Sunday Stories: Timeline 1899 - 1919

Excerpts from the Sutherland Centennial, 1891-1991.

January 1899 – Sutherland was suffering from a measles epidemic that resulted in the deaths of several children.

July 4, 1899 – W.C. Blackmore held a fireworks disply to celebrate the fourth.

March 22, 1900 – A petition is being circulated to change the name of this precinct from O’Fallons to Sutherland. “Such a change would be convenient, but it would lose some of the historic features of the old name.”

May 1900 – Census reports Sutherland population at 406.

October 4, 1900 – Many citizens of Sutherland and Wallace went to North Platte to hear Teddy Roosevelt speak.

November 20, 1900 – Sutherland was visited by a traveling “mindreader”.

December 4, 1902 – An article appeared in the paper on “coal rustlers”, these persons were stealing coal due to a shortage that was occurring due to heavy snow.

December 18, 1902 – A shortage of coal was temporarily broken with the arrival of a forty ton carload. Coal was loaded on wagons and distributed to 65 families.

July 9, 1903 – An automobile passed through Sutherland en route to the east. The people fled to their houses and no casualties were reported.

September 3, 1903 – A brass band is being organized in town. Instruments are ordered. There is talk of building a “pest house” where they can practice.

April 12, 1905 – The Village of Sutherland is Incorporated and this act allows the organization of the Village and the appointment of a Board of Trustees.

April 27, 1905 – The new Village Board prints the first two ordinances of the Village. #1 defines the boundaries of the Village of Sutherland and #2 provides for regular meetings of the Board and for maintaining and caring for records and ordinances.

May 11, 1905 – Nearly the entire population turned out at the depot to watch the train bearing President Theodore Roosevelt pass through. The President waved to the crowd from the rear platform as the train passed through.

May 14, 1908 – A small cyclone passed through Sutherland. It caused damage west of the Sutherland House. The damage was primarily to houses.

September 2, 1909 – A major fire occurred in downtown Sutherland.

May 1910 – Census reports the Sutherland population at 978.

July 28, 1910 – Headlines announced the worst heat wave in years. Temperatures were 110* locally.

September 22, 1910 – A bunch of gypsies invaded Sutherland and started to pester citizens in the usual gypsy manner. Marshall Gentry bumped into the outfit and finally got it to move onward.

April 27, 1911 – The “South Side Tigers” will have a ball game on ground leased from J.L. Case. There will be a grandstand erected and the diamond put in good shape. The team received new uniforms that were brown with local businesses advertised on the back in white. The ball field was also fenced and named Veach Park.

July 11, 1912 – A major fire occurred early Sunday morning that was discovered by an arriving train crew. About a third of the businesses were lost and the State Bank and Burklunds brick building were the only ones left east of Walnut Street.

July 11, 1912 – Governor C.H. Aldrich visited Sutherland.

August 1, 1912 – Plans began to build a water system between buildings for fire protection.

September 19, 1912 – The village posted signs setting the speed limit within the city at 8 m.p.h.

November 14, 1912 – Another major fire destroys the frame buildings west of Walnut Street.

June 11, 1914 – A Sutherland Chautauqua was held from June 11th to June 20th.

November 26, 1914 – Vernon Connett was murdered by Ray Roberts near Sutherland.

April 22, 1915 – The paper discusses the towns’ reputation as “The prettiest small town in western Nebraska along the Union Pacific.”

October 21, 1915 – The South River Bridge will cost $35,000.

July 25, 1918 – The Village announced that the Sutherland Light Plant will run from 1:00pm to 11:00pm. This was amended in September to power being furnished during the forenoon on Mondays and Tuesdays pending a vote of the patrons on which half days they would rather use the electricity for washing and ironing.