65 Years Ago
December 1954
The biggest event of the season to Iola television fans was the throwing of a switch on Nov. 21 that put KMBC-TV on the air with the highest tower in Kansas City and with power rated at 316,000 watts. Prior to that time, WDAF was the only station that could be received here with any regularity at all. Now KMBC provides the best reception in the area with the single exception of KOAM Pittsburg.
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Dr. Herbert M. Webb, 77, retired Humboldt physician and surgeon, died Thursday at the Veterans Hospital in Kansas City. He had been a patient there since July. Dr. Webb spent most of his professional life in Humboldt and was widely known throughout the county.
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The folks at the County Home are going to get their TV set for Christmas. The money is in hand right now. Not only that, they may get a good second-hand piano as well, something they need almost as much as a television set. Thats the way the money is coming in today. Several television dealers have called to say that they would give part of an outfit free or at a heavy discount on a complete set and antenna. Installation labor has already been donated.
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Today was Christmas at the McAtee Nursing Home. A television receiving set was installed yesterday. Bill Burcham and 22 other Iolans presented the gift to the home.
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J.E. Slyker, manager of the local Southwestern Bell telephone company, plans to have 36 operators at the switchboard to handle the 635 long distance phone calls that he expects during the 24 hours beginning Friday evening. Christmas is the busiest day of the year for the telephone company. Last year 426 long distance calls were completed on Christmas Day by local operators. Slyker has suggestions for those making Christmas calls: place your calls as early as possible; call by number. This speeds making the connection.
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Allen County was covered with a six-inch snowy blanket this morning. The drifts snarled traffic, particularly on east-west streets and highways, and blocked U.S. 54 between LaHarpe and Moran for a few hours this morning.
The highway was closed to traffic between Bronson and Fort Scott where the snow measured 23 inches at noon. The Union Bus Depot reported that no buses arrived here from either the east or the south during the morning hours. Others were running behind schedule.
