From the June 12, 1985 issue of
The Ravenna News
Headline: Poole Was A Thriving Community In Early Days
By Lois and Birney Hughes
Poole began as Pool Siding with a Post Office on June 23, 1892 and became Poole, February 2, 1906. The Union Pacific Railroad put in a side track and built a stockyard for the purpose of shipping cattle for a large rancher. In 1876. W. W. Pool had a ranch in this area and town was named after him.
The town was plotted by Nebr. Land and Cattle Co. which had a siding on the railroad. Poole was incorporated on April 28, 1910. Board of Supervisors of Buffalo Co. approved the petition and five trustees were appointed by the supervisors to organize the village.
Mr. C. E. Clark, the banker was chosen chairman, and Joe C. Mahoney as clerk. The clerk was the only salaried one. His salary was $35.00 per year. A marshall was appointed and he was to receive $2.00 per day when actually employed.
The Duncan Store, date unknown, furnished to the Ravenna News by Helen McInnis
The Village of Poole at its peak was quite a town. Population in 1920 reached 337.
A grocery store handled food, materials, and small articles of hardware. They also bought cream and eggs, and sold
kerosene, gas and motor oil. George and Susie Duncan ran the store for many years,
then Glenn and Dorothea Stover took it over, then later Glen and Bonnie Feldineyer
operated it until it burned to the ground.
Criffield's also had a store in the middle of town. It also had most of the needle articles. W. W. Heapy bought it and Minnie Perry helped to run it for years. They also bought cream and eggs which was an exchange for groceries, and gas. A. R. Lindsay purchased this store and made the remark he was going to make a killing so he could go farming. He purchased chickens for 30 cents each, but only stayed a few years when Andy Anderson purchased it and lived in the back of the store.
Possibly (??) the Criffield/Anderson store ? about 1900? But probably the Edson store, according to Winona Snell, who recalls the Edsons.
NOT from the Ravenna News article, but rather courtesy Kim Stover. The original photo is barely readable. The sign on the roof says "Drugs." Other writing below the windows says "Drugs R___ goods, sundries" "___ Paper" "Stock feed and Veterinary Sup__" and "Rexall ? ____"
Julie Martin ran the Post Office, then Art Binder moved it to back of an implement building for a few years, until Glenn Stover moved it back to the back of his grocery store. It was there until the store burned; at which time it was moved to a mobile home until it was closed. Mrs. Mae Stover, Beulah Solmon, Diana [Johnson - rrs] Axeman, and Sue Johnson all worked in the Post Office at Poole.
Rural mail carriers were Floyd Thompson, George Jochem, and Glenn Stover. The route was discontinued and mail is now brought out of Ravenna.
In the fall teams pulling wagons of grain would line up for a half mile or more and wait to unload at the elevator. Then as the roads improved, business fell off. The first elevator burned down. The two were R. B. Wort and Walter Whitcomb elevators. W.H. Hughes ran the Wort elevator for many years as Wort lived in Pleasanton and also had an elevator there.
Ralph Hughes bought the Whitcomb elevator and tore it down and built some out buildings on his place on the edge of Ravenna. Harvey Bissel sold rent corn for six cents a bushel and Hughes' bought a lot of twelve cent corn to feed. [what is "rent corn?" - rrs]
At the end of the street was a meat market run by John Fiedler. The hall over the meat market was used as a community hall for gathering and dancing until the hall became unsafe.
John Langkee ran a cream station on main street.
A theater and ice cream parlor was run by Floyd Thompson and while the film was being rewound Elsie Harvey kept the crowd entertained with piano music.
Ed Hughes ran the ice cream parlor for several years after shows were discontinued.
After W. W. Heapy sold his grocery store he opened a pool hall, a short way down the street. There was soft drinks, pool tables, barber shop, and a place to gather. Clayton Pruner barbered in here.
Wheeler had a barber shop and haircuts were 30 cents and a shave 20 cents. The other barbers were Clayton Pruner and Jack Ewer. They were in stone building across the street and then moved to Heapy's pool hall.
Oliver Fimple had a shoe repair shop in Poole.
Charles Clark was the banker and his daughter Marge helped in it, until the bank in Ravenna closed when Charles Zimpfer persuaded him to move his bank to Ravenna. Charles Clark became ill and Charles Zimpfer took it over.The Tollefsen Elliot Lumber Co. was prominent business in Poole run by Ora Parker and Bud Clark. They sold a lot of coal in those days. The Whitcomb elevator also sold coal.
Walt Eggleston and Otto Gruhn, who came from Worms, had a Carpenter Shop and built many buildings in this area.
The west end of Main Street, date unknown, furnished to the Ravenna News by Helen McInnis
The railroad went through Poole. Dick Perry ran a dray business, meeting the train and hauling groceries back from the depot. He also helped Wesley with ice deliveries. The ice was cut from the Loup River and buried in straw in a dug out hole until delivered.
Bert Stover ran a blacksmith store. Part of this shop became a garage repair shop. Both Duff Hanna and Ross Burton were mechanics here.
Joe Mahoney was depot agent for years at Poole. It was at last used for housing.
Ed Pool worked for the railroad. Ed Wisbaurn was section boss at one time. Green and Berkheitner also worked on the section.
A well known fire cave in Poole contained two, 2 wheeled fire carts, that contained chemicals to fight fire. When the school house caught fire in the excitement of getting there, one upset. One of these is now kept in the fire department building at Ravenna.
The stockyards was a busy place along the tracks. W.H. Hughes at one time bought hogs and shipped out of Poole as well as cattle and sheep. Paul Niemack once purchased 15,000 sheep and they arrived at Poole at three o'clock in the morning and Birney Hughes recalls helping to drive and unload them, and getting them to a farm north of Poole.
There was a prominent implement business that Bill Eldridge ran for years. It was later purchased by Walter Whitcomb and after that run by Rusty Whitcomb.
Hank Abrahms bought horses and had a huge barn for them, Charlie Hanna worked for him many years. Later Charlie Hanna traveled with large shipments of hogs to Omaha and the west coast.
George Luce delivered milk around Poole. Later years Jay Luce did the milk deliveries.There was only one church in Poole, it was the Methodist Church. It was used for many family reunions and community gatherings. It was eventually left vacant and was purchased by Roy Schade and torn down by him for the lumber. There was a large group that joined the same day at the Methodist Church in Ravenna. The silver ware, trays, tea towels, and many other things are still in use at the Ravenna Church.
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Poole had a ten grade L shaped schoolhouse. It burnt to the ground in 1927. School was moved to the stone garage across the street from the store until a new $17,000.00 school house could be built.
Poole School, before 1927, furnished to the Ravenna News by Helen McInnis
The fire started in the north chimney. Donald and Mary Standage arrived at school about this time and met Birney Hughes on his way to school and they ran to tell McClary.
Birney recalls trying to retrive a special new fountain pen from his desk unsuccessfully. A strong north wind caused it to burn fast. One fire cart upset on the way to the fire. Flames and smoke could be seen five to six miles away.
A nice new brick school house was built, with primary, intermediate, and high school rooms, library plus a large auditorium basement for basketball, community activities such as literary and school plays. Red Cross sewing also took place here.
The Hugo Player's livened the town of Poole when ever they came. They performed in tents across the tracks from the store, and were enjoyed by young and old alike.
Art Binder had a gas station along the highway. Gas was also sold at both grocery stores and a garage at one time or other.
On Saturdays the neighbors gathered for supplies and deliver produce and the kids played marbles on the sidewalks, as well as other games. An occassional circus came to Poole to delight everyone.
Billy Hughes once asked his Dad for a quarter for candy at Duncan's Store. He gave him a penny and remarked, "George will give you a quarters worth for that." Billy ordered a quarters worth and gave George a penny. When he came back with a big sack of candy, his father went over to make up the difference, and George said that was alright and refused more money.
A few years back Billy's son came to Poole to visit family, and Steve wanted a picture of main street where his Dad had grown up. He had heard his dad brag about the good times he had at Poole. The only
standing building left were the Bank building and the mobile trailer last used as post office but now closed.
There is a ball field in Poole. with lights and etc. where many a good time is still had by Poole folk.
That two-story frame building, I believe, was the Edson store - very, very, early and burned down before my memory. But Aunt Helen described it as being two story and that dances were held on the second floor.
The Edson's were not in Poole very long. They settled first south and east of Poole. Mother, who was born in 1893, and as a little girl, visited her grandparents who lived 7 miles south of Ravenna on the Ravenna road. She remembers that the Edsons went to Gibbon and bought staples, then stocked them at their home on the farm where neighbors could come and purchase flour, sugar, etc. She remembers going to the Edson's with her grandparents to buy things. But she said it was not a "regular" store.
The Edsons opened the store in Poole in days before incorporation, and were probably gone on west by the time the town was incorporated. They had several children, but two children that married and remained in the community.
Charley Edson married Jennie Brabham and they lived on the farm.. ..north of Poole on the Poole Road. They were parents of Wilmer Edson, a son we all called "Bud", and a daughter, Evelyn, who married Earl Asher.
The other Edson brother who remained in the area lived southwest of Poole and married... ..I think it was on his farm that the Pleasanton people, including the doctor there, would play golf in the pasture. They had sand greens, and sometimes the golf ball landed in unpleasant places, because cows grazed in the pasture. I think they had a daughter, Lillian, who married Clifford Standage. Think they also had a son, Charley, who married Bernice Razey, and lived in the Pleasanton area.
The building to the left I do not recognize unless it was the front of the building my Grandfather Whitcomb later (after 1911) operated as an John Deere implement building. It looks like one you could drive implements into.
Was the little building your Grandfather's blacksmith shop? Beside it was a garage, I think. Duff Hanna and following him, Ross Burton were mechanics in a garage at that location, approximately.
I am not certain about any of these buildings. I am trying to put together what I have heard and read with the buildings I am looking at. I do not know about the"stone" building. I never saw these buildings when they looked like that.
Sorry I can't be certain about this stuff. But that was before my time, I'm quite certain. I do not remember when horses and buggies were used. By the time my memory kicks in, people were driving cars.
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