From Our Files

• May 6, 1948

The board of directors of the Hartley Chamber of Commerce forwarded a resolution to the post office department at Washington, D.C., requesting additional personnel for the local office. The Hartley post office had been operating for 20 years with the same amount of help while doing 2-1/2 times as much business. Hartley businessmen felt that additional help was needed.

Gerrit Post, well-known farmer of the Hartley community, became the owner and operator of the sales pavilion at Orange City. Post was an extensive feeder of cattle, and he and his family would continue to live on their farm south of Hartley.

• May 3, 1973

Conversation in cafes, stores and on the streets of Hartley centered around a story that broke in the daily press of a well-kept secret that Cook Industries, Inc., of Memphis, Tenn., planned to build a huge grain terminal on the outskirts of the community.

The land was purchased from Charles Cooper, of Hartley, who confirmed the story. The 100-acre site was located at the intersection of the Rock Island and Milwaukee railroads. The multi-million dollar terminal would have a storage capacity of two million bushels of grain and would handle the loading of 100 grain cars daily.

Work at the site was expected to begin shortly and completion date for the Hartley terminal was around the time of the 1974 harvest.

• May 7, 1998

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary held its annual pop can drive. The collection goal of 10,000 cans was exceeded by donations of 10,195 containers. A penny drive was also held and proceeds of both fundraisers were donated to South Elementary School at St. Peter, Minn. That community had been struck hard by tornadoes. H-M-S students also sent a video of the school, and art classes put together a booklet for students at St. Peter.

The Hartley City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting the use of skateboards and other types of skates on sidewalks in the downtown business district. Council members also discussed the existing ordinance prohibiting the riding of bicycles on downtown sidewalks. The council affirmed that the ordinance should be enforced and warnings were to be painted on the sidewalks in that area.

From Our Files” is compiled by Sentinel-News sports editor/staff writer Mike Petersen.