Gurley turns 100

The town of Gurley celebrated its centennial birthday on June 22. The town began life as a train stop for the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1913.

The celebration started on an overcast morning, with some 20 participants hitting the road on a 5K run.

People then lined the streets for the parade. watching as the Boy and Girl Scouts, with flags in hand, led the way. There were horse drawn wagons, antique cars, motorcycles, riders on horseback and fire trucks, bringing up the rear with their sirens blasting.

Food was served at the Middle School, Hanger Bar and Lutheran Church, with donations at the church going to the tornado victims in Oklahoma.

Diane Ohman spoke at the Middle School about the history of Gurley, though the large crowd filled in the gaps. For example, Richard Freudenberg defended himself and his friends for a long ago incident in which they picked up his sister's Volkswagen and moved it to a hidden location.

“We only moved it a few feet,” he explained. His sister was nine months pregnant at the time.

An ice cream social and barbecue dinner closed the day Gurley turned 100 years old.