Mead Public School - Raider Yearbook (Mead, NE)

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Re-Living The Past LOWER RIGHT: The first known church to be built near Mead. Sections of the present building are now a part of a building in Mead. Mead Public School on the site of the present Mead park and ball park. Building was moved from a country location. First busses of the Mead Consoli- dated Schools. They are 1919 Reos. In '29 or '30 Model A chas- sis were put under the Reos. Four of the busses were still in use until 1943 or 44. To- day modern Ford, Chev. and Inter- national busses are used to trans- port students to school and other activities. 4

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Blazing Building Progressing 1967 ALVIN-1876 MEAD-1880 was originally named after Governor Alvin Saunders. Joseph Strudevant was the first resident, station agent, and Postmaster. The Omaha, Republi- can Valley Railroad ran from Valley, Nebraska, through Mead, to Wahoo, Nebraska in December of 1876. Early in 1877 C. T. Condit and Charles Ostenberg came from Fremont to build a gen- eral store, theC. T. Condit residence, Charles Condit and Ostenberg elevator, and lumber yard. A hardware store was also established by William Becker. On September 12, 1885 Ola Carlson and wife and L. Anderson donated what is known as the Anderson and Carlson addition to Mead. C. W. Wilson also donated a track of land known as the Wilson addition. Mead had changed during August, 1880 from the name of Alvin to Mead. By this time Mead had grown from one business to nearly thirty. 1910 - Mead was still a thriving town, even though the saloons of the early frontier days had disappeared. The livery stables were replaced in 1913 by brick and concrete garages. Telephones came in the early 1900's. In 1914 electric lights and running water were taking over the lamps and wells. In 1928 the original volunteer Fire De- partment was chartered. 1942 - During this year a government bomb assembly plant was in operation and brought to Mead many new residents and thousands of workers from within a 50 mile radius of Mead. Many buildings were converted to cafes to accommodate the influx of workers. During the early to middle 50's the plant shut down and was turned over to the Air Force and Army to be used as a Missile site. This site also shut down during the sum- mer of 1965. Much of the land is now occupied by private individuals who purchased the land and about 2,000 acres are devoted to the University of Nebraska Field Labora- tory. Many of the buildings and homes now remain empty. SCHOOL - The main concern in keeping with our Centennial year is, of course, our school. In the early 1880's a building was moved into Mead on the present town park site. In 1919 the present school building was completed. 3 Marching Band of Mead Public School marching for the Centennial parade

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Centennial — 1967 — Opening the Centennial year at Mead L to R - Msgr. Keenan, Dianna Miller, Mrs. Frank Morrison, Pastor Cooke, and Pastor Vetter. floats, followed by an address from Governor Teiman and Centennial contests. LOWER RIGHT: Deloris Nygren and Mayor D. O. Robbinson inspect the oats that were shocked for the centennial threshing event. L to R: Willard Whitte, Wife Valorie (Vavak), Mrs. Wm. Vavak, Wm. Vavak and nephew, Steve Irons of Prairieville, Kan- sas, as they stand in front of the Rumely tractors and threshing equipment used in the threshing bee held at Mead in observance of Nebraska's Cen- tennial year. 5