This sound clip highlights the service during World War II of Clayton J. Roberts of Warroad, who was killed during World War II . The Roseau County Historical Society prepared this radio script to share county history through broadcasts on KJ102 FM in Roseau. The topics highlight the history of Roseau County and the people that lived there.
Many grade school pupils were hard at work on an operetta. The annual staff for the Lincoln Log yearbook was named. A mass meeting of all people interested in contributing for the fund to aid Finland was held at Washington School, with money given to the Red Cross. An article about the Russian Bear growling at peace loving Finland was included. X-Ray reports on students were ready for parents and students to view. Students were urged to fight tuberculosis by buying Christmas Seals. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist wrote about the health of the students and staff. In FFA news, Esko was sixth in the chapter conducting contest held in Virginia. The Annual Farmers' Club Goodwill Banquet was held. Part-time classes at night met to study shop work and agricultural topics. In basketball the Thomson Tommies beat Grand Mariais and Alborn. A professional Chinese basketball team, called the Hong Wah Kues, beat the FFA basketball team. The local FFA basketball team had a busy season lined up.
The Girls' Glee Club, directed by Mr. Isaac Esko, sang several selections over radio station WEBC. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist was given an honorary FFA degree at the third Annual District Seven Future Farmer Banquet at Eveleth, due to his outstanding contributions to FFA work and organizing the first FFA chapter in Minnesota, the Thomson Chapter, in 1930. The State Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. E. J. They, was the main speaker at the Farmers' Club Banquet. A student reported on a visit to classmate Helmi Koivisto at Ah-Gwah Ching Sanatorium. The Pep Band prepared to play for all home basketball games. The Polar Bear League Conference set the admission price to conference games at twenty-five cents for adults and ten cents for students. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist wrote an article promoting the American Red Cross. A page was given to Boy Scout Activities. A letter about life at the Gillette Hospital from Helen Knuti was printed. Aides were chosen for the Owls' Club. PTA delegates reported on the state convention at their meeting. Twenty one Esko FFA boys attended the annual district banquet. The Esko FFA chapter participated for the first time in the Seventh District Future Farmer Chapter Conducting Contest, about parliamentary procedure. The Thomson Tommies played Duluth Central Trojans in basketball. The A squad got new suits.
The contest to see who sold the most subscriptions to the Lincoln Log yearbook ended. A Finnish Relief mass meeting was set, with pledge cards for voluntary monthly financial aid to Finland distributed. Esko played Meadowlands in a sub-district basketball tournament. Boy Scout week was written about, during the thirtieth year of the Boy Scouts in the United States. Five qualifying typists earned a Gregg Competent Typist's Award. Sanitary Engineer for the Minnesota State Board of Health, Mr. E. Slagle of Duluth spoke to biology and agriculture students. At an assembly a program about several hobbies was presented. The junior class went on a toboggan party at the Nopeming slide. Boy Scout Troop 179 continued to organize, and applied for their legal charter. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist wrote an editorial urging high school courses to be more practical and less college preparatory in nature. Rules of the rink were given for ice skaters. Residents of Esko had frequent sewing bees to make clothing and materials to be shipped to Finland via the Finnish Consulate in New York. Student Helmi Kivisto was improving, according to a classmate who visited her. Five FFA boys submitted project reports in competition for an FFA award. The local FFA chapter sold garden and flower seeds to raise funds for the annual Parents' and Sons' banquet. The Thomson Tommies beat Meadowlands in basketball. Esko's FFA basketball team hosted the amateur tournament, competing for the chance to go to the State Amateur Championship playoffs at Minneapolis. The teams were Carlton, Columbia Clothing of Duluth, Murphy Finance of Duluth, Harbor Inn of Two Harbors, Merchants of Two Harbors, Cloquet, Aurora, and Hill City. A page was devoted to Polar League Standings as well as individual free throw averages.
Sports highlights were featured, as the Tommies beat Meadowlands and went up against Cromwell in the basketball semi-finals. A representative of the Cloquet branch of the Bell Telephone Company presented two movies about telephone usage. The sophomore and senior agriculture classes attended a potato meting at Carlton. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist editorialized about high schools being too much like college preparatory schools. Books about Finland were added to the school library. Nearly 500 people attended a mass meeting held at the Lincoln School to discuss the Finnish situation, with Onnie Laine, Finnish radio commentator over radio station WEBC, being the main speaker. Donations made for lunch amounted to $156.00. Plans were made for another house-to-house canvas for funds to be sent directly to the Finnish government rather than the Red Cross. The Boy Scouts took a ski hike to a ski slide, then to the railroad, to Sippas Hill and down it, and then followed an old Native American trail to the Boy Scout camping grounds. The investiture ceremony for the new Boy Scout Troop 197 was held at the Thomson Township PTA meeting. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist, Mr. Hauge, and Mr. Esko attended a meeting at Two Harbors to plan for the music festival to be held there this spring. The Thomson Tommies basketball team beat Cromwell, but the Carlton Bulldogs basketball team beat the Tommies.
Christmas programs were highlighted, including the PTA's program, the junior high program, and the grade school's Christmas operetta. The industrial training department made ornaments to be sold, with the proceeds turned over to the Finnish Relief. Fred Hendrickson had two more hours of flying lessons before he could fly solo. Special Christmas greetings were extended to students Helmi Kivisto and Walter Johnson. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist wrote about Christmas, and how this particular Christmas the world was suffering from war, hatred, jealousy, and fear. The Industrial Arts Department had a page with their news items. Both the shop classes and the home economics classes made Christmas gifts. The junior high organized a Junior Red Cross unit in each homeroom and worked on filling Christmas baskets. GAA news was given as well as Boy Scout news. In 4-H news items, it was noted that the 4-H Club decided to sell bars at the FFA basketball game and donate the proceeds to the Finnish Relief. The club voted to send records of their meetings to the Duluth News Tribune and Herald. The Esko FFA chapter edited the third volume of the District FFA Newsletter, with typing and mimeographing done by the commercial classes at Esko. Three FFA boys and their instructor, Mr. Fischer, went to Cook, Minnesota to purchase 200 pounds of seed for the FFA farm practice program from the Arrowhead Seed Growers Association. The Esko FFA basketball team beat the Aurora Black Hawks in a benefit game at the Lincoln gymnasium, with the proceeds from the game given to the Finnish Red cross. The Thomson Township Tommies beat the Wrenshall Wrens in basketball, and remained undefeated in the Polar Bear League.
Commencement was scheduled and the program detailed, as was the Baccalaureate service. The annual spring concert was given at the Washington School. The seniors gave their class history, nicknames and descriptions, last will and testament, prophecy, and ambitions, as well as a section in graphic form about the class of 1940. A Who's Who was given for the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students. Superintendent A. L. Winterquist wrote about summer vacation. Students who received awards enjoyed the activities banquet given for them at the Medical Arts dining room in Duluth. The Boy Scouts enjoyed an overnight camping trip up the North Shore, to Two Island River and Lax Lake. The senior class was entertained by Superintendent and Mrs. Winterquist at their home. The junior and senior banquet was held at the Cascade Hotel in Duluth. The physics class took a field trip to the power plant of the Minnesota Power and Light Company at Forbay and Fon Du Lac, and rode the gas car to the lower dam and its plant with another large generator. Sophomores wrote histories of Finland in modern history class. The GAA planned a roller skating party at Maki's Rink. The baseball season began as soon as school was out, and the Esko Yankees resumed play. Esko took fourth place in the district track meet.
Narrative history of World War One activities in Waseca County during World War One, and provides a photograph with a description of those in the county who fought in the war.
Narrative history of World War One activities in Washington County during World War One, and provides a photograph with a description of those in the county who fought in the war.
Narrative history of World War One activities in Winona County during World War One, and provides a photograph with a description of those in the county who fought in the war.
