By Elaine Rassel
The fact that we have hardly had any rain this summer sent me to my files to see if I had anything on drought in the past. I’ve also included some interesting tid bits!
June 4, 1925—“Three Heavy Rains Descend”. After more than 35 days of drought in this territory, there was rejoicing here on Monday afternoon when a shower of rail fell. Indications at first pointed to a terrific storm approaching of hurricane tendencies, but no damage was done here. At Sioux City nine houses were demolished entailing a loss of $100,000.
Tuesday night a heavy rain fell and another during last night. Fields and gardens are already showing marked contrast to a few days ago and optimism is again felt for a bumper corn crop. Oats have been damaged to some extent by freeze and drought.
July 9, 1925—“Crops Damaged By Hail And Wind”. In a wide territory northeast and northwest of Marcus, Tuesday night’s storm played havoc with prosperous looking fields of grain and corn. The damage from hail and wind is estimated to be thousands of dollars. The storm’s area is said to be about 20 square miles.
At the E.L. Hoops’ farm, where the big Fourth of July celebration took place, the storm was at its worst. A field of 46 acres of oats are reported a total loss, having been beaten to the ground. Mr. Hoops was preparing to cut the grain this week. The oat crop had not the best outlook this spring but had thickened during the last few weeks and would have been a good crop. Corn was also damaged. A number of trees on the north of the Hoops farmhouse were blown down and a corn crib was damaged.
Other farmers whose fields were damaged were Jas. Carlson, Albert Abels, L.A. Prunty and M.J. Bird. Mr. Prunty’s small grain is a total loss.
One of the new schoolhouses in Marcus Township, No. 6, was in the path of the storm. The foundation was crushed in and window lights broken. The building was not complete as the floor had not been laid, neither was the plastering completed. The damage was no fault of the construction but would have happened to any building during such a terrific gale. The building was insured.
Several farmers living north of Marcus lost heavily in a storm last year.
The storm on Wednesday night hit Fielding hard, laying the corn and oats flat. It is thought that the corn will raise again although somewhat riddled by the hail but the oats are reported to be damaged beyond repair.
Joe Ferrin’s crop is reported to have suffered most with hail. The wind blew the roof off William Hodgen’s barn and the wheel off Henry Anderson’s windmill. The window lights were broken out of the Fielding store.
July 9, 1925—“Cold in San Francisco”. While people here are wishing for a cool wave, Miss Naomi Niemann, attending summer school at Berkely, Calif., is wanting a bit of summer weather. She writes that the Fourth of July was cold and dreary out there and that wool dresses are greatly needed in one’s wardrobe.
July 16, 1925—“Many Acres of Corn Total Loss”. Newspaper reports concerning the damages done by the storms last week were found not to be exaggerated by motorists who have viewed the losses of farmers near Meriden and Cherokee. Vast fields of wonderful corn are a total loss with scarcely the stock remaining. To see the season’s labor’s lost is a hard blow to the farmers who had every assurance of a rich harvest of golden ears.
July 16, 1925—“First Destructive Hail in 40 Years”. The story of the severe storm around Fielding July 8 was only half told according to Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Smith who were callers at The News office yesterday. In the forty years that the Smiths have lived in that locality, they say this was by far the worst hail storm.
Chris Johnson, it develops, was probably the heaviest loser. Joe Waller and Harold Williams were also hit hard by the storm with oats and corn both suffering from the wind and hail. Some fields which showed ill effects rallied from the shock and a partial crop is expected.
July 16, 1925—“House Under Construction Struck By Lightning”. The new D.J. Frank residence in Remsen was struck by lightning during the heavy rain storm there Friday evening. The bolt of lightning struck the chimney, tearing it down; also plaster on the inside of the house. Bricks flew in several directions; one reaching the house of Geo. Kramer two doors south from the Frank resident and broke a large window. No damage was done by the fire, but the rain spoiled the plaster in one of the upstairs’ rooms.
July 16, 1925—“Heat Victims Are Recovering”. The relentless heat wave which has been terrible in its torture the past few days, has had several victims of this community and surrounding vicinity.
Among the more severe cases have been Ralph Knox who succumbed to heat exhaustion last Monday while working at the E.L. Hoops’ farm and Mrs. William Mueller who was stricken at her home after doing a washing. Many others, who suffered from dizziness and from being faint, found it necessary to rest from their work for a while.
Mr. Knox and Mrs. Mueller are better at this writing.
July 16, 1925—“Heat Overcomes Cherokee Boy”. Orville Mosier, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Mosier of Cherokee, who has been employed on the A.G. Eddy farm, was found dead Tuesday morning east of the place. Coroner G.A. Brink was notified and gave his opinion that death was caused from the heat.
Mosier, who was working in the haymow Monday evening, complained of the heat. Mr. Eddy went to his home to get him a drink of water but when he returned, Mosier was gone. After an all night search, the body was found by the side of the road about 9 o’clock the next morning.
July 16, 1925—“Le Mars Pool Proves Popular”. Seeking relief from the intense heat last Sunday, many Marcusites went to surrounding bodies of water with the hope that they might find a cool spot somewhere on the map.
The swimming pool at LeMars is one of the places becoming more popular all the time, many taking picnic suppers there weekday nights as well as Sunday. Among those from here who were at Grimes sandpit last Sunday included Mr. and Mrs. Roy Nield, Francis Swindle, Rae Pierce, G.A. Brink, daughter, Catherine, Emalyne Reed of Raymond, S. Dak., Mrs. Henry Brown, son, Forrest, and daughters, Leona and Erma; Mildred Mossman, Marjorie Hazen, George Neir, and Ralph Scott.
July 30, 1925—“Merrill Swimming Pool Paying Out”. Remsen people driving from Sioux City last Sunday were surprised over the large crowd that were enjoying the cooling waters of the bath swimming by Andy Gault of Clinton, Iowa. The Le Mars pool is drawing people from a great distance, especially east of Le Mars and as far as Cherokee.
The Merrill pool is attracting many local people as well as numerous residents west of there including Sioux City. It is stated by some of the Merrill people interested financially in the swimming pool, that the proposition is paying off well. The pool was constructed at a cost of about $10,000 by private citizens with the intention of donating it to the town after the present owners have gotten their money back.
While hundreds were bathing in the new municipal pool at Merrill, it was estimated that over 1,000 people were patronizing the Grimes Lake east of Le Mars where an added attraction was some stunt person.
September 10, 1925—“Wells Going Dry in Meriden Locality”. The water situation in town is becoming quite a serious problem. Cisterns and a number of wells are dry. Friday the water supply was short at the school house especially in the afternoon. Mike Cosgrove and hundreds of farmers in the vicinity are hauling water for stock.