Node, A Day in the Life - History of Node, Town, School and Surrounding Area

The town of Node was founded in 1910 by Frank Lusk. It was founded to fill the needs of the homesteaders and the Node Ranch. People came from miles around to shop at Node and to get their mail. They could get about anything they needed as there was about a dozen businesses to supply their needs. There were 2 grocery stores, 2 hardware stores, 2 lumber yards, a café, pool hall with a barber chair, a saloon and dance hall, a Real Estate Office, Blacksmith shop and 2 churches, a Lutheran and a Congregational, and a Post Office. There was also a stock yards at Node where people loaded cattle or sheep on the train and shipped them to Omaha, Nebr. Or Sioux City, Iowa for market. I can remember trailing sheep up to Node and loading them on the train to go to Sioux, City. There was also quite a lot of cream and turkeys shipped out of Node. The town only lasted 10 to 12 years. The homesteaders either didn’t like the climate or couldn’t make a living on 320 acres so they moved out. Node had a population of around 50 people at one time. There were 56 homesteads in the Node township.

The town got its name from the brand of the Node Ranch. The brand was a knot called a Node. The ranch was one of the largest around and was originally owned by Frank Lusk and was founded in 1880. Frank Lusk was also the founder of the town of Lusk. There was a railroad stop for the Node Ranch as early as 1891, before there was ever a town at Node. In 1882 Mr. Lusk, with the help of Luke Voorhees, applied for a Post Office at the ranch, the establishment of which would ensure mail being delivered to them instead of having to ride 20 miles one way to the Stage Station at Rawhide Buttes. A Post Office was established Feb. 15, 1884, not at the ranch but at Lusk, still part of Converse County.

The ranch was sold in 1894 to Tom Bell. This ended the use of the Node brand as Bell’s brand was a car link. Bell was born in Canada in 1863 and came to the United States at the age of 15. Bell worked on several of the larger ranches around before buying the Node Ranch. Bell also bought up land in the Lance Creek area and became involved in the oil industry. He organized the Buck Creek Oil Co. and later the Tom Bell Royalty Co. and controlled thousands of acres in the Lance Creek oil field. At one time he was offered 3 million dollars for his interest and turned it down. Bell was a member of the famous OW Roundup in 1884. The roundup lasted for 6 weeks and involved 200 cowboys, 2000 head of horses and they gathered 400,000 head of cattle. 15,000 of those cattle were Bells.

Bell was one of the most picturesque and interesting pioneers of the state and very highly respected. He was elected to the Legislature in 1905, and was the first chairman of the Niobrara County Commissioners in 1911. He was also the Mayor of Lusk in 1912.

A tornado went through Node in June of 1915. It destroyed a section house where the Gemmill family lived. The entire family was thrown from the house and little 5 year old Wilbur was killed instantly with a nail driven into his forehead. His little sister 3 year old Hazel was found badly bruised and cut and had her leg broken near the hip. Mrs. Gemmill was found standing in a pasture still clutching the baby in her arms like she was when the tornado hit. Mr. Gemmill was found among some railroad ties. The wind had stripped him of his clothes. The little girl, Hazel, was taken to the restaurant where she was taken care of by women of the community. At that time there was a Dr. in Lusk, and Jim Shaw, who happened to be in Node, left on horseback during the driving wind, rain and hail to fetch the Dr. About 2 miles west of Node, the water was so deep he had to get off his horse, hang on to the horse’s tail and be pulled to the other side. Doc. Stevens was out of town and so was the section boss down at the rail yard. So, Shaw and Happy Hartwell an attorney, went to the section house, broke open the tool house and took a rail hand cart for the trip back to Node. Enroute, they picked up Doc. Carlton Paisley a veterinarian. Doc. Paisley set Hazel’s broken leg and later little Hazel was taken to Douglas by train where she was examined by a Medical Doctor who said she was in fine shape. Some of the cowboys were opposed to a “horse doctor” treating the little girl, but the women ran them off.

The John Ohlsen family had a new home that went to pieces like the section house. Ten year old Francis was injured the worst. Reba, who was a baby, was found still lying on her mattress down by the railroad track. The tornado had picked her and the mattress up out of her crib and carried her away. When found by her father, she was lying there with a piece of glass on her head but unharmed. Ohlsens had 5 children, Harlan and Henry, who were sleeping in a double bed, were swept up by the tornado and landed not far from where their parents had landed in a puddle of water. A chimney was on top of the boys.

An important part of the Node history was the Node School District # 5, which covered quite a large area from the Kirtley Road on the north to the County line on the south. The West boundary was what is now known as the Leimser Road and the East was around the McMaster Road. There were about a dozen small schools located around the district where ever there were children enough to warrant a school. Each school had its own name. The earliest records we have of the Node School was in 1908, but it was not at its latest location. At that time, it was about 1 mile west on the way into what is now Stuart Herefords. It was there until 1918 when School District # 5 consolidated and it was moved to its present location, but not in the building that is there now. The present building was built as a Congregational Church and originally set up in the townsite of Node. After the town folded, so did the churches. In 1924, the district # 5 bought the former Church building, which was built in 1914, for $900 and had it moved to its present location. Frank DeCastro was paid $250 to move it, and he moved it by himself with one horse and a winch. Three smaller buildings from some of the outlying areas of the district were moved in. One was used as a teacherage and the other two as class rooms. In 1950 the wall was taken out of the end of the larger building, it and the stage were moved back and joined onto the smaller building behind it. Also, electricity had come to the area so the building was wired and had lights for the first time ever. A hard wood floor was put down using the used flooring from the old Lusk High School, that had been stored underneath a storage shed by the Lusk grain elevator. Running water was installed in the building as well as boys and girls restrooms. The other two small buildings were later sold and moved or torn down. A new well was drilled close to the building by Ray Walter and Carl Bruch, using Bruch’s homemade well drilling rig. At one time, Bruch’s well drilling rig was powered by the 1 cylinder Cadilac engine from the first car driven down the streets of Lusk.

The Node school had a different school term than any of the other schools. It was known as a summer school. That school term ran from March through November. This was because of the bad winters the Node area was known for, and also the fact that the buses were driven mostly with cars on 2 track roads a lot of which was across pastures. Harry Baars told when he went to school at Node, and was riding the south bus, at times, he had to open and shut 22 wire gates twice a day. We have a picture in 1936 of Raymond Warnock driving the south bus route with a Chevrolet Panel hauling 19 kids, and they were not all small kids. The summer term lasted until 1952 when it was changed to a regular school term. Up to 10 grades were offered. The last year of high school was the 1952-53 school year. At one time 67 students went to the Node School. When I started there in 1941, there were 45 students. Throughout the years, 351 students went to school there, with 55 different teachers and 35 different bus drivers. Miss Emma Walter taught there the longest of any teacher, from 1939-1965.

The Node school students had a fun day each year when they boarded the passenger train at Node and road to Lusk. We toured through the fire house, the jail, the court house, library and museum, and last was the creamery where we were each given an ice cream cone. We then boarded the passenger train and rode back to Node. Aug. 9, 1950 was the last passenger train to go past Node.

The Niobrara County School Board voted in 1969 to close the Node, Manville and Van Tassell schools. After many heated school board meetings, the Node and Manville schools remained open, Van Tassell combined with Node, at Node, and remained open until 1972 when we ran out of young people. It was a sad day for the community when the school closed, but we realized it was for the best interest of everyone, as we no longer had enough children to warrant a school.

The school board gave the community permission to use the building as long as we see fit, for as long as we want. Although it is no longer a school, the building is used as a community center. A non-denominational Sunday School and is held each Sunday. Bible School, 4-H meetings, and family gatherings are held periodically. Awana has recently been started one evening weekly.

In 1986, a one and only very successful school reunion was held. It was the largest event ever held at Node. 190 people from 15 states and Germany attended. They came all the way from New York to California, and Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and states in between. Two large tents had been set up to help accommodate the large crowd. A short program was held, beginning with the raising of the flag, as was done each morning before school started. The reunion was dedicated to Miss Emma Walter, a former teacher who taught at Node for 26 years. A short history was given of the Node School from the time it opened in 1908 until it closed 64 years later in 1972. A carry in dinner was held at noon and the entire day was spent visiting and taking pictures.

The Node Post Office opened April 25, 1910 with Peter Hansen as the first Post Master, when Niobrara County was still a part of Converse County. Six people served as Post Master from its opening until Sept. 24, 1994, which was the date the Postal Service claims it officially closed. After Peter Hansen was Calvin DeHoff followed by Mrs. Doris Jones, Aurthur McCoy, Anna Schulte and Mary German.

Mary served for over 40 years. After Mary’s retirement, Bud Owens, the mail carrier, deposited the mail in the boxes in that building until Oct. 1, 2007. After that date, the patrons got their mail in a pod of boxes across the railroad tracks on land belonging to Bruce and Sandra Richardson.

The railroad came through in 1886. The first depot was a railroad car, later a tool shed was moved up to be used for the depot. If there were passengers to get on, they flagged the train down. If not, they hung the mail sack on a special pole and when the baggage or mail car slowly went by, they threw the incoming mail sack on the ground and “picked” the outgoing mail sack off of the metal pole. The little depot building, as I remember it in 1940, was later moved across the road by Pete German to its present location, after there was no longer a passenger train going by.

The post office was supposedly closed because of 3 cases of vandalism that took place in the building over a short period of time. The first time, someone sprayed white powder all around inside from the fire extinguisher. This was during the time period of the Anthrax scare. The second time someone stole a little plaque from the front of the case that read “U. S. Post Office.” The 3^rd
time they took 5 of the brass doors off of the mail boxes. That resulted in the closing of the 97 year old Post Office. It was at this same time. They changed the zip code from 82228 to 82225, the same as Lusk’s. It is interesting to note that about a year later, the Plaque and the 5 doors that were stolen, appeared in a package at the Lusk Post Office front door. They were then put back on the original case and it now is on display in the Stage Coach Museum.

The 2^nd largest event ever held at Node was the 100 year celebration of the founding of Node. This was on September 11, 2010. Approximately 130 people were in attendance. A large tent was set up beside the school on the south side. The Pony Express made their run from Kirtley to Lusk on that day and stopped in at Node. They furnished and fried hamburgers for the entire crowd to go along with a carry in dinner. KGWO TV from Casper was there and filmed some of the day. Node made the evening news that night. We had just gotten our Node 100 Years books from the printers and had them for sale that day. Many were sold, and more had to be printed.

The Node Cemetery was started in 1915. There are around 20-22 graves in the cemetery. Two Veterans are buried there as well as a Memorial marker for Major Virgil Olds who is listed as missing in action when his pathfinder plane was shot down over Tokyo, May 24, 1945, during WW II. Virgil Olds was born 1 mile south of Node, Jan.11, 1915. His mother, Mildred Olds, died from childbirth and he was raised by his Grand Parents, Robert and Wilhelmena Bell. He went to school at Node and graduated from Lusk High School in 1933. When he became of age, he joined the local National Guard Unit. This unit was called to active duty in September 1940. While yet at Lusk, and unbeknown to his Grandparents, Virgil took private flying lessons. He did not want his Grandparents to worry about him. Major Olds was a member of B-29 aircraft which departed its base on Saipan on an incendiary bombing mission to Tokyo, Japan on May 24, 1945. His plane was a pathfinder for following aircraft. It is thought that the bomber was hit while over the target as enemy opposition was heavy and several of our planes were shot down. However, because of darkness these planes could not be identified by accompanying crews.

A recognition day was held at the Node Cemetery September 16, 2022 in his memory where a Memorial stone had been placed. This recognition day was the 3^rd largest event ever held at Node. Approximately 120 people attended including Gov. Mark Gordon along with Military Officials from Cheyenne, an Honorary Flag Patrol and Patriot Riders, yet to be elected Harriet Hageman and other dignitaries.

A 30-year-old young man gave his life for this country, but he will never be forgotten. Major Olds’s name has been placed on the Monument Wall at the National Memorial Cemetery of Honolulu, Hawaii. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and an Air Medal with 2 Oak Clusters which denotes 3 Air Medals.

There was a Sugar Beet dump located to the east of the South Node Road and towards the old town of Node. Beets were grown and harvested by Larry Solberg, Verle Ellis and Dale Fullerton. The beet dump was only there for a couple years. This was 1969 to 1970.

The Node Homemakers Club

The first meeting of what is now the Node Homemakers club was held at the Node Congregational Church, now the Node School/ Church, in March of 1918. The meeting was sponsored by the Extension division of the University of Wy. For 2 years the club was a large community organization with members taking turns having meetings at their homes. The projects were sewing and knitting for the Red Cross. At that time the club was called The Handy Helpers.

In 1920, many of the members lost interest or moved away, and a group of women reorganized the club along different lines. The charter members were Mrs. Menno Kaan, Mrs. Henry Kaan, Mrs. Nick Kaan Sr., Mrs. Sam Sabin, Mrs. Otis Bump, Mrs. Charles Lund Sr., Mrs. Jack Sturman, Mrs. Don Paisley, Mrs. Fred Baars, Mrs. R.S. Bell, and Mrs. C.M. Dean. The name of the club was changed to “Node Homemakers.” Club day was a real Community affair. The whole family went early, had dinner, and stayed late. The children played and the men either played cards or pitched horse shoes, depending on the weather. The big noon carry in dinner was a very popular feature of the club until 1964, when the membership voted to have afternoon meetings.

Getting to club meetings was not always easy. The story is told of Myrtle Lund, who once walked 8 miles through deep snow to attend a meeting. Minnie Butler and Edith Kaan also had problems when Minnie’s car twice got stuck in the mud. Thanks to a tire iron, a helpful sheep herder, and Tom Pfister’s 4 horse team, the determined ladies made it to club.

At one time, Highway 20 turned south at the Node School house, running 3 ½ miles south past the Thomas Pfister homestead, then turned East on to Van Tassell. We have pictures taken in 1922 showing grading being done on the road and also pictures of the Calvary from Ft. Robinson riding by. In 1930, U. S. Highway 20 was moved north to its present location parallel to the railroad.

This is a story of Node, past and present, as we have read, been told and lived a part of it.

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