Diamond Anniversary Event Leads to Hay Days

Diamond Anniversary Event Leads to Hay Days. , Atkinson celebrated its Diamond Anniversary in August 1940 and The Atkinson Graphic newspaper published numerous articles describing meetings of various local clubs which were organizing activities leading up to the late summer event. In the June 14 edition, the publisher hyped a 90-minute, $2 round-trip excursion on a special train to Neligh to appear at that community's Forestry Field Day on June 16. Community members were urged to wear old-time attire since their appearance in Neligh was meant to promote the Atkinson celebration two months later. , The below image shows some of the more than 250 citizens who rode the train to Neligh in early 20th century outfits. In the June 21 edition of the paper, it was reported that the costumed Atkinson delegation, with 125 band members in the lead, marched the short distance from the Neligh depot to Riverside Park and were enthusiastically greeted with applause by the 12,000 people in the grandstands. Since that time, Atkinson has continued to commemorate its founding with an annual celebration known as Hay Days. , 1992 . Train Service Ended , The Atkinson Depot, built in Emmet (8 miles east) in 1879-1880 was moved to Atkinson when the rails reached the "new town" in 1881. The Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad was purchased by Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1903. Passenger service ended in 1958. , The Railroad wanted to raze the depot. Citizens were opposed, but the State Fire Marshall condemned the building in January 1968, and it was ordered to either be repaired or torn down. The rear freight house of the depot was moved by John and Gene Hansen to the Ralph Beck farm, three miles southeast of Atkinson, and used for storage. , Train service ended in 1992. The depot and railroad tracks may be gone, but many great memories and many great towns survived the end of the railroad era in Nebraska. , Railroad Agents , The Station Agent was the man in charge of the railroad station. The job also included being ticket agent, baggage handler and telegraph operator.

William Bryant . Leonard C. Sweet . S.M. Gibson . Olive Collins . L.K. Baldwin . George C. Funk . A.A. Jasmer . Joseph F. Sherman . Carlo M. Anderson . Charles A. Bartlett . Nelson S. Rippey . Boyd W. Planck . Henry Zeig . William N. Spence . Albert B. Neuenswander . Bob Mains . R.H. Williams . Robert Cunningham . Frank Timblim . Don Uher . Joe J. Krska . John B. Beck