Dorchester Times: NEWS BRIEFS: Dorchester Journalists Take Top Honors

Monday, February 23, 2009

NEWS BRIEFS: Dorchester Journalists Take Top Honors

DHS Takes Top Honors In State Journalism Contest: Dorchester this month further solidified the reputation of its journalism program, regardless of school size. DHS had multiple top finishers at the 2008-09 Nebraska Journalism Education Association contest for high school newspaper and yearbook students. Out of more than 515 entries in Classes A through D, DHS' Valerie Cochnar received an "excellent" rating in the yearbook layout competition. In yearbook sports writing, DHS' Malinda Havlat also received an "excellent." Dorchester's Jessica Hansen was awarded an "excellent" in yearbook theme copy, while DHS' Charity Springer, Ashton Kotas and Cochnar were awarded a "superior" for yearbook theme development. We at the Times tip our hats to the budding journalists at DHS.

Assistance Available for Saline County Ancestral Research: Saline County residents Tom and Lyn Harrison tell the Times that they offer "the only online library specializing in Saline County genealogy." The Harrison's assist others researching their families in Saline and surrounding counties. Their Web site, http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/~netpl, offers a "virtual library that provides free online lookups." The Harrisons have a database that includes a "death and burial index" with more than 30,000 entries from Saline and surrounding counties, as well as more than 10,000 obituaries. Those interested in learning more about their family roots can e-mail Tom and Lyn at pastfinder.library@gmail.com.

Pictures From The Girls Subdistrict Tourney: So the ball did not bounce the Lady Longhorns' way in last week's subdistrict play in Geneva. At least the fans had a good time. To prove it, we have photos from a loyal reader who wanted to share the sights of some of Dorchester's most loyal fans who rooted hard for their favorite team. We thank the reader for sending us these great shots. (Click on photos for a closer look.)

3 comments:

AnonymousMarch 2, 2009 at 9:37 AM
I find it amazing that there are so many comments on the athletics but nobody thinks academics are as important to comment on sooooo!!!! congrats to journalism students you did a great job !!!
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AnonymousMarch 3, 2009 at 3:08 PM
I thought it was the best annual I had ever seen!! When I attended DHS back in the 50's, we didn't have an annual. A lot of work goes into the annuals, great job, everyone!!
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AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 5:45 AM
My mother, who graduated in 1956, also said they did not have an annual. I believe they started sometime in the 1960's. Congratulations to the staff.
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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 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.

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: 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."