Sam Rivers Indian Agent
Senior Residents Breakfast
By: Stan Jordan
On Thursday morning, October 27th, we old timers were given a breakfast, dancing girls and boys, the Show Choir and the high school band. We were waited on hand and foot by members of the Honor Society. What a fine morning that was.
The Show Choir is under the direction of Mrs. Mary Smith. The high school band is directed by Mrs. Andrea Newell. Both of these groups are top notch. There are 13 girls and 11 boys, 2 students were not here because they attend Vantage.
After the entertainment, Dr. Miller, the high school superintendent, brought us up to date on the school and some of the data and projects that are going on and will be done.
The current enrollment for the school is 764 from Pre-K to grade 12, that is an increase of 13 students from last year. We have 37 seniors and 27 students that attend Vantage. There are 50 teachers, 11 aides and there are 7 bus routes.
Some of the changes or improvements at the school: New sidewalks are much safer, security cameras are in place and we are acquiring a new van for student transportation, new Prairie Plant area science curriculum and Solar Array Field on the southeast corner.
We are working on a new baseball field here in 2016. We got the new lights up at the football field and the home bleachers moved over to the west side of the stadium. We will have a new press box and concession stand finished in 2017.
Here are some inside initiatives: Wireless internet access facility, upgrade of the phone system, new energy efficient LED lighting in the hallways in spring of 2017 and upgrades to our heating and cooling system are currently in process.
Our current academic initiatives: New science and social studies curriculum (K –12); blended learning, K – 12; intervention and enrichment classes throughout the day; student participation in NOVA courses; advanced placement and engineering your future courses; National junior high and high school Honor Society recognition; lap tops , grades 9–12 students assigned a take home computer; chrome books, grades K – 8 (mobile carts) and before and after school 21st Century program, grades K– 4.
I want to thank Dr. Miller, the Antwerp high school administration, the Antwerp Exchange Bank, the High School Honor Society. the school cafeteria staff and everyone that made our morning so enjoyable. I know that I speak for all the old times that were present.
See ya!!!
This semi true tale happened in Payne, Ohio many years ago at a homecoming football game.
At that time, the family name of “Hooker” was pretty common and that was one big family.
The first Sam Anspaugh told me of this story, as he has the scars to prove it.
Sam sat pretty high up in the bleacher and he looked the crowd over pretty good and he spotted one of his old classmates standing down by the first row. She was one of the Hooker girls.
He made up his mind that he would go and talk to his old classmate, one of the Hookers, as soon as the game was over.
He worked his way down the rows of seats and he reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, my goodness, he didn’t know this girl at all. She was a total stranger. He him-hawed around and stammered a little and said, “Gee whiz, you look like a Hooker.”
Sam said, he doesn’t remember any more about that deal until he came to in the Paulding County Hospital.
See ya!
Sam Rivers, Indian Agent
By: Stan Jordan
It was at mid-afternoon when we arrived at the agency. I pulled the wagon loaded with Callie’s furniture around the our side of the building so we wouldn’t have so far to carry those pieces.
I kept two of the soldier boys to help me unload the wagon. I told one of the other boys to take care of the animals. The other boy was to cut and gather in enough wood for the fireplace for a couple of days.
We unloaded Callie’s furniture first because the opposite end of the house would be our bedroom and Callie told us where to put each piece. She arranged them and made the bed and we carried the stuff in. So far… a double bed, a night stand, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, a dry sink and the pieces that go with it. Callie had all this furniture when she worked at the hotel back in North Platte. Actually she was sort of picky or particular.
We had a fire going in the fireplace and enough wood for all night and tomorrow.
I had the boys carry in our two burner oil stove and filled it with kerosene and sat it on its wooden case and checked it out. It worked fine.
The boys brought in the kitchen table and four chairs and a bench that will seat at least two people, plus her old stand by rocking chair. The boys brought in all the carpets and rag rugs that Callie had and the wagon was about empty of big stuff. A lady in North Platte had a loom and she made throw rugs out of clean rags.
Callie had put the pot of Army stew on the burner. She remarked about how thoughtful that mess sergeant was to send enough stew for a second meal.
The boy who took care of the horses brought in two buckets of water from the creek. We had warm water to wash with and enough for coffee and the dishes and for breakfast also. Callie had baked two pans of corn muffins so we had Army stew, corn muffins with butter and apple butter, and coffee. All of the bowls were clean and the youngest soldier scraped the stew pot clean.
All six of us sat around the table and talked about the days activities. The youngest soldier, Junior, said that Mom always made him do the supper dishes when he was back home so He would do them now. So he washed them in one dish pan and rinsed them in another. Callie came and dried the dishes because she was a little nervous about her china.
After awhile I ran a number 9 wire from wall to wall and hung a sheet on it and that made our bedroom more private. The boys had put their bedrolls on the floor in front of the fireplace and after a while it was quiet with everyone having a tiring day. It was the youngest’s job to take care of the fire.
Everyone was accustomed to getting up early so it was still dark when I lit the lantern and said, “Okay boys, get up and roll up your bed rolls because we need the room to get breakfast.”
I continued by saying, “We are going to have pancakes and I can make two at a time, so some will have to wait a little bit.”
Things went smooth and Callie and I were the last to eat. By now it was daylight outside and I said, “Well, fellows, let’s get with it.”
We had left the wagon with the lumber in it just outside the door to the store side of the building. I asked which one is the best hunter of the four. The boy from Tennessee said he was the best shot. So I told him to go get a deer for the next couple days’ meals. I also told him to shoot the deer or elk in the head. That 45/70 will make a big hole in the body of an animal.
Two of the soldiers and I started to work on our side of the building. First we built a movable counter about 10 feet long; then a number of shelves on the inside wall; then some skids or platforms to keep the blankets off the floor. On the west wall were places to hang tools or lean against the wall (like shovels and hoes), ropes and fencing and smaller tools, pots, pans and buckets. The shelves were for small stuff like beads, needles, thread, twine and a lot of Indian necessities, and some small medicine items like bottles of camphor, arts, salve, iodine and first aid items. This and a lot of other things were supplied by the government as per the treaty.
There was a commotion outside with horses coming in from the north. We all went out to see and by golly it was Limping Buffalo and six other riders. After all the signals, I exclaimed, “I’m surely glad to see you, come on it!”
Next Week: Lots of Plans
