136 years ago
In April 1890, an anonymous individual played an April Fool’s Day prank on the community during the city’s election season. They printed tickets listing Emma DeVoe as a candidate for the position of street commissioner, even though this role was an appointed, not an elected, position. Surprisingly, DeVoe received twenty votes.
Mrs. DeVoe, a prominent leader in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements in the state, seized this opportunity to advocate for her causes. She sent a letter to the mayor and city council, which was later published in the Daily Plainsman. In her letter, she noted that since twenty people had voted for her, “it is evident there is a desire in the public mind that women shall at last be recognized as suitable persons to hold any office.” She also pledged that if appointed, she would abstain from drinking and would not permit her employees to visit saloons. Ultimately, however, the city council appointed a man to the position of street commissioner. The perpetrator and the reason for the prank were never determined.
98 years ago
Pioneers relied on trees for shade, fuel, and building materials. However, those who moved to the Plains states found the region largely lacking in trees. J. Sterling Morton, a journalist from Nebraska, proposed a program to promote tree planting called Arbor Day. The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, when over one million trees were planted. In April 1928, South Dakota Governor W.J. Bulow designated Friday, April 27, as Arbor and Bird Day. He emphasized the importance of cultivating trees, shrubs, and flowers, as well as protecting birds. In this spirit, the Huron Park Board designated that date as Arbor-City Beautification Day. The board purchased 500 elm trees, each between 8 and 10 feet tall, and sold them to homeowners at a cost of seventy-five cents per tree. Hundreds of trees were planted in neighborhoods, parks, and on the college campus that year.
70 years ago
President Harry Truman arrived at Huron Airport on April 30, 1956, to deliver a non-political speech about the Truman Memorial Library. Admission to the event required a ticket priced at $5.00, and by the afternoon of the event, 2,500 tickets had been sold. The proceeds from the ticket sales supported the Truman Memorial Library Fund.
Upon arrival at the airport, Truman’s vehicle was escorted to the Marvin Hughitt Hotel. He attended an informal luncheon at noon and held a press conference at 3:30 PM. Following the press conference, he watched a parade on Dakota Avenue, which featured 13 floats and four bands. The banquet dinner was served in the arena at 6:30 PM. To avoid a conflict over the meat entrée that had previously arisen between beef and hog raisers in Nebraska, the banquet committee decided to serve meatloaf made of a mix of beef and pork.
This event was the first time President Truman had spoken in South Dakota, and it was only his second visit to the state. During his time in Huron, Truman received a western hat as a memento. The hat was presented by John Geyerman, the president of the South Dakota Young Democrats, on behalf of the clothing stores in Huron. In case you were wondering, the former president wore a US hat size of 7 3/8.
Historical Happenings was written by Jennifer Littlefield, Reference Librarian at the Huron Public Library. The information was taken from past editions of the Huron Daily Plainsman. For more information about Huron’s history, visit the library or search the library’s digital archive
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