Lamoure County Cbicenteiyyal Celebtalion
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LaMoure County cBicenteiyyal Celebtalion JULY 2, 3, 4, 5, 1976 MEMORIAL PARK — GRAND RAPIDS, N.D. •-:i DEDICATION To the men, women and youth who founded, united, de fended and built this country and our communities this celebra tion and publication are dedicated. PREFACE The LaMoure County Bicentennial Celebration being held at Grand Rapids Park is a rather unique event in several ways. First it is noteworthy because it is a countywide cele bration calling for the good will and cooperation of people from all parts of the County and some of the nearby towns and cities. Getting this many people and communities to work together even on a common patriotic program, is a noteworthy achieve ment. It is also significant because it presents a variety of his toric and patriotic events at a time when it has become popular to downgrade our past and belittle the efforts and sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. We have a glorious past and a rich heritage and we are glad to have the opportunity to present some of it. It was thought that something should be placed in writing about LaMoure County in 1976 and of some of the events that have led up to this Bicentennial year. This booklet is not in tended to be a history of LaMoure County or its communities. Nor is it a narrative of the families of LaMoure County, inter esting though they may be. Many excellent historical books have been written about various communities and families of LaMoure County and we do not wish to duplicate those fine works. Our intention is to just give a few brief glimpses of life as it is here in 1976, with some articles touching upon the work and sacrifices that went into these accomplishments. We recog nize that this is not a full review of life in this area at this time, but just enough to give people 25, 50 or 100 years from now at least an idea of our present thinking, way of life and ambitions. F NORTH DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY BOOK OR AUTHOR CONTENTS Education in LaMoure County 2 How Many Flags Over LaMoure County 4 Agriculture in LaMoure County 5 Columbus Had His Problems Too 7 The Birth of a Nation 7 Pioneer Life in LaMoure County 8 LaMoure County Settlements—Then and Now 12 Churches _ 14 Sacrifices 15 The LaMoure County Picnic 16 What Is the Omega Station? 17 The Arts & Clubs of LaMoure County 18 Soil Conservation Program Changes LaMoure County 19 The James River 20 This Place Called Memorial Park 21 Bicentennial Celebration Program of Events 22-23 Honorary Grand Marshal of Parade 24 Care of the Elderly 26 What—A Lake in LaMoure County 27 The Rural Mailman 27 It Takes Concern and Leadership 27 Farmsteads in LaMoure County 28 Acknowledgments 30 Kutschenreuter Early LaMoure Blacksmith 31 North Dakota State Library ABOUT THE PUBLISHERS Bi*marck, N. D. 58505 Usually not much is said about the publishers of a magazine or booklet, other than their name and address. We feel that there is something special about the publish ers of this booklet. It is done by LaMoure Chronicle and Kaye's Inc. of Fargo. The LaMoure Chronicle is owned and operated by Theo. Bradbury, a very public minded person, ABOUT THE COVER who bought out Glenn Dills of the well-known Dills Family and who was preceded by H.R.S. Diesem, an outstanding You perhaps wondered about the significance of the newspaperman. drawings on the cover of this booklet. Most of it is self- explanatory as it depicts various things that represent Kaye's Inc. of Fargo is owned by Richard Kaye, life in the county both past and present. It was well whose name was formerly Richard Keutschenreuter. We explained by the Kulm Messenger in an article appearing don't blame him for shortening the name, especially with in their newspaper on June 3, 1976. It stated that the his being in the printing business. Richard operates a very poster "features the county both past and present. The successful printing plant in Fargo, with Richard Witt, Omega Tower is the central figure with drawings of a formerly of LaMoure as one of his associates. Other mem steam locomotive, a cream can, an elevator, a rural mail bers of the Keutschenreuter family are Mrs. Melitta Nel box, a horse and wagon, the pavilion at Grand Rapids son, a popular organ and piano teacher in Fargo and Memorial Park, the heads of a homesteading couple and Robert, who holds a very responsible position with the heads of wheat arranged within a circle." The poster was U. S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C designed by Crystal Flegal of Kulm, the daughter of Mr. These three were the children of Mr. Robert and Melitta and Mrs. Lyonel Flegal and a 1975 graduate of Kulm High Keutschenreuter, long time and well liked citizens of La School. Miss Flegal is an art student at the Bismarck Moure. Both of the Keutschenreuters were active church Junior College. She is off to a flying start with her having members here in LaMoure. So when the publishers' name designed the posters for both the LaMoure County Cele is shown as Kaye's, we in LaMoure feel it should be shown bration and that for Whitestone. with very much of a capital K. EDUCATION IN LAMOURE COUNTY The people of LaMoure County have always drying nearby), tin pail lunch bucket, water pail been believers in and supporters of education. They with one dipper, recitation bench, oil lamp, out believed in it because they felt it provided a means door privy, school bell and then adjoining the of youth developing their talents. An opportunity school, the wood or coal shed, and always the for an education was something which had been flag flying in good weather. denied to many of the settlers and immigrants. Thus One big event for both teacher and pupils it followed that wherever there were children in the was the visit of the county superintendent of county, schools were established. Free public educa schools. In the early days this trip was made by tion had its beginning under federal laws, which team and buggy. provided for the establishment and maintenance of political control. This was also included in the North Highlights in the school and community Dakota Constitution. were the programs for Christmas, Thanksgiving, graduation and the last day of school. Later a Provision was also made in North Dakota for a county graduation program was held in Memor Superintendent of Schools in each county. LaMoure ial Park, near Grand Rapids, for rural and small County has had able superintendents. Miss Jessie town graduates. Pupils who attended this gradu Schmoker served this office well from 1944 to 1972. ation had written and passed state examinations. She writes on this subject: Play Day, in which all LaMoure County Schools participated, started in 1909 and con RURAL SCHOOLS OF tinued until 1971. These were held in Memorial Park. On Play Day, pupils tried their skill in athletic events, declamation contests, sang the LAMOURE COUNTY songs in a county chorus, and ate a community picnic. The first rural school established in La Moure County in the early 80s was located in The Young Citizens League program, spon Wano School District, near the former town of sored by the Department of Public Instruction, Medberry. The first teacher was Lura Perrine. was started in 1931, and had as its aim the de Miss Amy Towl was the first County Superin velopment of good citizens. It was an important tendent of Schools, her term of office 1881-1883. part of every rural school program. The opening of the first rural school was fol In 1924 LaMoure County had a few Consoli lowed by many more until in 1924 when 95 rural dated Schools and 95 rural schools. In 1945, there schools were in operation. were 57 one room schools, but in 1976 there were The rural school term varied, as did the en no rural schools. From 35 school districts in 1924, rollment (from nine or ten to forty or fifty), we now have seven. school attendance also varied as older boys and Rural schools lacked many of the tools girls were often needed at home to help with skills, trained teachers and the broad curriculum seasonal farm work. One teacher taught all the needed for training in today's technical society. grades and older pupils often assisted in the There were too many pupils and grades for one teaching of the younger pupils. The rural school teacher. Textbooks were limited, resources few, was a sort of a family relationship, with the but each teacher gave her best. And still some teacher in the role of mother. Many of the small how, as many a rural pupil will say, the rural towns in the county also started with a one room schools "left their mark"—a mark of doing inde school, and one teacher. pendent thinking, being original, of planning and Familiar sights in the one room school were utilizing that which they had on hand and doing the organ, round potbellied stove (with mittens their best with it; they helped one another, practiced honesty, learned to Jove nature (those The youth from our county reflect their parents long walks to and from school probably helped and their heritage. They have been given much in this appreciation), and learned to have respect opportunity to develop their individual potential. for self and others. Now they serve well in a very challenging world.