The social news or gossip columns in the old newspapers are always fascinating to read. A special section in the newspaper was devoted to the social media of the day. The whereabouts of local people and events were often featured in these columns. Here are a few from The News Messenger of Lyon County on Oct. 15, 1897:

Supt. O.C. Gregg came down from the state experimental farm at Lynd last Monday and called on Marshall friends.

Moses Bauman, of the Anderson Brothers threshing crew, had his right leg broken last Tuesday. He was riding on the straw stacker, and falling off fell under one of the wheels which ran over his leg, breaking both bones of the right leg, just above the ankle. Doctors Persons and Mallory attended him and he is now at Mr. Mallory’s home. Bauman is a young man, of about 21, and is an Iowan.

Hugh Neill, of Sodus, was in town Tuesday, and accompanied the Marshall delegates to the Presbytery at Madelia and the Synod at Mankato.

The Amiret depot, on the Northwestern, was broken into Wednesday night, and a few articles removed from the waiting room, including five pairs of overshoes and some lady’s apparel. The culprit is supposed to be a local specimen.

Married, Oct. 14th, by Justice Kennedy, Hamlet Foster, of Lincoln County, and Miss Helene Heizesen, of Lyon County.

The Telephone people have been busy the past week in Marshall, putting in new ‘phones which have been added to the exchange since the printed card was given out, are as follows: Lyon County National Bank 42; Marfield Elevator (Frank Bryant, manager) 36; Frank Bryant residence 38; M. Sullivan office 24; Dr. T.H. Wimer 45; C.M. Wilcox drug store 46; W.W. Salisbury drug store 43-3; F.W. Sickler residence 49; Mrs. A. Nichols residence 41; High School building 39-2; South Side school building 39-3.

Fred Roberts has sold his blacksmith shop, on Fourth Street, just back of Wetherbee’s store, to Swanson, who has been with the Marshall Machine shop for about a year.

Do you remember just seventeen years ago today?

If you don’t guess you were not in this neck o’ the woods at the time. This is the seventeenth anniversary of about the worst blizzard ever experienced here, when human lives and much stock were lost; when railroads were blockaded, and snow drifts were level with the roofs. That was seventeen years ago today, and today it rains!

The stereograph photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection was taken in Marshall in 1880 after the Oct. 15 snowstorm. To learn more about the winter of 1880-81, check out the book, The Beautiful Snow: The Ingalls Family, the Railroads, and the Hard Winter of 1880-81 by Cindy Wilson. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the museum’s gift shop.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.