Looking Back

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS GO

‘Finish In Sight’

January 18, 1913

The iron stairs for the courthouse are expected any day now as they have been shipped some time. Contractor Goodhand will arrive as soon as the stairs are here and will not be long after that in completing the building. C. M. Wright will have finished his part of the work in connection with the furnace in another week, and the long looked for finish may appear before many weeks.

75 YEARS AGO

‘White Eagle Station

Is Robbed This Week’

January 21, 1938

The White Eagle filling station operated by Rudy Grage was broken into Tuesday night and $2.80 in cash stolen from the cash drawer. A window was broken out of the station. The broken window and damage to the cash drawer constituted the major loss, it was reported. Police were investigating the robbery yesterday but had not made any arrests.

50 YEARS AGO

‘Tractor Cab Firm Has Backlog

Of Orders As Product Proves Worth’

January 18, 1963

A small industry, founded on a farm east of Gurley to manufacture tractor cabs, now is employing twenty seven full time workers and is about to put on a partial night shift to keep pace with orders.

The Egging Company, headed by Ted Egging, a long time Cheyenne County farmer now has orders for 20 cabs on hand and is finding it impossible to keep its production pace in step with new orders. Nevertheless, the company has just taken an order for a minimum of forty cabs from a group of Montana implement dealers, and may supply this group as many forty more if weather conditions are favorable between now and June 1.

Egging and Allen Karnik, sales manager, negotiated the order while attending an implement dealer’s meeting at Conrad, Mont.

With its present set-up, the company is able to turn out about three cabs per day or fifteen a week It is hoped to accelerate this rate in the near future.

Deliveries to the Montana dealers will begin in about two weeks, the company said.

Two specially equipped trucks will handle the delivery of fully assembled cabs to dealers in all parts of the country, Mr. Karnik said. The Egging Co. is the only tractor cab manufacturer which delivers the fully assembled cab, he said. Others deliver a “knocked” down model which the dealer assembles after delivery.

Although the company is comparatively young, its cabs have already attracted attention from the Mexico border to Canada.

A company airplane is used in making sales and other business calls.

The Egging Co. designs its own cab, fitting it to the make and model tractor. The company also has manufactured cabs for grain combines.

In this age of greater mechanization, company officials are always working toward a cab of greater convenience and comfort, Mr. Karnik said.

“The faster we build the cabs, the faster the order seem to come in,” he said. “We haven’t been able to accumulate a stock pile of cabs.”

Local hiring by the company has been a boon to the area employment picture.

The growth of the business would seem to be unlimited if faster production schedules can be achieved and maintained, the Egging sales manager believes.

25 YEARS AGO

‘Half Million Dollar Revamping

Set for ‘Ordville’

January 18, 1988

“Ordville” may get a face lift.

Western Nebraska Technical College’s student housing, which dates back to the days of Sioux Army Depot – thence the historic ‘Ordville’ nickname – is being considered for a half-million dollar renovation program.

According to Campus Manager Joseph McCann, administrators “have been talking with architects the last two weeks and drawing up plans for renovation of student housing at WNTC.”

McCann, named campus manager during Campus Director Gary Lind’s year long leave of absence to seek his doctorate, reported 38 units of the housing complex at WNTC will be remodeled under the plan. He said the work, to be done over a two-year period, will begin “as soon as possible, hopefully in February, and then it would continue over the summer.”

“We are looking at an expenditure of $500,000, part this fiscal year and the remainder next fiscal year,” McCann reported.

He said all the buildings will get both exterior and interior improvements, including new windows and extensive interior work where needed. “Not all of the buildings are in the same condition,” McCann explained, “so the amount done in each case will differ.”

Included in the project will be demolition of “a few of the buildings that are not in good enough condition to renovate. The plan will be to remodel the 38 buildings and not leave any standing that have not been remodeled.” McCann pointed out the present condition of some buildings on the campus “just detracts from the good condition of the rest.

Final decision on the project will come before the college’s governing body, the Western Technical College Area Board of Governors, during the regular January session Wednesday at Scottsbluff.

10 YEARS AGO

‘Butch Crookedfoot To Get Chamber Award of Honor’

January 21, 2003

A highlight of Thursday’s annual banquet of the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce will be the announcement of the winners of the awards.

Top award presented by the Chamber is the Edna Anderson award, named after the late founder and first president of the Chamber Ambassadors. She was the first to receive the honor in 1984.

One special Award of Honor being presented will be a popular choice to the expected 150 Chamber member and guests attending the annual banquet, to be at the Sidney Holiday Inn.

Cited will be Gail (Butch) Crookedfoot. “He is being honored for his willingness to help anybody who needs it, his support and love for his community and for being the state’s Number One Nebraska Husker fan,” said Gary Person of the committee who made the selection.

I was pretty excited when Gary (Person) told me about the award,” Butch said, about the chamber honor. Person will take him to the banquet and will make the presentation.

Butch does not drive, but that does not keep him from walking all over town, shoveling snow from sidewalks, washing windows and helping people do odd jobs whenever called on, especially those who are moving. He also helps at the Sidney Office of Human Development.

Butch’s family has been associated with Sidney since the 19th Century when a grandfather was an Indian scout for the Calvary at old Fort Sidney. Butch was born on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota on Feb. 3, 1944 but moved to Sidney with his mother in 1955.

Former Governor Ben Nelson appointed Butch to the State Commission for the Developmentally Disadvantaged and he was reappointed to a second four year term. Although his terms have technically expired, he still serves because the Commission appreciates the input and enthusiasm he brings, said local OHD officials.

Commission meetings are held twice a year in Lincoln. Besides attend the meetings, Butch has another reason he enjoys going to Lincoln. He makes it a point to visit a Husker Gift Shop, and keep his supply of Big Red mementos up to date.