Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

It was brought to my attention… “You know, Rena the annual corn husking contest that was held on the Charles Kahrs place would be a good story for your column.” It was in the spring that I was told this. So as, fall approached I pursued this memory imprinted in the minds of so many.

I can only imagine the thousands of people milling around in front of a giant tent. One family member told me how he remembered that day even though he was a child of 6 or 7 years old. It was an exciting day in Franklin County. All of this took place on the Charles Kahrs farm southwest of Bloomington on October 28, 1941. Charles Kahrs had two sons, Willis and Kenneth. Together all three of them made possible a historic day, that even little children have never forgotten. So take a memory ride to Bloomington and go south to the river bridge turn west and go about a half-mile to the present day home of Roger Kahrs. Bonnie and Shirley Kahrs own this farm. Willis Kahrs was Bonnie’s father and Bonnie grew up on this farm. This one story home was once a large two-story home with a big barn in the yard. Oh, how I wish I could have been there to see this special day. So if you were there please tell me so I can put the picture in my mind. I have a folder full of newspaper articles concerning the contest. I have chosen the one I think has the best coverage. On this 60th anniversary of the 16th annual corn-husking contest let us see what the Nebraska Farmer has to say about the event.

Oh, yes. Before you read, imagine a one-hour radio broadcast originating on Main Street in Franklin at 4:30 p.m. Five Radio stations around the state carried the coverage of this story.

“Nebraska’s sixteenth annual corn husking contest is scheduled to be held on the Charles Kahrs and Sons’ farm, five and one-half miles southwest of Franklin, NE on October 28. Thirty-six of the state’s best huskers will be right in there pitching ears against the bang boards on that day. These huskers will be fighting for a chance to represent Nebraska in the national contest to be held near Tonica, in LaSalle County, IL, on November 3. Thirty-five of them will be trying to wrest the state championship from its present holder, James Podliska, of Madison County. The champion and runner up in the state contest will compete in the national contest.

“This 260 acre farm where the contest will be held this year is an outstanding example of efficient farming methods. Pump irrigation insures a crop each year and Mr. Kahrs says that during the eighteen years he has farmed this piece of land he has never had less than twenty-five bushels of corn per acre, even during the drought years and without irrigation.

“The irrigation well is fifty-five feet deep and the pump throws 1,250 gallons per minute. The entire field which is to be used for the contest was irrigated twice and part of it three times. Those who have examined the field carefully estimate that it will yield about seventy-five bushels per acre.

“It is interesting to note that Mr. Kahrs received technical assistance from the Nebraska Soil Conservation Service in laying out the irrigation system on this farm. Through the efforts of this agency the laterals were properly placed and the most efficient use of the water was obtained. The Soil Conservation Service is rendering technical assistance in such cases, and in many cases they are able to give financial assistance as well. However, it was not needed on this farm. The local C. C. C. Camp did assist with some labor, and, by the way, this organization will be on hand the day of the contest to assist visitors in finding suitable parking places for their cars during the contest and also to assist in policing the grounds in order that spectators will remain out of the corn until after the contest starts.

“Charles Kahrs, the owner of the farm, operates it in cooperation with his two sons, Kenneth and Willis, who have put in a lot of work this summer producing this excellent crop of corn. This is the second year the Kahrs have used Pioneer Hybrid corn and, when questioned about hybrids, the boys said that, of course, they were getting bigger yields with hybrid corn but even if they did not get larger yields, hybrid was worth all it cost for seed over open pollinated just for the easier husking. They also said that it stands up much better and there is less waste in husking for that reason.

“The farm is operated almost entirely with tractors and tractor machinery, and mechanical huskers will be used to prepare the field for the contest.

“The irrigation well is equipped with an 80-foot submerged pump. The well was dug by Mr. Kahrs, himself, and cased with a fir casing of his own construction. Tractor power is used to operate the pump.

“Handling a state husking contest is no easy tasks, but the people of Franklin County are right on the job to see that everything will be ready for the starting bomb. Thirty-six wagons, operated with rubber-tired tractors of various makes, will be on hand for the huskers. Seventy-two Franklin County citizens will follow the huskers, two to each wagon, to glean the corn missed by the huskers. One referee for each husker will be selected from sponsors of country contests throughout the state.

“As usual, Harry G. Gould, assistant director of the Nebraska Extension Service, will elect the one-hundred-pound sample from each wagon. L. B. Snyder, College of Agriculture, will be records judge. F. D. Keim, chairman of the Agronomy Department, College of Agriculture, will determine the number of husks in each load, and T. A. Kiesselback, also of the Agronomy Department, will sort and weigh the gleanings. A representative from the North Platte Experiment Station will act as wagon weights judge.

“Mr. T. R. Blank, president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, is general chairman of the local committee in direct charge of arrangements for the contest. He has selected an excellent group of Franklin County men to assist him. Among these are Harry Blank, Ben Harrington, Les Goldsberry, Walter Post, Melvin Kreifels, George Brewer, Perry Slocum, Ernest Blank, Herman Hadden, Noble Johnson, Jim Williams, Charles Kahrs, Lloyd Davisson, G. P. Spence, M. Space, Roy Henderson, Oscar Thomas, Estel Austin, Henry Lipp, Gordon Buster, Dick James, Fred Roberts, Crawford Pool, Careton Hutchins, Wesley Lipp, Harry Stearns, Robert Hilsabeck, and scores of others who are vitally interested in making this contest one to be long remembered.

“Only four other state contests have exceeded this one in size, and it is expected that with such an excellent field of corn new state records may be made. Only county champions and the 1940 state champion will be permitted to husk in the state contest.”

Albert Krueger of Madison County was the winner of the 16th annual corn husking championship. He won $100.00 for his effort that day in October. The Sunday night preceding the contest a heavy wind, amounting to almost a gale, spoiled all chance of any state record when it blew down more than fifty percent of the corn in the field, forcing the huskers to fight their way through tangled stalks. Officials felt that the records made were very good considering the condition of the corn. Alonzo Ksiazek of Merrick County, placed second, barely nosing out Rudolph Wostrell of Pierce County by slightly more than two pounds.

I have a picture of this day that is not plain enough to print. In this picture I see a father and two sons. The two young sons are slim and handsome and browned by the summer sun. I can see the pride on all three of their faces. They were proud of their farm and proud of the new methods they were trying to get every extra bushel of corn they could off their Nebraska land. Charles Kahrs had lived on the present place for 18 years in 1941. “This bottom land,” said Kahrs “never has made less than 25 bushels of corn to the acre. For successful irrigation, a farm must be laid out right.” Kahrs did his first irrigation in 1938 from a pump installed to take water out of the river. The next spring he arranged for the S. C. S. men to lie out an irrigation system.

Five generations of Kahrs families have successfully farmed the S. E. * of Section 7 in Oak Grove Township. For seventy-eight years fathers and sons have plowed and planted this ground. Time slipping from season to season with each family passing on to their offspring the knowledge of what it takes to be a true Nebraska Farmer.

A hundred little things make likenesses in brethren born and show the father’s blood. Euripides

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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