Ithaca

Ithaca, Nebraska

 Aerial View of Ithaca 1983

Old Dist. 50 school house

Two rooms downstairs for elementary grades, two grade high school upstairs. Indoor restrooms installed before 1947.


Both views face south (Click for memories)

 New Dist. 50 school house
completed in 1948

Two classrooms with workroom and office between, long hall on north side of classrooms with furnace room, kitchen and restrooms on other side of hall.

 

Originally Ebenezer Evangelical, then Evangelical United Brethran, it became the Ithaca United Methodist in 1968. When this building was erected, Dad dug the basement out with his tumble bug. Dennis & I helped unload bricks that came by rail to the depot and had to be hauled by pick up to this site.

Harry Markle's store sat north of the old

elevator and south of Billy Gilbert's grocery

store on the east side of the street.

 

 

 

 

The Old Elevator sits on the north side of the railroad tracks (which are gone now). Ralph Treptow used it to store his seed corn during the 1940's and 1950's and maybe even longer before and after that.

In the 1980's it was purchased by Kenny Smith, who I remember as a little kid in our church but by this time was all grown up, married and had a family. He had started to do some repair and restoration work on it when he was killed in an accident on the job. His wife, Roma, and son, Heath, have taken on the job of continuing the restoration. Volunteers have met to do repairs and restoration every Fathers' Day weekend since 2003.

The Old Elevator is unique for the four peaks on its roof. It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

One of Ralph Treptow's seed corn sacks.

How many years did he raise seed corn? Dad detasseled corn for him. My first paying job was working for him. I detasseled a couple of years and then was straw-boss of the girls crew one year. I remember wading through flood water to finish a field. The money bought me a portable typewriter and my Mead High School class ring.
 

HAMMERING OUT HISTORY

 

Andy Heck tacks new flashing onto the south roof of the old Ithaca elevator.

 

The sign, donated by Paul and Sue Hailicka of Grand Island, was a surprise for Roma and Heath Smith. (click here for article)
 

Indian Mound Cemetery

The cemetery is located at the north end of town, on the east side. This photo has a good view of Grandpa's (Henry Robbins) barn on the acreage where he lived after he retired and moved off the farm. His place was between the cemetery and the school (Dist. 50).

 

ROBBINS

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