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 Sept. 25, 1908:

Lona Chapter No. 12 will give an entertainment in the auditorium Friday night, Oct. 9th.

Rev. and Mrs. Stebbins of Lynd were visitors in Marshall on Wednesday, and were busy in some of the stores.

Mr. Earl Coyle brought back a new bride from St. Peter last week. Mr. Coyle owns and manages the new store at Amiret.

J.M. Atwood, who has been holding down the position of operator at the Great Northern depot, left Thursday of this week to take a similar position at Great Falls, Mont.

Splendid season for cement sidewalk building, and three crews are doing all the work they can. The Marshall Tile and Sidewalk company this week is laying the walk on Fifth street between Redwood and Lyon, and on Lyon street to connect with the walk at Odell’s. The next job will be on Main and Fourth streets at Drew’s corner, and then on Fourth street at Whitney’s corner, which is the finest corner in town, and has been disgraced long enough with poor walks.

Harry Fulton this week completed a fine cement walk in front of the Forbes lot next to the post office, and put in the alley crossing, thus completing the cement walk from the library corner, a much needed piece of work. The cement crossing between the post office and the News-Messenger office will be laid the first of next week.

A parcel shower fell upon Miss Pearl Forbes on Tuesday afternoon, at the home of Mrs. Clendenning, who was assisted by Mrs. Wm. Forbes in managing the affair. Gifts were numerous and valuable. Miss Forbes and Miss Addison entertained the guests with music. We learn that the happy man is Walter Bremer, and the ceremony will occur next Wednesday.

The board of directors of the cemetery, and the sidewalk committee met this week and decided to build the walk to the cemetery out on Third street. It was a choice between Third and Fourth streets, and there were two good reasons for choosing Third street. On that more people live there, who in bad weather find it difficult to get into the city, and the other that the people there have raised a much larger sum of money to help the project. Now, all who have promised team work on labor should at once notify T.J. Baldwin what they can do, and when they can do it.

Ofstie, the photographer, secured two excellent sittings from Governor Johnson while here.

Healy & Son, is the title of new firm, Fred Healy having taken his son Charles into partnership.

The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection shows the cover of a ledger book in the collection. This Healy & Son ledger book covers the years 1913-1916. The store was a general merchandise store. The store was started by Fred Martin Healy (b. 1858-d. 1922). As indicated above, his son, Charles Edward Healy Sr. (b. 1888-d. 1959) joined the firm in September 1908 and the name of the business was Healy & Son. Fred served as Marshall’s first fire chief from 1890-1896. Charles Edward served as Marshall’s fire chief from 1943-1947 and 1948-1949. The ledger and other Healy family items were donated to the museum last year by Ann LaBree. Ann’s father was Charles Frederick “Chuck” Healy Jr. (b. 1920-d. 2004), the son of Charles Edward Sr. and the grandson of Fred Healy.