Howard Happenings

[W. Gray]

Just returned from a visit in Howard. Also made it over to the former New Chicago (Chanute), Winfield, and what the Osage tribe called Hay House Town: Independence.

Everyone I spoke to in Howard says that the Blacks or Black bought the old bank building.

Tracy's Trends (tuxedo rental, formal wear, sewing and alteration, tanning & gifts) is one nice store. Brightly lit and brightly painted with carpet on the floor.

The interior wall is down between Waldo and Jeans two stores. I did not realize there was that much room in there.

The Jackson Walking Trail is one fourth mile long. The concrete path is six feet wide and wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass. The folks working on it said the original idea was to make it three feet wide. That width would have been very small. However, someone persevered and it was increased to five feet and then went in as six.

There are two new cell phone towers north of Howard complimenting the one near the swimming pool. Another tower was going in west of Moline.

The cable tower south of town had been taken down apparently some time ago.

The doughnut shop has sign saying open soon.

Penny's Pub has been closed for a while and is for sale.

Robin Haines says he hopes to get his new church completed (north of the high school) within the next two or three years.

We ate at the Lion's Den in Longton, another nice place on the inside. Longton somehow manages to have three eateries. Also, went back to the Swinging Bridge in Moline, which is also nice inside.

The Curly Q in Moline has been open recently but was closed down both days we were in Moline.

The new firehouse in Moline was finished sometime ago. This time all three doors were up and they really have a fine place to store several fire trucks.

I took a quick look at the W.M.C. initials in front of Julie's pharmacy area. The lettering appears to be small white embedded tiles. The year 1872 has to be a mistake and was probably put there many years after 1872 by someone who was guessing or "recollecting." The more probable year a store went in that lot was 1882. The Elk County history book says that Wm Crooks put in  the store. Don't know if he had a middle initial of M. or not.

Reminds me about one of the authors who wrote a history of Elk County: Mary Audrey Neeland in 1933 and Henrietta Mann in 1940. I do not recall which, but one of them said that the Howard City Town Company donated the courthouse block to Howard County in 1871 specifically for construction of a courthouse. She got that information from an old timer during one of her interviews.

I mentioned that tidbit to Neva Walters about three years ago and she looked more than a bit perplexed, but neither of us knew. Howard City was running for county seat of Howard County in that year but came in last among those running: Elk Falls, Longton, Peru, and Howard City. Peru actually wrestled the county seat away from Elk Falls in the 1871 election and remained the county seat for well over two years before Elk Falls wrestled it back.

When the courthouse clock was installed, Neva researched the information and found out it was the Howard Town Company that donated the block to Elk County and the year was 1881. Asa Thompson, father of Thomas E., was mayor at the time.

[Diane Amberg]

Thanks for posting the photos.

[dnalexander]

Waldo thanks for the update. For those of us that can't make it back to Howard I find your short blurb to be very interesting.

Thanks,
David

[Wilma]

Waldo, thanks for the news.  You have told more than I have heard or read anyplace else for a very long time.  Why don't you come to Howard more often?

[W. Gray]

I usually try to come down once a quarter.

When I hit Howard, I spend a day or so doing repair work and then I spend most of the time taking my Mom to outlying places to find shoes and clothes that fit her generation's interest and visit relatives. Some of the time but more here lately, I take my mother's brother Johnnie Miller along. We also went to Opel McClain's grave side services at the cemetery. Opel was 103 and her roommate at the nursing home is 106 and may be close to 107.

While in Howard, I looked for evidence of four new steel street pole lights but did not see any. They were supposed to install four to begin with and eventually replace all--at quite a good price. I never thought to ask anyone about them.

I also noticed the large stone building across from the post office has had all the doors (except one) and window trim painted a nice brilliant color and really looks nice. In a couple hundred years, that building might be the last one standing in Howard.

Dwight also said the Legion was going to place some type of memorial marker around the Jackson Park Walking Trail.

[Tobina+1]

Waldo, you missed a treat!  The store across from the post office is the Red Barn Soap Company; Sue Bauder sells handmade soaps there, and will soon be expanding to handmade lotions, I think.  You could have also purchased one of my greeting cards at Sue's, too.  I'm not sure when she's open, or if she has regular hours.  Most of the times when I go in during an afternoon during the week she's usually there.  I think the sure sign she's there is that she's got some hay bales and other decor outside the door.  The inside of her store is decorated very fun for fall right now, too!

Yes, Blacks used to own the bank building, but they sold it to someone else.

One of the cell phone towers at Howard is AT&T (the one right outside Howard), the other one a bit further north is a new SKT tower.  SKT is putting up quite a few towers around the county lately.  We got the inside scoop this weekend, and they probably won't be in service until after the first of the year, though.  Apparently it takes a lot to get one of those babys working.  Also, just something I learned that I didn't know and thought I'd share with you... AT&T (Cingular) and T-Mobile utilize different cellular technology than the rest of the cell companies.  So US Cellular, Verizon, Sprint, etc, won't work on the AT&T towers.  That's why there's 2 different ones so close together.