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1926
Flying circus to give a big show in city.
Ray Shifflet's Aerial Circus, with three planes and five performers, will give a big free aerial show in Webster City next Wednesday. The day, with its big program of free performances, is sponsored by the Freeman-Journal in cooperation with the merchants of the city, who will put on a Trade Extension day in connection with the circus.
The three performances will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m.
The circus will consist of stunt flying, in which all three planes will be used. Featured on the program will be "Nervy" Murphy, a premier airplane at the bat. He will do wing walking on the plane while in motion hundreds of feet in the air. He also hangs from his toes from the under carriage of his plane. His feature act is to stand on his head on the outer edge of one of the wings, a stunt which is said no other plan acrobat does. There are performers that do this act on the wing close to the machine, but Murphy is said to be the only one daring enough to attempt it on the outer edge.
Necktie peddler shady character
People in Webster City and nearby communities have recently been receiving packages of neckties consigned to them for their inspection and purchase. After such a shipment had been received in Algona, a party there made an investigation and gave the following statement in the Algona Advance:
Recently a large number of Algonans received packages by mail containing three neckties. Accompanying was postage for return to one Pawnee Bill if recipient were not willint to pay for the ties. Similar packages were mailed to citizens in many Iowa and Minnesota towns. Most of them were returned, some confiscated, some paid for.
Pawnee Bill told a hard luck story, saying he was blind. He said he lived in St. Louis and was a friend of children. J.P. Hauck, jWood Lake, Minn., wrote to the St. Louis chief of police to get the facts about him and the Redwood Falls Gazette says the chief wrote back that he knew Pawnee Bill alright, but knew him as a questionable character whose "little playmates" mostly belonged to the St. Louis underworld.
1946
Inspections mean safety
Thorough inspection of all farm buildings now for fire hazards will mean a real investment in future safety, according to fire chief M. M. Wensel.
Livestock, equipment, barns, sheds, the house and the farm family will be endangered unless by careful inspection, these fire hazards are provided against: lightning, which can be rendered harmless by proper protective devices; defective chimneys and heating apparatus; matches and smoking, both extremely dangerous if the farm premises are not cleaned up regularly; wooden shingle roofs; gasoline and kerosene, improperly handled; and faulty electrical equipment and wiring.
1961
Colorful youngsters' parade highlights fire sale day in Webster City.
Ideal parade weather greeted the youngsters last night as they joined in the Webster City Fire Sale parade down Second St., led by city fire trucks and the "Firehouse" school band. Prizes were awarded to three lucky youngsters. Five dollars went to eight year old Jene Chadwick for having the most unusual girls costume; $5 was presented to Dean Elson, Jr. 11, who had the most unusual boy's costume and to little 7 month old Michael Throntveit, the youngest entry in the parade. Michael also received $5. The cash awards were furnished by the Daily Freeman Journal and radio station KJFJ.
1971
Two Spanish War veterans honored
The last two remaining Spanish-American war veterans from Webster City's Company, C. Lou Lehnhard, 96 of Webster City and Howard Schoonover, 91 of Eagle Grover were honored guests at a luncheon meeting of World War I veterans at the Elks lodge here yesterday. Included in the group are Mrs. Evely n Fischer of Webster City, acting Department of Iowa adjutant for Spanish-American War veterans; Albert Ford of Boone, district commander, World War I veterans; Adelia Flynn of Webster City, unit president for the World War I veteran's auxiliary; Margaret Willrett of Britt, president of District Six of the World War I veteran's auxiliary; and Ben Cordes of Kamrar, commander of Sgt. Wedding barracks.
1981
Kiwanis serve 1,100 at chicken barbecue
Webster City's noon Kiwanis club chalked up another highly successful chicken barbecue yesterday afternoon and evening when they served an estimated 1100 people, having to barbecue an extra 50 halves of checkers to meet the demand. Kermit Doolittle and crew started the fire in the barbecue pits at around noon and started serving at 4 o'clock in the basement of the Elks Lodge with Dick Anderson in charge of serving.
Business was also brisk at the carry-out trailer behind the Elks building where Bill Prescott and his assistants handled the frequent calls for the packaged dinners.