COLUMBIA CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
PRESENTATION BY JERMITT KRAGE
June 17, 1979
Background
I was asked to share a few stories about growing up in Columbia from the forty’s
and fifties at the Columbia Centennial celebration on June 17, 1979. So dressed in
blue jeans, straw hat and a tee shirt and sitting on the bale of straw, I asked the
children to come to the front of the stage and told the following stories.
STORY:
Chief Drifting Goose and his small band of Lakota Sioux Indians greeted Nate and
Claire Johnson when they arrived on the James River site right near here a little
over 100 years ago. If it would have been all of us here today, I’m not sure we
would have been welcome. However, the Native Americans were willing to share
their land and other resources and that is why we are here today.
I want to thank those of you from the community that have keep this town alive, as
well as putting on this Centennial Celebration. As you know, the rest of us left the
community, some many years ago. But it is always good to “get back home” to see
family and friends.
I realize that most of you kids are probably getting tired of us old men and women
giving speeches about the “good ole days”. But perhaps I can share a few stories
about your dad and mom’s, and grand parents, aunts and uncles. You see I was a
kid here in Columbia about 30 years ago, when most of us were around.
It was pretty dusty then, especially the streets that didn’t have any gravel or
pavement. So as kids, we would run barefoot through the dusty streets. Dust
powder would squeeze through our toes as we ran down the street while wearing
our bib overalls. When it would rain on occasion, the dust became mud, and then it
was mud that would ooze between our toes. Of course our dads and moms would
get angry with us because our feet were always dirty. But our feet were only dirty
only for a little while because we only got a bath every Saturday night. Water was
limited so when we had our Saturday night bath we had to share the bath water
with our brothers and sisters. The youngest would go first, and since I was the
oldest, I had to go last.
In the wintertime, the snow on the roads would get packed real well. We could slide
our sleds and even ice skate right on the street. Some times when those old cars
were driving slowly down the streets, we would toss the ropes from our sled around
the bumper and ride on our sleds around town. Of course the driver wouldn’t
know, but when they found out they’d kick us off.
How many of you ever saw a road grader? Well, a road grader was a big machine
that what use to try to keep the roads smooth. Columbia had a yellow road grader.
We use to sneak rides behind the old road grader with our sleds or wagons. That is
until Paul Weston, the driver would catch us and really give us the dickens.
I really feel sorry for you kids because cars no longer have running boards. You
know what a running board was, don’t you? It was a step on the side of those real
high cars, so you could get into them. We use to ride on those old running boards of
those old cars. Not just any car, but Gramps Bill Krage’s old model T Ford.
Whenever Grandma Krage would see this, she would scold grandpa. Grandpa and
Grandma Krage use to have a dairy right on the edge of town. We would ride on
the running board so we could deliver milk to the houses a little faster. Grandpa
always wanted to see how fast we could deliver the milk.
Grandpa Bill was also the janitor at school and was the best basketball shooter from
the middle of the basketball court. Well, one of his job that the school board gave
him was to keep us kids out of the gym on weekends when school was suppose to be
closed.
Well, there always seemed to be one window in the school gym that was unlocked
on Saturday’s and Sunday afternoons. We kids would search to find that window,
crawl in and open the back door of the gym so the other kids could get in.
It was always a mystery why we were able to find a basketball, usually under the
bleachers, when the basketballs were supposed to be locked in the lockers. But
every weekend we would play basketball from the first minute we got into the gym
until just before dark when Grandpa Bill would come yelling and chase us out the
back door. I think he was afraid that we might turn the lights on.
Thursdays was a great day to be in town. We didn’t have a movie theater then, but
every Thursday night during the summer they would hang a large white sheet on a
side of building and show movies. We kids would sit on blankets up by the front,
while the adults would watch the movie from their cars that were parked in the
back.
So when the farmers came to town, they would drop their milk and cream off at
Steve Felix’s creamery. Then they would go over to Gus Schliebe’s blacksmith shop
to get their horseshoes fixed, or their plow shears sharpened. Gus Schliebe was also
the town police officer. He was shot once when he tried to stop some robbers from
robbing the Columbia State Bank.
Later, Mr. Lile became the blacksmith. Farmers went from horse to tractors, but
continued to use the plow to turn the soil in preparation for planting and other
equipment for harvesting the grain. They relied on Mr. Liles skill in forming the
many parts of farm equipment as implements broke down, as new parts were too
expensive to buy. Besides, his repaired equipment and shinny plow lathes were
better then what they could buy new. Mom use to say that he had “arms of steel,
heart of butter”. I like to visit there because they had a lot of neat kids.
Then the farmers would get their cars filled with gas at George Moles gas station,
where had one of the gas pumps with a handle to pump the gas. Columbia had two
grocery stores, Elliot's and Herther's. Both grocery stores had great candy,
especially the little root beer hard candies that only cost a penny, but lasted a long
time. If you wanted a good ice cream soda, you would have to go into Shannon’s
drug store or Peck’s corner cafe. Another place that farmers would usually stop
was Buntrock’s hardware and implement store.
After the movie we would always go over to Pecks Café, where you would get the
biggest strawberry or chocolate ice-cream cone for just a nickel. Boy that was really
great.
Sundays were also a good time to get together. Everyone would go to Sunday school
and church. We had three churches, a Lutheran, Catholic and Congressional
church. There was always something going on at one church or another. I think
they wanted to keep us kids out of trouble, and most of the time it worked.
During the summer Sunday afternoons, the town team played baseball right here in
the Columbia park. It would cost you a dime to go to the ball game, but Mr. Felix
would let you in, even if you didn’t have a dime. That’s what was so nice about this
town. Frank Felix, who always sold the ticket would say, “Okay, you can go in but
you're going to have to help find the foul balls”. And then he would usually give you
another nickel after the game if you found all the balls.
After the game, all the players (and when we could sneak in, us kids) would go the
Frank Hendricks pool hall. Franks was always the manger of the baseball team,
until Mr. Pence became the owner of the pool hall and managed the team. Anyway,
Frank and later Mr. Pence would also give you a nickel for helping find the
baseballs. The pool halls also had free pretzels, which were good, but pretty salty.
Boy, Columbia use to have a lot of people at the ball games. Cars surrounded the
ball field, and they would blow their horns when one of the teams scores a run, or
when one of the players made a good catch, or got a good hit. Columbia had some
great players. Willie Krage was a great center fielder, and Alfie Larson was a great
catcher. Willie’s dad, Otto was a pitcher. Vernie Weismantel and Bob Hanson
also pitched. Connie Everson and Fritz Krage usually played first and hit allot of
home runs. And you could count on Art Yeske to get two or more hits a game. I
really liked playing outfield with my cousin Willie or playing third base next to
Mike Healy who was the shortstop.
Frank Felix was the Forman for the railroad section crew. His son Hank, Shortly
Weifenback, and Frank were responsible for keeping the rails straight and solid for
the trains that came though Columbia twice a day. Those tracks were as straight as
a string, and there was never a train crash.
Close to the railroad tracks, and behind Kinchi’s elevator was a “bum camp”. This
is where the hobo’s stayed when riding on the trains and looking for jobs. We
weren’t allowed to go back there, but the hobo’s knew where they could always get a
good meal if they were having bad luck finding a job. One of the houses they would
come too was my dad and mom’s when they needed a good meal. Mom usually gave
them a job like, chopping wood, or hoeing the garden. Mom was a soft touch, and
like so many people in town, was always willing to help.
Ray Spenser was the railroad depot agent. He didn’t like those bums riding the
trains, but he didn’t do anything about it. Mr. Spencer was the best timekeeper in
Columbia. You see, everyone in town would set their clocks by when Mr. Spenser
walked past their house on the way to work. He was the most regular guy around.
He would leave his house at exactly fifty one- and one-half minutes before 8 o'clock
to go to work at the railroad depot.
Inez Thompson was supposed to keep accurate time for Columbia. She was the
telephone operator at the central switchboard. But she was really busy most of the
time talking or at least listening on the telephone. She was the most intelligent
person in town. She knew everything that was going on about the town. She should
have been the mayor instead of Mr. Rudy Buntrock.
Holidays were very special too. Valentines Day was one of my favorites, even
though my Mom would make me give every girl a valentine including those that I
didn’t like very well. But then I would usually give my favorite girl, the one I liked
best two valentines.
May Day was another fun day. That is when you would make little baskets from
cup cake wrappers and pipe cleaning stems, and fill them with candy and give them
to the girl you liked best. I would put the little basket of candy by the door; knock
on the door, and then run, hoping she would catch me. I would usually stumble
and fall so she could catch me and kiss me on the check. Well, my mom made me
give May baskets to all of the girls in town. So sometimes I would run really fast,
and sometimes a little slower.
Halloween was another great day. I heard that older kids like Harley Schmidt,
Morris Miller, Hershel Kemnitz, Alfie Larson, and many others would tip over
people’s outhouses or in some cases soap people’s windows.
One year a bunch of guys tied a long piece of twine to the school bell and then pulled
it through the trees over to Tuffy Cole’s yard. After midnight, they started ringing
the bell. Mr. Birdsell, the Superintendent came driving down the road to the school
to catch the guys that were ringing the bell. Well, he searched to school but didn’t
find anyone. So as soon as he left, the guys starting ringing the bell again. The bells
rope was right inside the door, so as soon as he opened the door, he would see that I
was going up and down and think that someone was still in there. He never did find
out what was happening because the guys decided to stop before he found the twine
string tied to the bell. But Grant Nelson who was the school custodian then found
the string and gave the guys the dickens the next day, as he had a pretty good idea
who did it.
Our group of guys and girls would never do something like that, except maybe one
time. Mr. Robert Martin who is here today was once the Schools superintendent.
He just bought this new Nash American car and he told us that this car could even
go though deep snow. One day when we got our first snow fall for the year, about 3
inches. So after basketball practice we decided to jack Mr. Martins back tires off
the ground and put it on blocks, but still keep the tires in a little snow. Later when
he tried to drive his car, the car’s tires just spun. So we offered to help him get us
car “unstuck”. When he had the wheels really spinning, we pushed the car off the
little blocks of wood, and he went flying across the road and into the ditch. Now,
Mr. Martin (who was present in the audience) you know what really happened.
Another time, we gave two of our teachers a chivalry. We started banging kettles
and blowing whistles until they came out of the house. They yelled at us and the
next day we were scolded by our parents and Mr. Martin. Our English teacher,
Miss Haire was nice to us and said that chivalries were celebrations for good luck. I
hope they had good luck.
Miss Haire was our study hall teacher who really likes to tell stories. In the winter
when it really got cold we would open the windows in the study hall so the
temperature in the room would go down to 50 degrees or less. When the
temperature went below fifty-five degrees, they would let us out of school.
Now I’m going to tell all of you kids a little secret, but don’t tell anyone. It was your
parents and grandparents who were doing all of these things. They would also go to
dances at Tacoma Park, Plana Hall, Wiley Park and the old high school gym. They
would stay out late, park their cars and talk all night long.
Yes, many great times happened in the forties and fifties. (1940’s and 1950’s) Most
of the men from this community were willing to fight for us and went to fight in the
war (WWII). One of the men was killed. His name was Robert Buntrock. Others
like Art and Emil Krage were badly wounded by gunfire.
We also had a Columbia High School graduate, Mr. Ralph Herseth as the Governor
of South Dakota. He was the first Democrat to be elected in over thirty years. He
supported the rural communities, especially the farmers, and the public schools. He
also believed that workers had the right to organize themselves into unions.
During the 1950’s we lost a building that we all loved so much. The Columbia
Public School building started on fire and burned to the ground. The memories and
the stories from that school are still with many of us here today. Great stories about
the school still can be heard on the streets and in the business places of Columbia.
One thing about Columbia, our girls were all beautiful. They were so pretty, guys
like Kenny Jark and Sid Axeman would come from other towns and steal our girls.
Many of these girls were in the Snow Queen Contest. In 1956 Margie Pence
Buntrock, 1957, Peggy Daly Dennert, 1958 Lana Yeske Hanson, 1959 Barbara Felix,
and 1960, Audrey Buntrock Papke were all snow queen candidates. Our girls like
my sister Carol, Cousin Darlene Krage and Mary Lile were also good athletes,
playing basketball and softball with the best of them.
These girls are your moms and grandmothers who are sitting behind you here
today.
Columbia High School was well known for their great athletic teams. The boys and
girls of this community were good athletes. The boys teams, because they were in a
regular conference had more opportunities. The basketball team went to the South
Dakota State B basketball tournament for the first time in 1952 and then again in
1953, and in 1959. The boy also played football, baseball and track. Columbia also
had a school band and a school newspaper. Mr. Huron was the athletic coach and
Mr. Kusler was the school newspaper advisor.
Today is Fathers day. I would like to tell you a little about my dad, who died
recently in an accident while working for the town after a tornado. My dad was
Herman Krage, Jr. But everybody called him Speed. Like most of us here today, he
was a kid in Columbia who walked the same dusty streets in the summer and snow
filled roads in the winter. He and my mom Anne had a small town diary. But dad
also worked in each of the gas stations here in Columbia, at the Columbia
Community youth center, and at the Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge. Like many who
lived in Columbia, he laughed, cried, danced, worked, fished, hunted and helped to
raise the children of this town. He had many friends, and like my mom Anne, was
respected by all those who knew them. Mom and Dad raised four of us, who are all
here at this centennial today. Brothers Orville (Pudge) and Robert, and Sister
Carol Krage Reed. Perhaps we were an average family who lived in Columbia. The
people of Columbia have been extremely supportive of our family. This is indicative
of the caring and love that people here have for one another.
However, those of us who lived in Columbia have been one family. People in
Columbia have always taken care of one another. And that is why we are here
together today to celebrate our lives. I hope that you will always remember this
and carry on in the same tradition.
Thanks to all of you for provide me the opportunity to share a few stories; stories
that come from all of us.
Jermitt Krage
Columbia High School Graduate 1952