Decatur County Museum - Oberlin, KS

Oberlin Herald - June 17, 1976

Oberlin youngsters took advantage of Friday's heat to enjoy cooling off in the city pool. The mercury topped 106 degrees, the highest in the nation that day according to Oberlin weather observer Mrs. Bruce Farr.

Carol Bryan Appears Tuesday on Art Linkletter TV Show
Oberlin Herald - June 16, 1966
Carol Bryan, 16-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Bryan, Center Township, was a guest of Art Linkletter on his CBS-TV and radio “House Party” show shown Tuesday from Hollywood.

Miss Bryan, a DCHS student, was visiting relatives in Los Angeles with her grandmother Mrs. Ruth Shaw in May when they decided to tour Hollywood.

At CBS studio, Miss Bryan was interviewed for the Linkletter show and was accepted to play “Guess What’s in the House,” a contest conducted on the show in which studio audience members are given clues to guess the items hidden inside a miniature house placed on the center-stage podium.

Carol was awarded a bottle of perfume for competing in the contest. The show was taped and shown on TV Tuesday.

Jim Wesch will be talking about Indian battles at our June Round Table - 3:00 Thursday, June 18 at the Landmark!

Do You Recognize This House?
Work Progressing on New Residence
Oberlin Herald - June 11, 1931

With the good building weather of the past week, work has been progressing rapidly on the H. Ernest Nichols’ residence, built along the Spanish Mission style. Most of the outside work is completed and presents a distinctive appearance.

Guy Morrish, 83, still enjoys golfing
Oberlin Herald - June 17, 1976
By Ronda Haskins

Retired Oberlin businessman Guy Morrish is an often-recognized man, not only on the downtown streets, but on the Oberlin golf course as well.

Morrish, 83, has been teeing off on Oberlin Country Club greens for 54 years and has gone through “about two or three” sets of clubs since he signed the club’s charter in 1922.

“A group of fellows got together and bought the land for the course and charged dues to keep it going,” Morrish said of the establishment of the Oberlin Country Club. He was one of the charter members, and is still active in the organization. “My friends started playing, and I joined in for the fellowship,” he said.

“Of course, there weren’t golf lessons around here back then, so I learned to golf by just going out and swinging the club,” he said.

Morrish used to play in tournaments, but he admitted, “I didn't win very many prizes. The trophies were few and far between because the other fellows were always better.”

He goes golfing about two or three times each week, “whenever it’s warm enough to go, even in winter.” Several years ago when he still wintered in the South, he played year round.

GOLF IN “THE OLD DAYS”
As Morrish recalls, there were 25 charter members of the Oberlin Country Club, “and most of us wore overalls” and not golfing knickers, which were popular at that time.

“We all had wooden-handled clubs back then, and they weren’t very good,” he continued, “because they warped. Now we use steel-shanked clubs.”

“We didn’t have any carts when we first started out and didn’t have the money to afford caddies.” Morrish has an electric cart to drive now. “I get all the exercise I need shooting out in the rough,” he said.

The first course at the country club was a nine-hole sand-green course east of Oberlin on Highway 36. Morris explained that a sand green has smooth sand around the holes. “It didn't make a bad green. I enjoyed playing on it. The only trouble was it had to be raked to keep it smooth.”

He also enjoys the new golf course, which was built at Sappa State Park several years ago. “I think it’s fine, and it’s wonderful what they’ve done with it,” he said,

IN BUSINESS 60 YEARS
Morrish retired as proprietor-manager of Morrish Hardware in 1962. He was born in Hoxie and except for his first half-year has lived in Oberlin ever since. His father opened the Morrish Hardware store in 1887, and Morrish took over the family business in 1919.

Besides golfing, Morrish plays bridge, enjoys carpentry, and occasionally joins in the activities at the Golden Age Recreation Center. “I do what everyone else does when they retire,” he said.

He has two children, Mrs. Gertrude Huckleberry, Richland, Wash., and Sidney Morrish, Albuquerque, N.M., and five grandchildren. A few of them share his interest in golf.

His wife, Norma, who died in November 1975, also played golf and the couple occasionally joined in Scotch foursomes at the Oberlin Country Club.

“I enjoy golf, and I keep it up because I enjoy it. It gets my mind off of everything else - even my troubles,” Morrish said.

He has no plans for slowing down his golf activities. “I guess I’ll just go along. . . and golf as long as I can.”

Guy C. Allen, 83 Dies Sunday
Oberlin Herald - June 14, 1956
Guy C. Allen, one of Decatur County’s senior citizens, died at the Decatur County Hospital Sunday morning at the age of 83.

From a pioneer family and a resident of this county for 60 of his 83 years, Allen was recognized as an outstanding authority on this area’s history. Often a public servant and still active in business right up to a few days before his death, Guy Allen had served as a sort of community elder statesman in his later years.

Allen grew up with Decatur County, coming here in 1874 as a two-year-old, attended the county’s first log school house and first Sunday school.

In his teens, he was a stenographer for the United State Land Office in Oberlin and later managed and clerked for local retail houses besides farming, auditing for a local investment company, serving as register of deeds and police judge, and in his recent years, abstracting, selling insurance, and acting as this community’s representative for the State Motor Vehicle Department.

Born in Brodhead, Wisconsin in 1872, Guy Allen came to Kansas with his mother and brothers and sisters in May 1874. His father, Captain Justin W. Allen, had preceded his family to Kansas to homestead a claim of 160 acres in northeast Decatur County.
Captain Allen, who traced his Scotch-Irish-English lineage back to Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen, had served in the Union forces in the Civil War and participated in Sherman’s march to the sea.

He was this county’s first merchant, first postmaster, and Oberlin’s first mayor.

Guy Allen’s mother, Harriet Witter Allen, was from Wisconsin and after she came to this county served as the area’s only nurse.

One of seven still alive 75 years after Kansas’ last Indian raid here September 30, 1878, Guy Allen frequently recalled his mother’s role in attending the injured after the massacre.

Guy’s brother Oberlin Earl was the first white child born in Decatur County.

After attendance at public schools here and business college in Madison, Wisconsin, Allen worked for the Land Office here. In 1893, he went to Colorado City, Colorado, first in business, and later as a public official.

In the middle of the gold rush, his health failed, and Allen went to Baltimore, Maryland. Later he was in San Bernardino, California, working for the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad. Seriously injured there, he later returned to Baltimore and again to Colorado.

His health had returned sufficiently by that time that he won a five-mile roller skate race in Colorado Springs in 1903. After learning the steamfitting trade with a Colorado Steel corporation, he returned to Oberlin to manage a dry goods firm.

After working for Campbell, Dean and Wilbur, he farmed southwest of Oberlin for six years before going to a Kansas City, Missouri, brokerage firm.

Guy Allen returned to Oberlin in 1923. In 1927, he was elected Register of Deeds and served two terms. He was police judge through the 1930s.

Allen had been a member of the Presbyterian Church for many years. He helped organize the Lions Club after World War II.

He is survived by his wife, Mabel Allen, a daughter Louetta Wine, and a son Guy Clark Allen, both of Miami, Florida, a stepdaughter Elma Ashley of Selden, a stepson, Phyll Cramer, Oberlin, eight grandchildren and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Agnes Handyside Allen, who died in 1900; a daughter, Edith Blanche, who died in 1918 at the age of 22; his brothers Arthur W. and Oberlin Earl Allen, and a sister Edith Uvary.

Kyle Elwood Lassos State Championship
Oberlin Herald - June 12, 1986
Kyle Elwood, a 1986 DCHS graduate, won the calf-roping championship at the Kansas State High School Rodeo Association state finals held in Topeka this past weekend.

Elwood is the son of Neal and Norma Elwood, Oberlin, and participated in three go arounds to win the state honors Sunday afternoon in the grand finale. His first place earned him a saddle and boots and the right to go on to compete in the nationals to be held July 26 in Rapid City, S.D.

Jay Todd, Rexford, and Elwood will also be competing in team roping in the nationals as they placed fourth in that event. Last year the duo captured first place in team roping in the state finals.

Elwood was also entered in steer wrestling and cutting but did not place in the top four. He won belt buckles in three other events.

Those attending the three days of rodeo action from Oberlin were Neal and Norma Elwood, Sandy Elwood, Susan Wilson, Lacey and Brady, and Jody Black and Chelsey.

Elwood competed in 23 high school rodeos throughout the year, which qualified him to enter state competition. His state championship sends him on to the nationals next month in Rapid City, S.D.

Quick feet of Miss Goldie Hancock, a 6-year-old Palomino mare owned by Kyle Elwood, 18, helps him win the championship in calf roping at the Kansas State High School Rodeo Association finals held in Topeka.

Bomb Found South of Town Friday
June 15, 1961
A bomb found near the bridge south of town by Andrew Bissett caused considerable excitement Friday before it was identified as being a harmless five-pound practice bomb.

Andrew Bissett is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Bissett, who lives in a basement apartment at the Phil Hackney residence. Not knowing exactly what he had or the danger, had it been a real bomb, the boy took it home and was playing with it in the yard when Hackney saw it.

The sheriff’s office was called, city police alerted, and the highway patrol at Norton was notified, who in turn got in touch with Fort Riley. Finally Bob Fraker, local airport manager, was contacted, and he identified the bomb from his military experience as a five-pound practice bomb. He said it was not dangerous, and in fact contained no explosives.

How the bomb got there remains a mystery. The demolition experts from Fort Riley did not come after identification was made by Fraker.
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The Decatur County Museum has a WWII practice bomb in our military room, donated by Gary Guinn. This practice bomb was used at Lowry Air Base in Denver.

Practice bombs were training devices filled with white flour or sand, built to the same weight and aerodynamics as an actual live bomb. They were dropped during training exercises by bombardiers and pilots to visually mark target hits without the danger or expense of real explosives.

The flour practice bomb was vital for teaching aerial accuracy - often testing the pilot's ability to calculate wind drift, airspeed, and altitude - though its actual implementation varied based on the military branch, training phase, and specific aircraft.

A few FFA members from Oberlin have been state FFA officers, but Mary Wilson is the only DCHS graduate who was the State FFA President. She served in 1986-87.

She was also the Northwest Kansas District President in 1985-86 and the District Reporter in 1984-85.

Mary Wilson to chair State FFA
Oberlin Herald - June 12, 1986
Mary Wilson, member of the DCHS chapter of the Future Farmers of America, was elected state FFA president last Saturday in the closing moments of the organization’s state convention held at Kansas State University in Manhattan June 5-7.

Wilson was one of seven DCHS students attending from the Oberlin chapter and one of 18 candidates from across the state applying for a state officer position.

Also participating in the FFA’s 58th annual convention from Oberlin were Marlene Tally, John Kelley, Stan McEvoy, Marc Wolf, Kurt Bennett, and Rob Bryan. The group was accompanied by adviser Duane Dunn and Roger and Angie Wilson, Mary’s parents.

Wilson, who will serve the 5,800 members of FFA across the state, is the first young woman to be elected Kansas FFA president. She is also the first state president from the Oberlin chapter.

In 1954-55, Waldo Anderson was the State FFA Vice President, and in 1956-57, Duane Unger served as state sentinel. DCHS has also had two State FFA Sweethearts - Donna Guinn in 1969 and Dea Macfee in 1988.

Wilson went through a rigorous interviewing process with a panel of present and former state officers, State Dept. of Education staff, and KSU faculty. Her name was on the ballot of 10 candidates announced Friday afternoon. Each made a nominating speech with the voting following immediately afterward. Announcement of the results came Saturday evening.

The Oberlin FFA members received bronze awards for their national chapter activities and for the community service projects. All chapters in the state may submit applications for the awards, with the top 50 percent being ranked as gold, silver, or bronze.

Throughout the convention, local chapter members participated. John Kelley played with the State FFA band Friday and Saturday evenings. Wilson served as chairman and Tally as recorder for the “Future of America Tour” committee. Tally also helped with convention registration as the Northwest District reporter. Over 750 members from 116 chapters were present.

Both Wilson and Tally were in the prepared and extemporaneous speaking contests, having qualified earlier as district representatives. Tally placed 13th in both divisions and Wilson placed 7th in prepared and 3rd in extemporaneous.

The 1986-87 State FFA Officers. Mary Wilson is in the front row on the right.

Oberlin Herald – June 14, 1956
G.B. Long (3rd from left, bottom row), a promising athlete at DCHS prior to an automobile accident when he was 15, has become a basketball star of the “Aggie Wheels,” a wheelchair team for rehabilitating paraplegics at Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

The team representing the rehabilitation center, an adjunct of Oklahoma A&M, is undefeated. In a recent game, the “Aggie Wheels” won 46-12 for the benefit of the Okmulgee Recreation Center. G.B. was high-point man of the game with 14 points.

For the same benefit, the rehab center put on a wheelchair square dancing exhibition. G.B. is training as a watch repairman.

Glenn is the son of Bryan (Red) and Leta Long of Oberlin.