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 June 15, 1917:

Miss Bernice Stevens has charge of the office of Superintendent of Schools while Mr. Painter is absent on a business trip to Montana.

The Current News Club are doing some practical work these days, sewing for the Red Cross. They will meet with Mrs. M.E. Mathews next Thursday.

Fred Rasmussen returned on Tuesday from Litchfield where he fished for a few days, going there to fish with Fred Healy and A. Whittaker.

Editor M.W. Johnson of Milroy took an unexpected ride to our city on Wednesday with Wm. Duncan and went straight to the Hospital where he had his hand dressed which he had caught in a printing press. He lost one finger and smashed another, but took the loss good-naturedly. The only complaint he made was that the job he was working on at the time was only a seventy-five-cent one, and that he had let his accident insurance run out the week before.

Miss Louise and John Schutz Jr., left Wednesday for the cities. The latter, who has enlisted, will go from there to training camp.

Three joy riders from Lynd were making some speed trial tests on Main Street last Sunday and efforts of Police Harvey to stop them were hopeless. They went out of town and took to the ditch on the west road and called the Marshall Garage for help. When they arrived at the garage, they were “pinched.” The following day in Justice Court before Judge Pike they were fined $10.00 each and costs.

Miss Myrtle Bladholm, who was graduated from the Mankato Normal last week, has returned to her home here for the summer.

On Tuesday evening Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Freese entertained twenty-five young ladies and gentlemen in honor of Miss Beth Eastman and Mr. Napoleon Mongeau. The evening was spent in playing cards and in dancing. There was also a mock wedding. A delicious supper was served.

The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection shows Sarah Eastman with her two daughters, Beth and Zoe, along with Sarah’s granddaughter, Zelda. The photograph was taken in the early 1930s. Left to right: Beth (Eastman) Mongeau, Sarah (Booth) Eastman, Zoe (Eastman) Brown, and Zelda (Brown) Bisbee.

The Lyon County Museum is closed on Wednesday, June 19. The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a nonprofit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.