviving and one great-great granddaughter.

      Her parents, husbands, two brothers, two sisters, one one Robert, and one great granddaughter preceded her in death. Two stepchildren survive, *Alice, Mrs. Karl Pannkuk of Ames, and James (*Metta) Korte of St. Loius, Mo. Also, there six step grandchildren and 12 step great grandchildren surviving.   

****taken from Obituary Marshalltown Times Republican.
         

IOWA'S BEST BURGER (&ICE-CREAM) CAFE!

      This past Sunday while coming back from a Iowa Cubs baseball game in Des Moines, I had to make a "sweet tooth" stop at the "Iowa Best Burger Cafe" in Kellogg, Iowa just off I-80.

        This place is a real sleeper. Their Burgers are just plain good old fashion hamburgers. They are really good. Their ice-cream is hard served Blue Bunny! I had a double dip butter brickle/chocolate chip cone while my friend,Tom, had a double dip all strawberry. The serving sizes were extremely "generous!" 

       If you find yourself traveling along this stretch of I-80 between Newton and Grinnell, do yourself a big favor and stop in to this "Gem of an Eatery!"

THE NAME IRVING IS FUNNY!

       This past week-end I attended an Iowa I-Cubs-Omaha Stormchasers AAA baseball game. There was one player for Omaha by the name of Irving Falu. He appeared to be a African American and/or from possibly another country south of the USA.

       I am not trying to show any dis-respect but, when I was a kid the Name Irving seemed to be used for someone that was in a comedy role and usually Jewish. Can't you just hear Jerry Lewis saying Oiy-ving! Sorry! I just found a little "funny memory" in seeing that name posted. 

DO YOU BELIEVE THE MEDIA?

        If you watch cable news like CNN or MSNBC you would think Hillary Clinton will win this election with the biggest landslide in US history. According to most of these news outlets, Clinton has all the Millennials, the college educated, Hispanics, African-Americans, women, urban, and suburbans, and dead people Did I leave anybody out. No way can just old white un-educated men defeat this kind of power!