The Dawson Herald from Dawson, Nebraska • 34

THE DAWSON HERALD DAWSON NEBRASKA HISTORICAL EDITION Many Improvements Made in Dawson and Town Keeps Growing in Dawson in case the two new proposed business houses are built All that is lacking to make Dawson good a place as some of our neighboring towns is to give business a chance to develop by having enough houses to supply the demand Our town has been hampered in this regard about long enough and it is time our monied men were arousing to their own interests and investing some of their Surplus in houses" Telephone Company Started In 1902 Ulmer at the extreme north of the village a pump with a capacity of gallons per minute and all th? necessary pipe hydrants etc to complete the system In addition to having a plentiful supply of water in case of fire approximately sixty homes and business places have connections with the system and two street fountains enable any person to get a fresh cold drink at any time The annual income from the water system is approximately $700 With the installation of the water system the public school and St Mary's school which had maintain- After many years of fighting themed our time in Dawson and are laid mud on our main street the people to rest of Dawson led by a majority of the In the past couple of years an-blisiness men decided in 1928 that other improvement has been added it would be a good idea and in keep- in that practically every street in ing with the progressiveness of the the village has been graveled thus town to have our main street pav- making them open to travel in all ed Preliminary plans were made an kinds of weather engineer employed and) after mucn The paving of our streets and delay the contract was let in June other improvements made in the 1929 for reinforced concrete paving past ten years have done more than to be laid on Ridge street the en- improve the town They have kept tire length of the village DawsOn as one of the leading small The Roberts Construction Com- towns in the state have kept up pany of Lincoln was awarded the the morale of the citizens through contract on their bid of $37128 The the trying times of the depression The Dawson-Nemaha Telephone Company was organized in Dawson January 22 1902 the following being elected as a board of directors McGinnis Oliver Ayers Rice Page Frank Blakeney and Fenton The capital stock of the company was $2500 and it was planned to build a line from Dawson to Middleburg Any farmer buying two shares of stock at $25 each and living along the line was entitled to service The farmers north of town had previously organized a corporation of their own and this was combined with the Daw'son-Nemaha Company the capital stock being increased to $10000 The following stockholders were listed February 28 1902: McGinnis Oliver Ayers Gottleib Wittwer Sam Lee Frank Nims Frank Blakeney Chas Eaton A Fairbanks Charles Burgeit A Burgett John Kone Jamas Ayers Fred Bacon Sterling Gentry Fiank Porter Rice Page Elva Duryea Bacon Mrs Nellie Wrigh-ton Fred Keman W-L Bohrer John Gentry John Triggs Granville Boyle: Alf Page John Lyons Sam Heim Joseph Heim Jonathan Heim Jacob Heim Israel Heim Solomon Ulmer Emanuel Ulmer Martin Ulmer Heim Hummel Wm Strunk Ed Leatherman Wilber Bun- Fred Lehnherr Bidden RJB Allen Henry Heim Jonas Heim Wm Fenton McSwinnev Filey O'Grady James Frank Linn Frank Damon Heim Fenton Dr Waggener Cummings Fenton Barlow Co Buser Satterwhite VIEWS OF MAIN STREET IN DAWSON water systems of their own discontinued these and used the lage service and the old town well at the Smith and Kemist comer was filled and covered the old wind mill which creaked arid squeaked for so many years being taken down at the same time The system besides affording a si to to great convenience homes and business houses has proven its vaju? when fires have broken out NEEDED MORE BUILDINGS An item from the Newsboy of Marcfi 1 1895 says: persons are ready to go into business and have shown us all that it is only necessary to have and good works" in order to progress 0 Water System Has Proved Its Worth In 1925 an agitation was started by some of the business men for a water system for the village and after a preliminary canvass over the business district a special eleotion was held December 12 1925 On? hundred and forty-seven votes wer? cast 121 for and 26 against and plans were at once made for the work to be done Bonds were issued for $22000 payable in 20 years and work proceeded at once with the erection of the tower and the laying of mains The hydrants were so located that practically every place within the corporate limits of the village can be reached with the hose in case of Are and private service was made to every home and business house The bonds were all purchased by ideal people and have been taken up regularly each year as they came due Interest is paid twice each year on the outstanding bonds Specifications called for a well on the Riley property in the south end of town where a plentiful supply of water was Jocated a 50000 gal tank placed on a tower 100 feet high on a piece of land bought from Emanuel village board members Mr Hen-ningson the engineer for the village a representative of the federal government and two state engine opened the five bids received and awarded the contract Federal aid to the extent of $9000 was received by the village and the balance of the cost was made up by1 taxes assessed against property owners on Ridge street "and for the street intersections against the village as a whole Members of the village board at this time were A Kemist chairman Utermohlen Mourn tain Peck and Ephraim Spaulding Kinsey was clerk and Duryea treasurer of the board The work was started by the Roberts Company on Tuesday July 16 and was completed the last day of August After curing for several days it was formally opened for traffic on September 25 1929 with a big celebration Governor Arthur Weaver was the principal speaker for the occasion and a large crowd was on hand to hear him and-to take part in the festivities For the past seven years the paving has served well all the old so-long familiar mudholes have disappeared from Main street and none of us would want them back although at times especially tax-paying time we remember that all modern improvements cost money But the paving will continue to serve long after the last bond has been paid and after most of us have serv- This view of Main street opposite the Smith Smith store was taken in 1915 and shoys one reason why Dawson business men were eager to hive the street paved It required from four to eight horses to- pull a loaded wagon through the mud and even then they could not always make it.