Niobrara County Library

06/22/2026

Space is available for this 'egg' painting!

06/22/2026

06/19/2026

Marcus Eriksen shared "Dinosaurs of Niobrara County" on Friday, June 19. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/uoG5lEc1fPA

06/18/2026

To read in your browser: https://tinyurl.com/msvu6n4f

Congregational Church Organ Paid For In Full
Courtesy of The Lusk Herald, 10/09/1913

The Lusk Herald,October 9, 1913

The organ for the Congregational Church was shipped September 23, and is expected to be here soon.

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The Lusk Herald, October 16, 1913

The new Estey organ for the Congregational Church arrived Tuesday, just in time for the conference to be held the latter part of the week.

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The Lusk Herald, October 23, 1913

The new organ for the congregational church came in time for the Conference, arriving Monday. Thew members and friends of the church are well pleased with it and ordered that it be paid for and retained by the church. The organ was purchased from the Estey organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., through the Knight-Campbell Music Co., of Denver.

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The Lusk Herald, November 6, 1913

Mrs. E, B. Willson has been elected organist of the Congregational Church. Mrs. Willson takes the place of Miss Alice Fowler who occupied that position so long but who is now attending the Conservatory of the Lincoln University.

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ORGAN PAID FOR IN FULL, SUPPLIES A DELINQUENT NOTE

The Lusk Herald, December 25, 1930

The old Estey organ, which performed service for the Congregational Church for seventeen years was retired some time ago, because one key insisted on playing whether the organist touched that particular note or not.

All efforts of supposed organ specialists to find out why that key insisted upon giving off music when it was supposed to be quiet, were baffled, and it continued to play.

Believing the organ to be afflicted with an incurable ailment, it was finally retired, and George Earl Peet gave it shelter in his funeral parlor, where it remained a silent witness to many a touching scene, and kept nightly vigil with the dear departed, awaiting their last ride over the hill to the Lusk cemetery.

Even such a placid, unruffled individual as Earl Peet, got tired of looking at the old organ with the industrious note, and decided to banish it forever sight. Mr. Peet called Roy Combs into consultation, and Mr. Combs consented to move it up to his house.

As the one note continued to play incessantly, Roy secured a mallet and crowbar and proceeded forthwith to explore the innards of the organ to find out what ailed it.

Under the valve, or tappet, of the key, he found a piece of paper, all yellow with age, which he carefully unfolded.

Cheyenne, Wyo., Nov. 18, 1913.Received of S. Burman Long, Two Hundred Fifty-One Dollars and 25 cents ($251.25) payment in full on one Estry organ.

Knight-Campbell Music Co., Per L.A. Huntoon.

The mystery was solved!

Being an honest old organ, it probably wanted the world to know that at least one organ had been paid for in full.

*Researchers’ note: S. Burman Long was pastor of the Lusk Congregational Church from 1911-15.

06/18/2026

Van Tassell History was presented at Van Tassell, A Day in the Life...

06/18/2026

The Buckaroo Bar / Night Club was presented at Van Tassell, A Day i...

06/18/2026

Dinosaurs and more! Friday, June 19 at 1 p.m.

06/14/2026

To read in your browser: https://tinyurl.com/7hbzuaec

Lusk's Main Street Flagpole
Courtesy of The Lusk Herald, 08/08/1918

The Lusk Herald, August 8, 1918

NEW FLAGPOLE DEDICATED WITH IMPRESSIVE SERVICE

Day Was Auspicious and the Crowd Was Receptive, Patriotic and Enthusiastic---the Speeches Were Full of Snap, Fealty and Patriotism Throughout Entire Ceremony

Flagpole is 70 Feet High and Made of Six-Inch Steel Piping

Chairman Hawthorne Handled the Ceremonies in Fine Shape, and Mr. Clark, the Orator of the Day Expounded Patriotism in it's Fullest Sense---Weather Was Fine

Saturday, August 3rd, 1918, was a proud day for Lusk, when “old Glory” was unfurled to the breeze and raised to the pinnacle of the flag-pole which was dedicated before a large audience. The flag-pole and flag were purchased and erected from subscriptions by the business men and private citizens of Lusk, consequently they are community property.

Mrs. Lena Henry, of the Henry Hotel, granted the use of the spacious hotel porch as a platform and here the speakers and musicians assembled while the audience lined both sides of the street.

Dr. Hawthorne was chairman for the occasion and summoned the participants in the program as follows:

D. E. Goddard, the first speaker, was down for a four-minute talk and discharged the obligation with pith, pathos and patriotism. Then followed the National anthem, “America”, rendered by the singers to the accompaniment of the Lusk band. At this juncture County Attorney Hartwell was announced and gave a short patriotic talk and summarized the work that is up to us to make our army heroic and successful and waxed enthusiastic in his denunciation of Prussianism. The Rev. J. Coleman Horton was next called to the rostrum and he gave a short dedicatory speech which was well received.

Chairman Hawthorne, at this period of the dedication exercises, introduced Mr. Clark as the orator of the day and it goes without saying that he did ample justice to the subject at hand. Mr. Clark took for the text of his speech the Bible story of the Good Samaritan, working and fighting in behalf of the nations of Europe now at war with Kaiserism and Kultur. At a point about midway in his address the speaker was pleasantly interrupted which the flag was raised to the top of the pole amid the cheers of those assembled, the band meanwhile playing “The Star Spangled Banner with a patriotic peroration, his effort being loudly applauded by the audience. Mr. Clark is an exceptionally good extemporaneous speaker with a pleasing personality.

Rev. O. E. A. Blenkarn closed the ceremony with the rendition of a poem entitled, “Your Flag and My Flag,” followed by a short prayer.

There was quite an assemblage at the dedication, but the gathering was not as large as it might have been owing to the fact that farmers are busy at this time cutting grain, hence the attendance from the rural districts was somewhat limited.