• June 19, 1947

Nineteen Iowa counties were among the 100 leading oats-growing counties in the United States, according to the 1945 Census of Agriculture. O’Brien County had a national ranking of 80 with a total of 69,603 acres threshed. The county stood 12th in the state.

The Clay County Fair at Spencer was adding two buildings to accommodate the anticipated increase in exhibitors for the 1947 fair. New buildings being constructed were a cattle barn to house 432 head under one roof and a dormitory which could house 216 4-H club boys and supervisors.

O’Brien County, with collections of over $3,000 in the drive for funds for cancer research, went over the quota of $2,100. Collections locally included $299.53 in the town of Hartley, $72 in Hartley Township and $53 in Omega Township.

• June 15, 1972

The 1970 Census of Housing counted 6,099 housing units in O’Brien County, and 3,316 households had at least one TV set. The report also showed 1,425 units with air conditioning, 4,877 with a clothes washing machine, 3,264 with a clothes dryer and 522 with a dishwasher.

The Hartley Public Library was closed for a time while the building was completely carpeted in an attractive Spanish rust shade. The carpeting was purchased with savings accumulated through the years and no tax money was expended.

The Hartley school board imposed further restrictions on the operation of motor bikes and motorcycles on district property. Due to misuse of the high school campus, only hard-surfaced areas such as the driveways and parking lots were open to riders.

• June 19, 1997

The seventh grade Sunday school class at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church sent 10 mailbags of Christian materials and bibles to five missions. The six students had learned there was a need for bibles and Christian literature in India and Africa. The students asked the congregation for donations of the needed materials and the response was great. Groups in the church provided monetary support to pay for postage.

The Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn school board issued a contract to Norman Wolf as full-time vocational agriculture instructor. The agreement included a 40-day extended contract which would allow exploratory agriculture courses to be offered at H-M-S Middle School. Superintendent Stephen Litts said that initial attempts to hire a new instructor had only attracted two applicants.

“From Our Files” is compiled by Sentinel-News sports editor/staff writer Mike Petersen.