Looking Back: Dorchester Lawmaker, Crete Woman Gave Us State Flag

Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, right. 

Nebraska's flag should always fly a little bit higher in Dorchester and Crete.

That's because the person most responsible for convincing the Nebraska Legislature to approve of our state flag (or banner, as it was called in 1925) was State Sen. Charles Meacham Jr. of Dorchester.

Sen. Meacham was steadfast in his legislative efforts primarily because of the consistent urging of constituent Mrs. Florence Hazen Miller of Crete, a staunch advocate to establish an official Nebraska flag. 

In fact, Crete was where the Nebraska's state flag flew following its official designation in the mid-1920s. 

According to the State Historical Society, "At one second after midnight on July 1, 1925 -- the day the banner law took effect -- a small Nebraska flag with a fifteen-inch-diameter state seal embroidered in gold and silver was hoisted on a pole in Crete, probably by Mrs. Miller, and it remained flying until 8 a.m."

This adoption of a state flag was a big deal, mostly because Nebraska was the last state at that time to get its own banner. As of 1920, each of the other 47 states had already adopted a flag -- so Nebraska was only five years behind the curve. (Maybe we will soon return to a two-chamber legislature to return to the wiser system America's founders established.) 

Read more about our state flag at the Nebraska History Museum's website. Then go fly your Nebraska flag high.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Saline Co. Summer Swampland

How Wet Was Our Summer?: Fall arrives Monday at 1:19 p.m. CT. That will bring an end to summer 2025, which will go down as one of the wettest in recent memory. As of Sept. 16, the year-to-date rainfall total for the Dorchester area is roughly 30 inches, significantly more than the 23.97-inch year-to-date average. Most of this rainfall came after mid-May. Fortunately, the drought is over. But that came with a cost. The heavy rains brought destructive wind and hail to property and crops -- and turned our area into a swampland. We have the massive mosquitos to prove it. Those flying insects aren't going away anytime soon; the long-range forecast shows no freezing temperatures until Oct. 30.

DHS Football Team Picks Up First Win: The Dorchester Longhorns picked up their first victory of 2025 on Sept. 12, even though it came by way of Heartland Lutheran (Grand Island) forfeiting on homecoming night. DHS is off this week but will resume play on Sept. 26 at Harvard (0-3) followed by an Oct. 3 home game against Silver Lake (2-1). See DHS' online schedule.     

Longhorn Volleyball Begins Season 5-3: The Lady Longhorns volleyball team has started their season with a 5-3 record, dropping a couple contests in which the Orange and Black Attack was favored to win. On Sept. 11, DHS lost to Class D-2 rival Giltner (5-1). Two days later, on Sept. 13, Dorchester topped Class C-2 Southern ( 4-10) but fell to Falls City Sacred Heart (5-7) and Pawnee City (5-5). Tonight, DHS is on the road against Nebraska Lutheran, and will travel to Osceola on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to take on the Lady Bulldogs. See DHS' online schedule.

Axline, Theis Crowned Homecoming Royalty: During DHS homecoming ceremony held Sept. 12, Caden Axline was crowned king, while Bailey Theis was crowned queen. Our congratulations to this fine representatives of Dorchester High School.

Home for Sale: A three-bedroom, one-bath home at 905 Franklin Ave. has been listed for sale since early September. The home, built 125 years ago, has a price tag of $168,000. View it here. 

'Pure Nebraska' Features County Museum Again: 10/11 News' 'Pure Nebraska' program is highlighting the Saline County Museum once again, this time with a spotlight on the museums' communications and business display in the Weidner Building. It features an impressive display of vintage typewriters, as well as newspaper printing presses used in Dorchester and Friend. Also on display are the movie projectors that were used at the Dorchester community theater, once housed in the Dorchester Community Building. This is a critical piece of Saline County history, and we salute the museum staff and volunteers for bringing it to life. Watch 10/11's feature story.

Power Outage Planned For Saturday Morning

The Village of Dorchester is planning a village-wide electrical power outage this Saturday, Sept. 13, beginning at 8 a.m. 

According to pamphlets let at residences, the power outage could last as long as six hours. 

"Please be patient and plan accordingly," the pamphlet say.

The outage is necessary due to repair work being conducted on the Norris Power substation south of Dorchester.

The facility was heavily damaged from the storms in late August.

At least one Dorchester business, the Farmers Cooperative fueling station and garage, will be closed on Saturday due to this event. 

Questions should be directed to Village Hall at 402-946-3201.  

Looking Back: Dorchester's Secret Organizations Of The Past

Some time ago, the Dorchester Times received a scathing e-mail from a critic who had issues with our blog's anonymous nature.

"I don't like the secretness [sic] of your publication," the writer said. "If your [sic] so proud of your blog and you have so much to say, come out and let us know who is behind the Dorchester Times."

The six staff members (one has passed away) of the Dorchester Times have been anonymous since the blog's founding in April 2007, although not all the original staff members are with us -- and as of summer 2023, we are in talks with two more individuals who may take over blog operations going forward. The Dorchester Times has done just fine, thank you, despite being cloaked in secrecy. 

Dorchester's history is rich with groups whose members remained anonymous while staying focused on the community's greater good.

One such group were the Dorchester Freemasons, who were active during the early 1900s. The Dorchester Freemasons met on the second floor of the building that now houses City Hall and Donna's Hair Creations. (It's rumored that second floor is haunted, but we will let someone else investigate that charge.)

According to the Masons' website, "the Freemasonry is the oldest and largest worldwide fraternity dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of a Supreme Being."  

When the old Dorchester school building was razed in 2008, Dorchester's residents received a history lesson on the Freemasons, who laid the cornerstone of the 1927 building. Click here for our story on the opening of the 1927 cornerstone.

Another organization with ties to Dorchester's early past is the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), which was concerned with local civic and political matters. Dorchester's I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 74 was founded May 13, 1879. While not as secretive as the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows didn't exactly publicize their membership.

The purpose of Dorchester Odd Fellows' lodge was to "care for the sick, bury the dead, and care for the widows and orphans." Dorchester's I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 74 was active until 1973.

The staff of the Dorchester Times is not to be confused with the fine members of the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows, or any of the world's elite secret organizations. But in our own way, this blog continues to serve a purpose and do some good. We will stick with the formula that is working.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Who'll Stop The Rain?

Flooding Follows Labor Day Weekend Rain: Labor Day weekend brought tremendous amounts of rain to the Dorchester area, with 6.32" falling in town over a 24-hour period from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. According to reports, Garland received similar amounts, while Friend saw 5.19" and Milford received nearly 4". Crete received nearly 3". Watch KETV's report on area flooding. One resident told us he saw water over roads where it had never crossed before. Several water removal trucks were in town Monday to take care of residents with wet basements. This follows a very wet August in the Dorchester area. The drought appears to be over for most of Saline County.

Saline County Museum Featured on Pure Nebraska: "Pure Nebraska" -- produced by 10/11 News -- is airing a new segment featuring the Kaspar Memorial Building at the Saline County Museum in Dorchester. The segment focuses on the antique farm equipment housed in and outside the building. Watch the episode. Keep in mind that the museum's "Living History Day" is set for Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free and lunch will be served. Homemade ice cream, games, and crafts will also be available.

DHS Volleyball Opens Season With Win; Football Team 0-1: The Dorchester volleyball team officially opened their season Thursday, Aug. 28, beating East Butler in three sets. DHS will play at Weeping Water on Thursday, Sept. 4, and at Pawnee City on Friday, Sept. 5. Meanwhile, the DHS football team lost their season opener 44-25 at Nerud Field on Friday, Aug. 29. Dorchester will travel to Pawnee City this Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.