From Our Files

• Dec. 22, 1949

Many Hartleyites found it well worth their while to drive to the Martin Decker home northwest of Hartley to view the beautiful Christmas display arranged at the farm.

The three Santa Claus days in Hartley drew good-sized crowds. Approximately 2,200 treats were distributed on those days to juvenile visitors. Several merchants also reported record business volume on those days.

A committee consisting of Leonard Zahn, William Specht and Kermit Kloppenburg judged the 28 homes that were decorated in the Christmas theme for the home decorating contest. The committee agreed that the decorating was exceptional. The Lon MacDowell, W.A. Hamilton, Dr. J.C. Peterson, Walter Kruger and A. Bartelson homes were judged as best, or in the “Blue Ribbon Group.”

• Dec. 19, 1974

Nebraska Properties Limited, an Omaha-based firm, committed itself to submitting plans for construction of 10 low rent housing units. The firm also took an option on property in east Hartley owned by Trinity United Church of Christ. The congregation had voted to sell the property for the purpose of a low rent housing project.

Footings were poured for a new liquor store to be located on Highway 18, just west of Eilers Sports. The new building was 35x80 feet in size, and was being constructed by Structural Design, of Holstein. They were also owners of the building to be leased to the State Liquor Commission.

Lacy Jackson, owner of the L&L Café building that was heavily damaged by fire, informed the city council that he had made arrangements to fill the stairwell with debris from the former Hartley Creamery building, and to have the area paved. The café building would then either be sold or renovated.

• Dec. 23, 1999

More than $10.2 million in federal class size reduction funding was allocated to Iowa in the FY2000 budget. The amount represented an increase of $791,401 from the prior year. The funds were to be used for hiring more school teachers to reduce class sizes. Estimated allocation amounts for area schools were Clay Central/Everly, $8,837; and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, $14,918.

Children in the Hartley Head Start program celebrated Christmas with a number of activities in their classroom. Two stories were read and each child received a book as a gift, compliments of PM Hartley.

In anticipation of the new millennium, a group of area women had been working for over three yeas to make “ugly quilts” for 2,000 homeless people in the Midwest. The quilts made of long strips of fabric were distributed to homeless shelters in larger cities and through Upper Des Moines Opportunity.

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