Cerro Gordo County Iowa
Part of the IaGenWeb Project
The Globe Gazette
GETTING READY for COLOSSAL CELEBRATION
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COMPOSED CENTENNIAL SONG
Mrs. Ann Otzen Sutton, Plymouth, composed Mason City's Centennial Song, which will be sung at the
opening salute of the 8-day celebration Sunday evening, June 7, at East Park by the Chamber of Commerce Chorus
and on other occasions during the observance. She is shown at her piano at work on the song.
CENTENNIAL PIGS
[Page 36] One of the projects of the Centennial was production of these little
pig souvenirs of the Centennial by the Mason City Ceramic Club. The pigs, made chiefly of Mason City clay, are in
various colors and designs, as shown, in which Miss Lillian Sanberg, one of the club members, is exhibiting some of
the club's work. They will be on sale during Centennial Week.
BUILDING FLOATS
[Page 37] Helping to build many of the floats for the Centennial historical parade is Warren Ruby,
high school art instructor. For several weeks Ruby spent his spare time constructing elaborately tinseled spars
and effects to adorn many of the floats. The workshop in his garage was filled with the results of the one man
production line.
CENTENNIAL CACHET
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[Page 37] The observance of the Centennial included the providing of a cachet at the Mason City
postoffice. A. J. Rhutasel, assistant superintendent of the mails, is shown putting the cachet into use.
Others in the picture are, from left, Postmaster Henry Pendergraft; John Vance, Centennial committee general
chairman; Lester Milligan, Chamber of Commerce secretary; and Bob Altman in charge of arrangements for the cachet
for the Chamber. The cachet puts this inscription on all letters mailed from Mason City, "Mason City Centennial,
1853 - 1953, 100 Years of Progress."
RADIOS TO CO-ORDINATE PARADE
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[Page 37] "Walkie-Talkie" radios of "H" Company, Iowa National Guard, will be
used to co-ordinate the several miles of bands and floats in the North Iowa Band Festival parade. Getting the low-down
on the workings of the miniature radios from 2nd Lt. David Hirsch of Company "H" are, from left, Hurschel
O'Brien, starting chairman of the Band Festival parade; Jerry Burhite, Band Festival parade chairman; Vern
Kimball, safety and co-ordination chairman; Hirsch, and Don Tubbesing, spacing and policing chairman. The
Junior Chamber of Commerce is handling the arrangements for the parade.
HOSTESSES FOR FESTIVAL QUEENS
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[Page 27] Pictured above are the hostesses for the 100 queens who are to contribute so much to the success of the
North Iowa Band Festival Tuesday of Centennial Week. From left, they are: Front row - Mrs. Cecil Boyer,
Mrs. Paul McAuley, Mrs. M. C. Paulson, Mrs. Robert Bergland, chairman; Mrs. Fred Andresen and Mrs. M. Chinkers;
Back row - Mrs. Lloyd Farrer, Mrs. George D. Atkinson, Mrs. L. W. Lichtenberger, Mrs. Bernard Payton and Mrs.
H. W. Crawford. Mrs. Warren DeVries, co-chairman, is not in the picture. HONORED AT CENTENNIAL
[Page 28]
Among those being honored at the Centennial celebration are Mrs. Helen Quick Dillon and Mrs. Margaret Quick
Armstrong on their own account and in memory of their brother, the late Herbert Quick (1861-1925), Mason City's foremost
contribution to literature, whose books depicted some of the dramatic scenes of the city's early life.
NOTE: Among Herbert Quick's books were The Fairyland of America (1901), American Inland Waterways
(1909), Yellowstone Nights (1911) and The Real Trouble with Farmers (1924).
LACE WEDDING GOWN and HIGH TOP SHOES
[Page 31] The apparel of bygone days has been the vogue for
numerous parties this year as Mason Cityans entered into the spirit of the Centennial. The picture at right is an
example. It shows Mrs. William D. McCauley, left, in a 75-year-old wedding gown of lace embroidery, and Mrs.
R. C. Berrie modeling a stole, a plume of ancient vintage and a 75-year-old pointed high-top lace shoes. The
picture was taken at a party of the Catholic Daughters of America. FLOATS TO DEPICT HISTORY
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[Page 40] Floats depicting the history of Mason City over the past century will be a part of the
Centennial historical parade Thursday evening of the week of the celebration. This picture of the Globe-Gazette
float in the 75th anniversary celebration may give some indication of how history is portrayed in parades. It
shows the origin of the first written records on stone, then parchment and finally the daily newspaper.
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[Page 43] Talk about a Coronation. England has only one Queen, Mason City will entertain 111 queens.
What a procession it will make when the hundred festival queens appear in a grand procession on Roosevelt Field.
The above picture shows the 86 queens of last year.
[Page 43] The Most Rev. Henry P. Rolhman, archbishop of Dubuque, will preside over the Holy Family
Catholic Church observance of the Centennial Sunday, June 14, at 10:30 a. m. All churches in the community have been
requested to have special services that day in observance of Mason City's 100 years. Transition Lines for Mason City's Centennial Celebration
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mason City's Centennial has brought forth a Centennial March, composed by
Meredith Willson, a Centennial Song, written by Ann Otzen Sutton of Plymouth. Among the poems written for the
occasion is the following from the pen of Jacquelyn Temple Elder:
One hundred years! What wonders they have wrought
Unless otherwise noted, photographs courtesy of The Globe-Gazette.
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