Arnold Township

Arnold Township

Arnold was named in honor of George Arnold, who located in this vicinity in 1875, and who was a member of the ranch firm of Arnold & Ritchie. The original village site was located in section 28, township 17, range 25, in the famous S'outh Loup valley, near the west line of Custer county. Nebraska, the land having been homesteaded by R. E. Allen, who mile from the present site of the village, but in 1881 it was moved to the residence of R. E. Allen. Dr. J. H. Murray located here in 1884 and here he practiced his profession until 1890. In the year 1886 John Finch and A'irgil Cannon opened a drug store, Alex Robertson a bank, and Miss Mary Robertson a millinery store. A large hotel and various other business enterprises soon followed. In 1891 Arnold boasted of a population of about 150, and the following lines of business were represented: A. G. & M. E. HofTman, general merchandise ; Allen & Son, hardware, implements, and livery; Frank Anson, hotel; C.

C. Parsons, Ijarber shop ; Albert Hansberry, jeweler; F. E. Needham, grocery and meat market ; Joseph Pease, blacksmith shop ; Ben Hardin, general store, hardware, and undertaking; T. H. B. Beach, general merchandise and dealer in live stock ; David R. Parks, ice dealer; John Finch, druggist; R. E. Allen, dealer in live stock ; B. E. Robinson, physician ; W. ~Sl. ISeach, postmaster; Alvin Harris, miller. At that time the village supported an excellent school, with Aliss Amv Robinson in of the center of section 27, township 17. range 25 ; thence west along said half-section line to a point sixty rods east of the center of section 28. township 17, range 25; thence north to the place of beginning."

On the 9th day of February, 1909, the county board of Cu.ster county passed favorably upon a petition praying that the following described tract of land be incorporated as a village, to be known as the village of Arnold : "Beginning at a ])oint on the half-section line sixty rods east of the center of section 21, township 17 north, range 25 west; thence running east along said half-section line to a point sixty rods west of the center of section 22. township 17. range 25; thence south to a point on the half-section line si.Kty rods west fessor E. C. Pickett at the head as principal, J. \". Reader as intermediate teacher, and Miss Eeora Hardin as primary teacher. The tworoom school building, which afforded ample accommodation for several years, was much too small for the rapidly increasing school population during the present school year, necessitating the use of another room for the lower grades. A large and modern school building will be erected this year and, possibly, another grade added. Three churches. Christian. Methodist, and Baptist, all supporting resident pastors, are ministering to the spiritual needs of the comnuinity. .\t this writing, (some time ago), the following lines of business are represented: Ben Hardin, general merchandise and hardware ; B. E. Robinson, physician : W. H. Judkins. hardware and furniture ; the Farmers State Banl<, D. S. Bohrer, cashier; F. H. Gilcrest & Company, lumber, coal, and implements ; Dierks Lumber Company, lumber and coal ; John Finch & Son, druggists ; Arnold Mercantile Company, dry goods and groceries ; Parons Brothers, harness shop ; John Manara, barber; Ray & Reed, meat market; F. D. Reynolds, dentist; IMrs. J. Elsie Logan, physician ; Morrow & Backes. contractors and builders; H. J. Bedford, publisher Arnold Sentinel; Charles Beardsley, jeweler and optometrist; Mrs. Charles Beardsley, restaurant and bakery ; Duckett & Maddox, hardware and furniture: Helton & Roberts, general merchandise ; the Peoples State Bank, W. H. Jennings, Jr.. cashier ; Knox & Logan, real estate and insurance ; Mrs. H. R. Black, shoes and notions ; S. McCants, dry goods and groceries ; iSlcCants & Sauter, meat market; John P. Long, farm implements ; Confal Brothers, garage; S. Leland, roller mills; Grooms & Stewart, blacksmith shop; Phifer & Son, livery, feed, and dray ; Nansel & Lohr, livery, feed, and dray; N. E. Paine, blacksmith shop; H. E. Bishop, cement-block factory and builder; Arthur Down, lather; Mrs. Gertrude Parsons, hotel ; Charles McGuire, postmaster ; John Samuelson, well-maker and plumber; Gus Morrow, painter; G. G. Gunter, plasterer and bricklayer: William Collins, restaurant; Wood & Smith, hotel ; Finch, Robinson & Meads, real estate; P. G. Houghton, real estate; Dr. M. A. Rown, chiropractic; T. S. Wood, contractor and builder; R. S. Wood, painter; F. J. Smith, cement-block maker and plasterer; Stevens & George, barbers; Mark S. Tapley, plumber; C. V. Rutner, auto livery. The Beatrice Creamery Company, David Cole Creamery Company, and the Farmers Co-operative Creamery Company have stations here.

A Big Celebr.Vtiox

"Tt seems hardly possible that a town of less than 1.000 inhabitants could entertain within its gates 6,000 guests at one time and do it in such a perfect and satisfactory manner that out of the vast throng not a single complaint was heard. And yet this is the record Arnold placed to its everlasting credit on Friday of last week, when it celebrated "Railroad Day.' It was a great occasion and a great gathering, the crowd being one of the largest that has ever assembled in any town in the county.

"For many weeks this hustling and enterprising business town was preparing for the celebration, and all credit is due to the loyalty of its citizens and residents of the neighboring country, who so promptly responded to the demands made upon them and worked together as a unit in successfully putting through an affair that will for all future be marked as a red-letter day in the history of Arnold.

"From early morning, people commenced pouring into town from every point, and large numbers had arrived the night before. Broken Bow contributed about 150 of its population to the occasion, aiid it took twenty-eight autos to convey them there. Callaway sent 400 delegates. Oconto 200. Merna and Anselmo about 100, and Grand Island 150. Gandy, Stapleton, Gothenburg, and all towns located west of there sent large delegations.

"But it was when the Kearney special arrived that the biggest bunch of humanity dropped into town. The train was composed of ten coaches and was crowded to the roof, there being between 1.500 and 2,000 people aboard. It was a great sight to see them scramble from the windows of the coaches in their haste to reach the scene of festivities.

"Xo stranger's money was any good there, - everything was free, and then some ! Even the stores were closed, so as to preclude the possibility of any dioughts of a 'rake-off.' Every detail had been looked after so minutely, by competent management, that the visitors had no trouble in getting just what they wanted at the right time and in the right place - and in a hurry, at that. That was tlie beauty of it. There were no delays, and the whole affair glided along like a well constructed piece of mechanism using the finest quality of lubricant.

"There were four blocks of gaily decorated streets, the red, the white, and blue bunting being so arranged as to present a very attractive appearance. Another artistic feature was the placing of poles at about thirty foot intervals, the top of each being festooned with a flag of welcome. Every business place and residence sported some kind of decoration, and if ever a town presented a gala appearance, Arnold was certainly it. Five good bands were in attendance and there was music galore. Grand Island and Kearney both sent excellent bands, as also did Brady and Callaway. Arnold has a good organization of its own, which furnished pleasing music that was highly appreciated by the visitors.

"The feeding of such a multitude of hungry people was by no means an easy task, and called forth no little ingenuity on the part of the management to properly manipulate it. But it was done as it should have been, and if any person left town carrying with him that 'gone feeling' about his stomach, it was strictly his own fault and could not be laid at the door of the hospitable hosts and hostesses.

"And the food - there were mountains of it. Wagon-loads of buns, gallons and gallons of pickles, great mounds of juicy roast beef, oceans of coffee, so aromatic as to cause one to linger around in blissful ecstacy and just sniflf and sniff ; also pyramids of home-made pies and cakes, not bought ones, understand, but every one made by- the good housewives and daughters of that vicinity, who are well up in that sort of thing and thoroughly understood the art of preparing wholesome dainties for hungry people. No pure-food problem in the cooking they put up - it's the genuine article and plenty of it.

"The dinner was served cafeteria style. There were two large tents and as one entered the first he was given a wood plate, then came a sandwich, next a pickle, further on great slices of roast beef and pork, then followed a big wedge of pie and a huge slice of cake, a tin cup containing coffee and then the knife and fork. About this time, your plate was so loaded down with good things that it was difficult for you to carry in that manner, so you passed into a second tent, seated yourself and proceeded to transfer the food to a place where it would do the most good. Then you passed out, deposited the cup among a heap of others, dropped the knife and fork into a receptacle placed there for that purpose, and threw the plate away. If your hunger was not satisfied, you were at perfect liberty to return to the first tent and repeat the performance. Talk about picnics. This had all the others of a like nature faded to an insignificant blur. And the best part of it was, the people were pleased. How could they help from feeling so, after the royal entertainment they had received?

"Air. and Mrs. S. H. Reed, living in the oldest sod house in Arnold, issued invitation dinner-tickets to the railroad officials and heads of commercial clubs and their families. There are three large rooms in the house, and in each was a long table loaded with food and delicacies of all descriptions. Here the diners feasted to their hearts' content, and all voted Mr. and Mrs. Reed to be the very paragons, of what a model host and hostess should be.

"The afternoon was devoted to speech-making, music, and sports. Judge C. L. Gutterson and County Attorney Beal, of Broken Bow, both made short talks, as also did Rev. Mr. Fagin, of the Arnold Methodist church. They all spoke along congratulatory lines and highly complimented the citizens of Arnold upon the splendid eft'ort they had made.

"Although the citizens all worked so well together, it necessarily remained for some one to supervise, and no small amount of credit is due Messrs. John P. Long, J. !M. Samuelson, John Finch, and Rev. Mr. Fagin for the wholehearted way in which they circulated among the people and made them feel at home. Broken Bowites who were so fortunate as to be present, declare it to be the best arranged celebration they ever attended in this part of the countrv.

"The Arnold Sentinel, edited by J. H. Bedford, got out a souvenir edition for the occasion, numbering twenty-four pages. These editions, which were given to the visitors free of charge, contain all kinds of useful information about Arnold, its pioneer days and rapid growth of late years. The pages are finely illustrated with local scenes and pictures of prominent residents. It is a handsome edition and well worthy of the energetic town it represents."