Antelope County Historical Society Blog

The Amazing Accomplishments of Olive Fletcher

stealthecourthouse@gmail.com (Ron Westlake) — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:40:44 GMT

Nebraska Girl is Given Master’s Degree Though She is Only 20

Entered School at 5 and at 9 Was Enrolled in High School

Originally Printed in 1927

By Mrs. R.J. Hering

(Special Correspondent to The Journal)

Orchard, Neb., April 24, 1927 – This town has always taken a keen interest in the education of

its young people, and the return of Miss Olive Fletcher from the University of Nebraska,

Lincoln, with a master’s degree, recalls the remarkable progress she has made.

At the age of 5 she entered the schools here and four years later, when most children

would have entered fourth grade, Olive passed the state examination and was ready for high

school, having done eight years in four.

There were many who thought that a child so young should not be allowed to enter high

school, but that she should either be kept out of school a year at least, or be required to remain in

the grades since she surely could not be mature enough to do high school work.

Nevertheless, Olive entered high school and four years later, in June 1922, at the age of

13, she received her diploma, the youngest graduate from this school up to that time, and she still

holds the record.

In the fall of that year, she entered Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, and then took

three years’ work in the University of Nebraska. On June 5, 1926, her 18 th birthday, she received

an A.B. degree.

Following this, she took one and a half years’ work at the university and has just returned

home with a master’s degree. Except for the fact that she was out of school for a couple weeks

on account of sickness, she would have received her degree at the close of the first semester. She

majored in English for both degrees. The name of the thesis she wrote for the master’s degree

was “Samuel Butler, the Novelist.”

Miss Fletcher is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority and was chapter correspondent

for “The Triangle,” the sorority magazine for more than two years and was elected as delegate to

the convention in 1926.

During the time spent at the university, Miss Fletcher was active in musical circles,

studying music while doing postgraduate work. She has played the piano since childhood. For

two years she broadcast from a radio station in Lincoln and was known as “the commander-in-

chief of the ivories.”

Miss Fletcher says at present she has no plans for the future, except that she still is

interested in school and may take more graduate work at some future date. She is the eldest child

and only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher is grand master of the I.O.O.F. in

Nebraska.

Spending the Day at the One-Room Schoolhouse

Thu, 06 May 2021 20:53:43 GMT

Plainview Elementary Visits The Antelope County Museum

On May 4, 2021, the vision for the newly renovated country school to function again, became

reality. The classroom inside Antelope County District #70 One-Room Schoolhouse was bursting

at the seams with 25 energetic third graders from Plainview Elementary. With their teacher,

Mrs. Meuret, the class participated in the day long curriculum that was facilitated by instructors

Gloria Christiansen and Sharon Kinnan. Activities focused on lessons from the past – with

emphasis on the time periods important to District 70’s history - 1885 when the district was

formed, 1915 when this schoolhouse building was built, and the period 1940s - 80s when

consolidation and closing of country schools in Nebraska began.

The day started with opening exercises:

Ring the Bell, raise the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing “America,” listen to a verse

from the Bible, and perform the Hygiene inspection. Classroom rules and discipline for bad

behavior, such as wearing a dunce hat and getting swatted with a ferula, were reviewed. In

pioneer times, standards were stricter, and teachers were expected to enforce the rules to

keep order.

The third graders explored why it is important to learn about their past. Conversation was

generated from the “identify Personal Heritage” activity they had completed before they

arrived. Discussion was generated around Heritage - a person’s birthright – what he or she is

born into, and what our ancestors and other people have sacrificed and worked for to give the

next generation opportunities. We examined if we (our generation) are preparing the way for

those who follow. Are we pioneers?

Penmanship, the first subject of the day, included push/pull and oval exercises. Students

completed orthography (Spelling) lessons and wrote with quill pens made from turkey feathers.

Ink was made from raspberries. During arithmetic class, answers to oral story problems were

written on slate boards using chalk. Each child recited a paragraph about the history of

Nebraska. The class then debated the question, “In Nebraska, is a prairie fire more dangerous

than a blizzard?”

At noon, the students grabbed their lunch pails and headed outdoors to enjoy eating on the

grass beside the schoolhouse. Recess games included “Stretch the Handkerchief” and “Steal

Sticks.” After lunch recess, the students relaxed while watching a filmstrip, Lollipop Dragon and

Mother’s Day.

To celebrate Arbor Day, everyone sang, “There Once Was a Tree,” and learned that on January

4, 1872, J. Sterling Morton first proposed a tree planting holiday – Arbor Day- at a meeting of

Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. Morton’s wife, Carolyn Joy Morton and their sons, did

much of the planting and caring for trees at Arbor Lodge.

In art, the students made a teapot with a tea bag attached to give their mother, grandma, or

someone special on Mother’s Day.

The day concluded with taking down and correctly folding the American flag while learning

what each fold stands for.

“The building was given life again, and it felt so right. We hope more schools will want to learn

about the past and make an appointment to spend the day.” Gloria Christiansen and Antelope

County Historical Society 5/6/2021

Nebraskaland Song

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 21:24:44 GMT

Nebraskaland by Breede and Kratz

Recently, ACM received a piece of music copyrighted 1916 called Nebraskaland, Nebraskaland The State of ’67.” The music by Lee. G. Kratz, the epic by Adam Breede was published one year after Antelope District #70 country schoolhouse was built south of Clearwater, Nebraska. The words to the tune reflect on early history as far back as when Nebraska became a state in 1867. It is interesting that the text is identified on the cover of the sheet music as epic, rather than lyrics. The main difference between lyric and epic is length. Epic usually tells a story. A lyric poem may not tell a story but simply communicate an idea or feeling. Both lyrics and epics are poetry.

What was the purpose of this song? Was it written to sell others on settling in Nebraska? Did the song writer live in Nebraska, then move away? Did students across Nebraska once upon a time sing this song in classrooms? What are your thoughts about this song?

VERSES:

1. Nebraskaland, Nebraskaland, the state of sixty-seven, No other place at man’s command, Comes nearer being heav’n.

It’s riches beyond ones fondest dream. Has wealth beyond compare. There’s untold gold in field and stream, There’s wealth most anywhere.

2. How fertile are the fields today, What grandeur decks the home, where Buffalo did sport and play, And red men free did roam. There’s golden rod on hill and dale. The flower of our state. In days gone by it marked the “trail,” The pioneers relate.

3. The house of sod has had its day, It served its purpose well, Prosperity now holds full sway. As one can quickly tell. In education there’s no flaw, Nebraska’s hard to beat Equality before the law, Deals justice that is meet.

4. No fairer skies in all the land, No softer zephrs blow, No greener fields on ev’ry hand, Can any country show. That’s why Nebraska stands out free, That’s why I love her so. And home to me ‘twill always be, no matter where I go.

CHORUS

Nebraskaland, Nebraskaland, I love your waving fields, Nebraskaland, Nebraskaland I love your golden yields, It matters not where I may be, What foreign fields I roam, you’ll always be most dear to me. I love you, ‘cause you’re home….

Thank you to Jill Bates for donating this historical piece of sheet music to Antelope County #70 Schoolhouse Project.

Josephine Roche: A long Story Made Too Short

stealthecourthouse@gmail.com (Ron Westlake) — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 19:39:03 GMT

This article was originally written by Dr. Geo. Strassler.

In 1965 when Congress created Medicare and Medicaid, Oregon senator Wayne Morse claimed: "Medical care for the aged" was made possible "in no small part by the historic struggle of one of the country's most illustrious citizens, Josephine Roche."

Born in Neligh on December 2, 1886, Josephine Roche led an amazing life that set her at the center of progressive political movements. Her father, John J. Roche, was founder of the First National Bank of Neligh, one of the first trustees of the newly incorporated town of Neligh, a member of the Nebraska State Legislature, and the man for whom the Roche subdivision in Neligh is named. Roche was an ambitious and hard-nosed Republican, anti-union and antilabor: a man who believed in the unlimited prerogatives of property. His daughter grew to hold quite opposite political views.

The family moved to Omaha in 1894. J.J. became associated with Philip Armour as secretary of the Omaha Cattle Loan Company, a story all its own. Josephine got the best education available, attending high school at Brownell Hall, the prestigious Episcopal girl's school. Her course of study included Greek, Latin, English, French, Algebra and both American and English History.

Josephine then attended Vassar, a school characterized by much activity - an atmosphere in which Josephine thrived. Her chief interest was debate, which served her well.

From Vassar she moved to New York City and enrolled at Columbia as a Masters candidate. There she became interested in the divide between rich and poor women, concentrating on suffrage and on social circumstances leading young women into prostitution. Josephine alternated between New York and Denver and became involved in Denver politics, a rough and tumble business. In 1912 she was appointed Denver's first policewoman and quickly moved to close down the brothels. This got both Roche and the police commissioner fired.

Meanwhile her father acquired a 40% interest in the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, the second largest coal producer in Colorado. The coal business in Colorado was marked by lethal violence as the miners and mine owners went to war, largely over efforts to keep the unions out.

The southern Colorado mine operators, Colorado Fuel and Iron (40% owned by the Rockefellers) and J.J.'s Rocky Mountain Fuel, ignored all regulations and exploited the miners. In 1913 the United Mine Workers attempted to organize the workers and the owners countered by hiring thugs to drive the organizers out. Roche dove headlong into the turmoil, visiting the miners' camps and doing everything she could to support the striking miners. Open warfare broke out. The battle became known as the Ludlow Massacre, one of the blackest chapters in Colorado history. Finally President Wilson sent federal troops and ended the bloodshed by mid-May, 1914.

With the help of several of her old Denver progressive pals, Josephine next served on a number of high level federal boards. She married Edward Hale Bierstadt in 1920, and divorced him in 1922. (We know not why.) By now she had moved to D.C. and was head of the editorial division of the U.S. Children's Bureau. In 1925 Josephine returned to Denver to care for her ailing parents.

John J. Roche died intestate in 1927. His entire estate went to his wife Ella including his shares in RMF and the land in Antelope County. Ella died in June of 1927 having deeded the Nebraska land to Josephine who let it go for taxes.

Josephine chose to stay with RMF, buying enough shares to have a controlling interest. She fired the board of directors, appointed men to managerial positions who shared her ideas, and became a woman industrialist.

She refused to negotiate a contract with the IWW, did contract with the UMW, weathered financial problems, loss of business to gas, and used her personal credit to meet bond obligations. The Rockefellers (Colorado Fuel and Iron) tried to put her out of business. The miners loaned RMF 3 months wage money and kept the company afloat.

She ran for governor of Colorado in 1934 but lost in the primary by 12,000 votes. The campaign, however brought her to the attention of influential Democrats in the Roosevelt administration. She was appointed to the sub-cabinet post of Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Henry Morganthau, a position which made her the second-most powerful woman in the New Deal administration, second only to Francis Perkins, Secretary of Labor.

The job included supervision of the Public Health Service. Morganthau also appointed her to a legislative committee which was responsible for drafting what became the Social Security act of 1935.

She drew up a comprehensive national health plan, which gained considerable support until WW II intervened and Roosevelt's attention was diverted. The plan sat dormant until revived as Medicare.

Post WWII Josephine went to work for John L. Lewis at the UMW. She established union operated health plan complete with hospitals and clinics to serve miners and their families. She was involved in union infighting and legal conflict to the end. She once said that she'd be bored to death without a good fight. She died in July of 1976.

Antelope County's First Shelterbelt

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 21:11:39 GMT

Shelterbelts Saved the County

As settlers adventured out West seeking land and profit, they soon discovered their new homes were often victims to broken sod, droughts, and dust storms. To protect the citizen's land from erosion the U.S. passed various acts, such as the Timber Culture Act of 1873 and the Clark-McNary Act of 1924, to encourage people to plant trees. In 1935, the Plains Shelterbelt Project was created by the Forest Service, which was called the "Prairie States Forestry Project" and ran until 1942. The Shelterbelt Program began planting trees along borders of farmland extending from Canada to Texas.

Primarily ten or eleven species of trees were planted throughout the Great Plains: Cottonwood, Chinese Elm, Boxelder, Green Ash, Western Red Cedar, Hackberry, Bur Oak, American Elm, Honey Locust, Russian Olive, and Walnut. Trees were seen as a beneficial way to protect the land, and people, from droughts and dust storms. One of the main goals under the Shelterbelt Program was to protect the farmland from wind erosion, by planting shelterbelts about 160 feet wide and ranging from a quarter of a mile to a mile long. Thus increasing the control of wind erosion, protecting livestock and agriculture, and producing lumber for homes.

However, it was no easy task caring for the shelterbelts. The newly planted trees required increased care from the settlers, in order to protect them from grazing animals and from competing grasses and weeds. Trees were planted in areas in the Great Plains where soil, precipitation, and other climate issues encouraged tree growth, as well as areas that needed the trees to protect their agriculture. In most failed shelterbelt cases, the trees couldn't grow due to the lack of protection from livestock.

In Antelope County, the first shelterbelt was planted on April 23, 1935 on John Schleusener's land, 1 1/2 miles north of Orchard on the west side. The shelterbelt was 14 rows of cottonwood, Chinese elm, laurel leaf willow, honey locust, and Western juniper. This shelter was formally recognized with a Historical Society marker that read "The area closest to the roadway will remain unaltered as a living reminder of the Prairie States Forestry Project and the efforts of Nebraskans to protect our valuable farmland.".