Dear Listers, Aside from the obituaries and other family news, the Plattsmouth Journal had many articles that reflected a bustling community. Good weather was regularly reported and with that was the expectation of good crops. It was an election year and Cass county watched closely as Woodrow Wilson carried California by 3700 votes. The Home Guard helped to tighten the border at Mexico and there was speculation over the length of the war with Germany. In September, 1916, Plattsmouth had a Home Coming for its pioneer citizens and urged former residents to "come home" for the celebration. The Journal pulled out all the stops and dedicated several full pages to the history of the city and the short biographies of some of their surviving pioneers. I hope this just gives you a little flavor of the times and a bit of perspective to go along with some of the news articles that follow. Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere! Becky Plattsmouth Journal, Monday, July 24, 1916 THE SOUTH PART OF THE CITY IMPROVING TO GREAT EXTENT The south portion of the city has been doing a great deal of improving this season in the building line and a number of the homes in that section of the city have been remodeled and placed in first class shape and a number of new homes put up that greatly adds to the appearance of that part of the city and indicates that there is a steady advancement in the property interests of that section. With its wooded hills and handsome homes nesting among them there is nor more attractive spot in the whole city that that lying in the south part of Plattsmouth. The new homes that have been erected are all occupied by families that aid in making the city prosperous and from Main street south to the city limits there is a region of handsome and attractive homes that certainly speaks well for the advancement of the city. With the improvements already made and those projected for the next few months, this section of the city will come rapidly to the front. Plattsmouth Journal, Monday, August 7, 1916 OPENING BIDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SCHOOL HOUSE [front page] >From Friday�s Daily. The board of education yesterday took up the task of opening the bids for the construction of the new high school building in this city that is to cost $50,000 and to replace the present inadequate structures that have served to house the schools for the last forty years. The task of rewarding the contract is one that will require some time to determine as there are a large number of bids and the tabulation of the different bids and the comparison of them will be thoroughly taken up by the board of education before the contract is let. The new building will be erected on the southeast portion of the school grounds some hundred feet back from the lot line, which is the most convenient spot for the building and will allow of having the heating plant in the northeast portion of the building in the basement and where the furnace room may be reached on the ground level and will be much more convenient for the handling of coal and rubbish from the building. The board of education is devoting a great deal of time to the work of erecting the new building and will see that the best interests of the citizens are guarded in the putting up of the new structure that is to house the high school and departmental grades of the school. Plattsmouth Journal, Monday, November 20, 1916 MORE MEN ON JOB AND PAVING IS PROGRESSING >From Friday�s Daily. The paving work on Washington avenue is progressing in very good shape as the Monarch company has secured additional men for the work and with the improving weather conditions they are able to rush the work along, and will soon have several of the streets ready for use. The use of asphalt filler on the paving has been a great improvement over the sand filler and will result in giving the people of the city a much nicer pavement than would be possible otherwise. It makes a solid surface and is waterproof, and much more sanitary and clean than other methods of filler used on paving work. With favorable weather conditions it will be only a short time now until the paving is completed and the splendid highway thrown upon for the use of the public for travel, and it certainly will be a vast improvement over the street in the past, when it was impassable at times for mud. Plattsmouth Journal, Thursday, December 21, 1916 ORNAMENTAL GATE LEADING TO OAK HILL CEMETERY The suggestion made at a recent meeting of the city council in regard to the placing of an ornamental iron gateway leading to Oak Hill cemetery is a step in the right direction toward improving the appearance of this city of the silent, which until the last few years has not been given the attention that it should have from the community. In almost all cities the last resting place of the loved ones is carefully looked after and kept up in the best shape but in this respect Oak Hill cemetery has not been kept to the standard that it should be. The present committee of the council that has charge of the cemetery work has been in earnest injan [sic] effort to secure better conditions there and to have the cemetery present the proper appearance that it should but it has taken a great deal of time to get the plans for the proper improvements completed and this has retarded the work somewhat. The persons who own lots in the cemetery should join hands with the comm! ittee of the council in seeing that the cemetery is kept in proper shape by having their lots fixed up in a fitting matter. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.