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1926/100 years ago
Custer Caravan arrives in city
The caravan of the Custer Battlefield Highway Association, delegates to the seventh annual convention to be held at Des Moines starting tomorrow, arrived in Webster City this afternoon shortly after 2 o'clock. There were about 20 cars in the caravan and it was stated the other delegates had gone to the state capital by train. One hundred are expected to attend the sessions of the association .
The travelers were welcomed to Webster City and were escorted through the city by local business men with officer F.N. Baker acting as guide. Whitney Morris, field secretary for the association was in the city last evening making arrangements for their arrival.
1951/75 years ago
Nearly 750 boys, girls wind up free swimming classes
Nearly 750 Hmailton county boys and girls wound up a busy summer of swimming lessons yesterday, having taken advantage of the Hamilton county Red Cross swimming instruction program, Red Cross officials announced today.
A total of 743 youngsters enjoyed the lessons given at the city swimming pool, with city officials cooperating in the program by opening the pool facilities for the morning sessions.
The number of youngsters from each community included:
Ellsworth-58, Jewell-58, Kamara-20, Blairsburg-34, Williams-117, Stanhope, 78, Stratford-88, Webster City-290.
Instructors this year were Gilbert H. Withers, Jane Amsden, Christine Lear, Beverly Grempel, Audrey Kinne and Mary Graham. All have been Red Cross trained.
In conjunction with the swimming classes, Withers headed up a class for senior life saving instruction. Those who passed the training requirements and received Red Cross badges and certificates were: Eden Bennett, Dick Jessup, Carrol Johnson, Mary Ann Holt, Marilyn Loper, Frances Rasmussen, Kay Whipple and Frank White.
1981/45 years ago
Charles Graham new Peace Corps director in Tunisia
Charles O. Graham, 49 of Webster city has been appointed Peace Corps director for Tunisia. He will supervise the activities of approximately 50 Peace Corps volunteers serving in agriculture and special education.
Graham has been the Peace Corps Deputy director for Talent Search, responsible for recruiting and placing overseas staff positions. He also has been in charge of evaluating the operations of the agency's overseas staffing program.
Graham’s association with the Peace Corps began in 1965 when he became a desk officer for Venezuela and Uruguay. Later he was named Peace Corps project director for the state of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and desk officer for Central America.
1986/40 years ago
Census shows county losing residents, gaining affluence
The number of people living in Webster City has declined in the past half a decade, but the people who do live here are making more money than ever.
In fact, Hamilton County residents on average earn more per capita annually than all but 13 of the 99 counties in the state.
That's just a few of the findings of a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The report compared population from 1980 to 1984 and per capita income from 1979 to 1983, the latest years for which complete figures are available.
There could have been changes in the past couple years that would alter the results of the study, but it is likely most trends seen in the first four years of the 1980's have held true since then.
The study shows that the population of Webster City declined 119 [persons from 8,562 in 1980 to 8435 in 1984, a drop of 1.4 percent.
But the per capita income increased from $7,222 in 1979 to $10,090 in 1983, a phenomenal jump of 39.7 percent.
Kendall Young Library part of state book reading project
Des Moines – Eleven of the state’s 520 public libraries will demonstrate a new book discussion program called "Let's Talk About It," this fall.
The demonstration will show whether Iowans in communities of all sizes "have a hunger for the opportunity to read, learn about and discuss books with other adult readers," project planners say.
In addition to Kendall Young Library, the public libraries of Bettendorf, Council Bluffs, Charles City, Des Moines, Jefferson, Lamoni, Marshalltown, Roland, Scott County (Eldridge) and Waterloo have been selected as local sponsors.
This book discussion series is "a new twist on the traditional discussion group approach," according to acting state librarian John Montag.