Since 2007: The News, Events, History and People of Our Town, Dorchester, Nebraska
Sunday, December 14, 2008
SPORTS ROUND-UP: DHS Wrestlers Take Third At Daykin
DHS Grapplers Take 3rd At Bob Oliver Invitational: On Thursday, the Longhorn wrestlers took third place out of nine teams at the Bob Oliver Invitational in Daykin. DHS trailed only Palmyra and Friend in team scoring. DHS had three first-place finishers. In the 125 lb. class, DHS grappler Brandon Schwlsow won his championship match against a Sandy Creek/Lawrence-Nelson wrestler in a 7-5 decision. In the 145 class, DHS' Adam Kahle pinned his Heartland opponent in 3:43. And DHS' Russel Barak pinned his Sandy Creek/Lawrence-Nelson opponent in only 39 seconds in the 189 lb. championship match. In yesterday's (Dec. 13) meet at Osceola, Dorchester finished seventh out of 16 squads. The Times is still awaiting individual results.
Dorchester Invite To Be Held Saturday;Volunteers Needed: The Longhorn wrestlers will be in action this Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Dorcheter Invitational. The D-Club is looking for DHS wrestlers and student managers to assist with the many responsibilities of running the tournament, including keeping score, running the clocks, and other various duties. If you know of a former Longhorn wrestler or student manager who would like to volunteer at the Dorchester Tournament, or if you would like to volunteer yourself, please call Dorchester athletic director Scott Pohl at (402) 946-2781.
DHS Girls Get Win No. 3, While Boys Lose By Three at High Plains: On Friday night, the DHS Lady Longhorns (3-0) -- rated No. 11 in Class D-1 -- scored their third consecutive win of the young season, handily beating High Plains 49-26. The Lady 'Horns were led by Charity Springer with 13 points and Amy Havlat with a dozen. (For more, click here to see the York News-Times' game summary.) Meanwhile, the boys' basketball team (2-1) lost a heart breaker to High Plains, 61-58. DHS led 11-5 at the quarter and 30-22 at halftime, only to be outscored 30-15 in the final eight minutes. The Longhorns placed four players in double numbers, led by Brandon Zoubek and Spencer Kotas with 13 each. Alex Walton and Logan Morris both had 12. (See the York News Times' story here.) Both Longhorn teams will see action again this Tuesday, Dec. 16, in road contests at Harvard.
Looks like both the girls team and the boys teams will be one to watch this year....and I'm not a parent. It takes some talent - like these teams seem to have - but it takes a coach to pull all this together. There's been lots of talent in the past, but some of the coaches didn't have the ability to make it work. Good luck to the teams - it will be a fun year!
i know that some "cynical" people have said this blog and the people of Dorchester spend to much time focusing on sports. I may not be the best person with with words but I for one do follow the sports teams even though I haven't played myself for 27 years. I dont think many thinking people can deny that athletics play a very big role in increasing school pride among players and the rest of the students including the very youngest kids. I am so glad to see all the winter teams excelling and being competitive. It means a lot to those of us who live in town and close by.
I agree with bob above about the links to other newspapers. Why don't you ever link to the crete news? They cover the dorchester teams but you must be too stubborn!
Way to look at everything on the BRIGHT side, anonymous 11:18 a.m. Try at looking at life as the cup half full instead of half empty. It makes for nicer neighbors and friends.
Don't you get it. That same person probably didn't amount to a hill of beans in high school, if they even went out for sports. If he did, he probably got shoved in the footpowder box and rode the pine. Now he sits around and criticizes high school athletes trying their best. It's sad I tell you.
To receive our occasional news update emails -- or to send us your news, photos, and announcements -- contact us at dorchester.times@gmail.com (note the period between "dorchester" and "times").
Main Street Dorchester in 1906 with ponies from Col. Thompson's Elmwood Pony Farm.
Got News? Want Alerts?
The Dorchester Times is your community news source. We rely on information provided by area residents, community leaders, school officials, students and alumni. If you know of a Dorchester-area event or story, send your stories to Dorchester.Times@gmail.com. Photos are also welcomed. If you would like to be notified when the Times publishes a new post, send us your e-mail address and we will add you to our contact list.
Dorchester Cooperative feed mill fire in the 1950s.
Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town
Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).
Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.
The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.
Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).
Dorchester's West Mills, 1910. The mill, built by some of the area's first settlers, sat on the West Fork Big Blue River and was completed in 1864.
Dorchester-Area Job Listings
Live in Dorchester and still find a career in almost any sector. See today's latest Dorchster-area job listings by clicking here.
Dorchesters's Elmwood Pony Farm and W.J. Thompson, auctioneer, in 1912.
Join Dorchester Community Foundation Today
Want to make Dorchester an even better place to call home? Join the Dorchester Community Foundation. The Foundation and its fund have already spurred several community improvements, such as the city park renovation and the new 'Welcome to Dorchester' signs. To donate, simply click here.
Dorchester Historical Facts
* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.
Dorchester's Main Street, 1908, looking north.
A Village with History
Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.
Dorchester's Methodist Church circa 1889-90, shortly after the building was moved from Pleasant Hill.
Turkey Creek stock farm, circa 1885, south of Dorchester.
Dorchester: In The Beginning
Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."
Portrait of three boys in costume on a dirt road in Dorchester, early 1900s. One is dressed as a Uncle Sam, while the other two are dressed as Native Americans, complete with feathered headdresses, fringed clothing and bows. Photo by Russell Freidell.
Dorchester Homes For Sale
Dorchester offers friendly, small-community living for families and individuals. The cost of living here is one of the nation's most affordable, while the quality of life is tremendous. Click here for the latest Dorchester area real estate listings.
The "famous Dorchester race car" from the 1930s, built and raced by Henry Sehnert, the village's longtime Ford auto dealer.
Dorchester Items On eBay
See what Dorchester-related items are for sale on eBay by clicking here. It should be noted that the Dorchester Times is neither affiliated with eBay, nor do we receive compensation from the company.
1909 Dorchester baseball team.
Share News With Your Fellow Community Members
Let us know if there is something that you want to see covered or featured in the Dorchester Times. E-mail stories, photos and news tips to Dorchester.Times@gmail.com.
The Old Dorchester School used from 1890-1927.
Current Dorchester Demographics
Click here for the most up-to-date information on Dorchester, including information and statistics on our residents, housing, school, businesses and climate.
Dorchester's train depot as featured in a postcard from the early 1900s.
Today's city hall as it appeared circa 1920, when it housed the Citizens State Bank, post office and Masonic Hall (upstairs).
Gathering at Dorchester's fairgrounds, 1908
TIMES POLL: What Issue Is Most Important When Voting For School Board Members?
RESULTS: Student Behavior/Perfomance -- 48.1%; Teacher/Staff Evaluation -- 16.3%; Cooperation With Village -- 15.4%; New Spending -- 14.4%; School Renovation -- 5.8% (104 votes)
Freeouf's Garage & Livery of Dorchester, circa 1925
Dorchester's Charles Havlat was the very last U.S. soldier killed in action in the European operations of WWII. Private Havlat was shot May 7, 1945, while on patrol in Bohemia, by German soldiers who were unaware a ceasefire had been declared.
TIMES POLL: Bring Back The Summertime Street Dances?
RESULTS: Yes -- 78.4%; No -- 21.6% (102 readers surveyed.)
The Dorchester telephone building, which housed operators and switchboards, as it appeared in the 1920s.
TIMES POLL: When Do You Get In Touch With Old DHS Classmates?
RESULTS: Alumni Tournaments -- 62.7%; Stay in touch regularly -- 18.6%; Homecoming -- 8.5%; Christmas/New Years -- 6.8%; Fourth of July -- 3.4%. (59 votes)
Dorchester Methodist Church around the turn of the 20th century
Dorchester's First Baptist Church (year unknown)
TIMES POLL: What Is Dorchester's Best Quality?
RESULTS: The people of Dorchester -- 32.6%; School -- 18.5%; Close to larger towns -- 17.4%; Cost of living -- 16.3%; Other -- 9.8%; Organizations and businesses -- 5.4%. (92 readers surveyed.)
Dorchester Christian Church, circa 1908
Depot, telegraph office and elevator at Dorchester, circa 1910
Dorchester's Elmwood Pony Farm, owned by W.J. Thompson, 1912
TIMES POLL: What Is The Most Positive Development In Dorchester Lately?
RESULTS: City Park Renovation - 40.2%; More Civic Participation - 22%; Main Street Improvements - 13.6%; Growth Of Co-op - 13.6%; Nerud Field Project - 10.6%. (132 votes.)
Dorchester's July 4th G.A.R. parade, 1908
Dorchester's two-story depot, built in the 1870s, housed the station agent and his family upstairs
TIMES POLL: Which Era Had the Top Male Athletic Talent?
Longhorns (3-0) -- rated No. 11 in Class D-1 -- scored their third consecutive win of the young season, handily beating High Plains 49-26. The Lady 'Horns were led by Charity Springer with 13 points and Amy Havlat with a dozen. (For more, click here to see the York News-Times' game summary.) Meanwhile, the boys' basketball team (2-1) lost a heart breaker to High Plains, 61-58. DHS led 11-5 at the quarter and 30-22 at halftime, only to be outscored 30-15 in the final eight minutes. The Longhorns placed four players in double numbers, led by Brandon Zoubek and Spencer Kotas with 13 each. Alex Walton and Logan Morris both had 12. (See the York News Times' story here.) Both Longhorn teams will see action again this Tuesday, Dec. 16, in road contests at Harvard.
I enjoy the sports updates and hearing about the kids efforts. I especially like the links to other media sources. Good job.
ReplyDeleteLooks like both the girls team and the boys teams will be one to watch this year....and I'm not a parent. It takes some talent - like these teams seem to have - but it takes a coach to pull all this together. There's been lots of talent in the past, but some of the coaches didn't have the ability to make it work. Good luck to the teams - it will be a fun year!
ReplyDeletei know that some "cynical" people have said this blog and the people of Dorchester spend to much time focusing on sports. I may not be the best person with with words but I for one do follow the sports teams even though I haven't played myself for 27 years. I dont think many thinking people can deny that athletics play a very big role in increasing school pride among players and the rest of the students including the very youngest kids. I am so glad to see all the winter teams excelling and being competitive. It means a lot to those of us who live in town and close by.
ReplyDeleteGo Longhorns!! Make us proud!!
I agree with bob above about the links to other newspapers. Why don't you ever link to the crete news? They cover the dorchester teams but you must be too stubborn!
ReplyDelete'Anonymous' (Dec. 15, 10:43 a.m.):
ReplyDeleteWe would love to provide links to stories in The Crete News and we have done so in the past.
Sadly, the paper's new Web site has not been updated in months.
Moreover, the site will not allow users to access individual stories.
Good to see the wins by both girls and boys. However, boys opponents combined record is 3-13. Havent played anyone legit yet
ReplyDeleteWay to look at everything on the BRIGHT side, anonymous 11:18 a.m. Try at looking at life as the cup half full instead of half empty. It makes for nicer neighbors and friends.
ReplyDeleteDon't you get it. That same person probably didn't amount to a hill of beans in high school, if they even went out for sports. If he did, he probably got shoved in the footpowder box and rode the pine. Now he sits around and criticizes high school athletes trying their best. It's sad I tell you.
ReplyDelete