100 years ago: Founders hope to make country club ‘society center of the town’

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for August 22, 1914:

  • “The membership of the Country Club is growing in a way that is pleasing to the promoters of the club. Since the definite lease of the ground has been made there has been a number of new members who have signed up for stock and the membership is growing every day…. Several of the prominent citizens of the town who are very much interested in the Country Club movement are out of town and have been ever since the movement was started, but will be only too glad to get membership in the club after they have returned from their summer’s vacation…. It has been estimated that the club house will be used by at least 500 people. Not all at the same time, but there will be that many who will have access to the house and grounds. This conclusion has been reached from the fact that there will be about 200 members of the club and most of the members are married men and a number of them have families. The wives and children of the members will be just as welcome at the club as the men members. The intention is to make the Country Club the society center of the town and make every one at home there. The club house will be the scene of some of the best social functions of the town.”
  • “Fruit canning at Haskell has been in progress and Mrs. Olson seems to have an endless job before her, with the big crops of fruit and vegetables that are being turned over to her. Yesterday and the day before she and the girls put up fifty gallons of grape juice, thirty gallons of which are to be used at the school picnic today. At the same time she made twenty gallons each of peach and grape butter, and canned 238 quarts of peaches. This morning the school kitchen was fairly littered with dishpans full of both peaches and grapes, which Mrs. Olson hoped to be able to put up this morning. In speaking of the picnic which she is also preparing for this morning Mrs. Olson remarked: ‘It seems as if everything always happens at the same time, but these must be put up or they will spoil.'”
  • “The Haskell boys and girls are at Woodland today and they have been having good times this summer. Along with lawn socials twice a week, car rides, trips to the airdome, and walks, here comes the second big picnic of the summer for the whole school. Four carloads of pupils left the school directly after dinner today for the park. There are about 250 boys and girls at the school this summer and most of these rode in the cars…. The putting up of the lunches was quite an interesting sight. They were put in individual basket. These contained three kinds of sandwiches, butter, grape butter, hard cheese, cake, frankfurters, one pickle, two big peaches, and a bunch of grapes. Besides carrying out all these lunches the school took thirty gallons of grape juice and two big freezers of ice cream. Mr. Wise had promised the school a picnic for some time, but he said that the silos must be filled first. The last of the three was finished yesterday, so the school is having one grand time this afternoon.”
  • “The new Fire Chief’s car is here and is being tried out this afternoon. It was brought out this morning. The new car has a formidable look and will make good in getting the men to the fires in short order. It is built just as was planned by the fire department. It carries two fifty gallon chemical tanks and several feet of small hose. It will accommodate four passengers including the driver.”
  • “Fire alarm was turned in to the fire department at 1:30 o’clock this morning. The fire was in the barn belonging to the Dyche property at 1601 Massachusetts street. Practically the whole structure was destroyed by the fire. The loss was estimated at about $100.”
  • “Early this morning as Clarence Henderson was loading his delivery wagon at the Windmill Grocery his horse started before he was ready and the boy could not get hold of the lines. The horse ran north on Mississippi street to Eighth street where it turned east. The boy was thrown from the wagon on the turn but succeeded in jumping to the grass on the terrace. He was not injured by the fall. The horse was caught at the S. and S. Grocery. The wagon was not damaged.”
  • “At one of the stores a prize is being offered to the person bringing the largest watermelon. Six melons have been received and any one of them will weight from 50 to 60 pounds.”