125 Years Ago – 1896
The well dug by the Central Railroad Co. is furnishing an abundance of water and promises to be permanent.
W.B. Liggett has a dentist office over the post office.

110 Years Ago – 1901
The Loomis and Allen Drug Store was sold to A. Naffziger and Co. and they have taken possession.
There were 91 carloads of livestock shipped form Marcus this past month.

105 Years Ago – 1916
The Collins building has undergone a number of repairs this week. The Ernest Sjostom pool hall which is managed by Joe Dempsey has been moved into this building. Ralph Turner has moved his planetarium equipment to that building.
Miss Laura B Johnston of St. Paul, MN came Saturday to accept a position as bookkeeper for the Edmonds-Londergan Company.

95 Years Ago – 1926
The handsome new scenery for the high school auditorium has been received and installed ready for staging of the new senior class play in May.
A group of young business men of Marcus are advocating a new swimming pool for Marcus and expect to put the project across. It is the plan to buy additional lost near the city park for the pool.
The city park has been officially opened for the 1926 season. Several parties of tourists have already camped.

90 Years Ago – 1931
The new primary highway number 5 starting at the mile corner south of Marcus and continuing to Cherokee may be surfaced with gravel in the near future.
Nearly 1500 barrels of city water have been sold to farmers and road men in the Cherokee vicinity since the first of the year. In spite of the rain wells in the section are still dry.

85 Years Ago -1936
Frank Lee, proprietor of the Marcus Bakery, has recently installed the latest in bread and cake mixing machines.
Harvey Means, rural mail carrier at Meriden and former resident of Marcus, received a serious injury Sunday evening when he was kicked in the knee by a cow.

80 Years Ago – 1941
Tome Anderson was the winner typing 67 words per minute with but eight tenths of one percent error in the contest held by the typing II class of the public school last week.
Richard Turpin, former student in the Marcus school, will play a part in “Hamlet” when the class is resented at Iowa State Teachers College.

75 Years Ago -1946
The Marcus fire department was called last Thursday to the Jay Peters farm six miles south of town by a straw fire that threatened the farm buildings. It was extinguished without damage.
The Community Cooperative Oil company of Marcus, gained 99 new members during its recent drive for a larger membership and increased sales volume, R.E. Drefke, manager reported yesterday. The local cooperative now has 1,330 members.
The new Gamble STore in Marcus will hold its Grand Opening Friday and Saturday with gifts for all. Harvey Coleman is the owner.

70 Years Ago – 1951
Miss Halcyon Heline hosted the annual reunion of the firls of te Class of 1938 from Cleghorn High School Halcyon, who returned recently from France, served a simple, typical six course French lncheon.
The old St. John’s School at Germantown will be sold at auction Saturday, May 5. It will have to be moved by August 1st.

65 Years Ago -1956
The Marcus Masonic Lodge was hot to nearly 160 members and guests last Thursday evening, April 19, at the Masonic hall to honor Melvin Simons. He has been a member of the order for 50 years and the sixth member to receive his membership.
Mrs. Peter Holm, one of the oldest residents of Marcus, passed away here April 24, after a twp week illness. She was 97 years old and had lived in the community 73 years.

60 Years Ago – 1961
Linda Brady, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Brady, underwent surgery Tuesday morning at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City. Linda fractured the little finger on her left hand playing call at school. A steel pin was placed in the finger.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Nield of Red Bluffs, CA, arrived Tuesday and will spend two weeks visiting in the home of Mr. Nield’s brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Knox.

55 Years Ago – 1966
Thirty –three men, with 27 pieces of equipment including 24 plows totaling 91 bottoms, plowed 185 acres in 4 1/2 hours last Friday at the Merle Treinen farm.
Plans for establishment of a new department of neurology at the University of Rochester school of medicine in New York and the appointment of Dr. RJ Joynt of the University of Iowa as its first chairman were announced Tuesday by Dr. Donald G. Anderson, dean of the school.

50 Years Ago – 1971
Edward R. Smith of Pomeroy has been hired as a new high school Social Studies teacher. He will begin these new duties next fall and will also serve as an assistant coach in football and wrestling.
Roger Leavitt was honored at a special program at Tuesday noon’s meeting of the Marcus Rotary club. The occasion was his gift of $1000 to the Paul Harris Foundation as a memorial to his father, also Roger Leavitt.

45 Years Ago – 1976
The Marcus Bicentennial Committee is please to announce that Marcus has been designated as an official Bicentennial Community. Marcus joins hundreds of other communities throughout the nation in the celebration of our nation’s 200th birthday.
The Marcus Hotel with all its furnishings sold at auction for $3,500 to Roy Williams of Cleghorn. The former Loretto Academy served as school until 1915 when it was purchased and moved to its present location by Viking Sjostrom. Bess Nelson former owner will return to Humbolt, IA to live.

40 Years Ago – 1981
Tim Johnson narrowly escaped death when a tree blown over by high winds struck the protective cage on his bobcat loader and crushed it.
Lewis M Bly, 78, of Marcus died Thursday, April 18, in Riverview Manor Nursing Home in Cherokee of a long illness.
Mrs. Marie Nielsen will be a guest of honor at an open house at Faith Lutheran Church on Sunday, April 26. in observance of her 80th Birthday.

35 Years Ago – 1986
The fourth grade classes at Marcus Community held Grandparents Day with a terrific turnout.
The kindergarten through third graders at Marcus Public school release 150 balloons on March 20. Five were found and letters received with the furthest going to Evansville, IN about 600 miles away.

30 Years Ago – 1991
Bill Shea and Kyle Robinson are featured in the MMC Senior Spotlight. Bill plans to join the US Air Force and Kyle will attend college.

25 Years Ago – 1996
Gordon Roese scored a hole-in-one on #4 hole at he local golf course. Craig Dorr and Stan Nervig were witnesses. It is 205 yards long and a par 3.
MMC Prom royalty candidates are: Lisa Pearson, Kari Johnson, Becky Sand, Katie Busch, Sarah Rupp, Gerry Alesch, Nick Glassmaker, Joe Schlenger, Jared Grauer and Matt Erickson.

20 Years Ago – 2001
Lisa Pearson and Gerry Alesch are planning a June 22, 2001 wedding in Marcus at Holy Name Catholic Church.
15 Years Ago – 2006