It is interesting how events and trends in history tend to repeat themselves from time to time. After the present Red Willow County Courthouse was built in 1926, McCook’s city offices shared facilities with the county, in the county courthouse. But as more and more services were added to both the city’s and county’s responsibilities, more space was needed by both organizations.
Since about 1950, the McCook city offices have been housed in Memorial Auditorium, located on West Fifth Street.
Now, in 2005, talks are in progress that could result in the city and county again sharing facilities. Mr. A. Barnett, McCook’s Builder, a longtime member of the McCook Chamber of Commerce, was a promoter of a civic auditorium almost from the beginning — along with a number of forward-looking citizens.
By the mid-1890s an “Auditorium Fund” had begun. And, just after the turn of a new century, several thousands of dollars had been raised locally for that facility: Periodically over the years, the auditorium project would surface, but for one reason or another always failed to make much headway.
Mr. Barnett, always a booster for McCook, gained stature and increasing influence in the community as the years went by, and continued to push for a civic auditorium in which all McCook could take pride.
Though his practice was to lead by example, from time to time he offered his thoughts to the public. On one such occasion he said, “From a financial standpoint many of our citizens have been prosperous. They have shown confidence in our city by their improvements and increased investments. Yet our business people are hardly up to the city’s needs in the way of commercial requirements. There is trade that should be held here that goes away, and there is business that could be brought here, that we do not get. We should keep in mind that we do have competition.”
(Even after some 100 years, some things never change.)
In the 1930s, during President Roosevelt’s second term, when Dr. J.M. Willis was president of the McCook Chamber of Commerce, a committee was appointed to study the possibilities of building an auditorium in McCook.
The committee thoroughly studied the matter, and reported that the federal government was making grants to cities for the purpose of making improvements to, and the building of government buildings. The report said that under these grants the federal government would share almost equally with municipalities the cost of these buildings or improvements.
A preliminary survey by the city showed that the cost of the proposed auditorium would be $94,156. A McCook special election on June 25, 1938 carried a bond issue for $50,000, (the city’s share of the project) by a vote of 1,197-583.
Good cooperation among various McCook groups and individuals was apparent, as the auditorium project went forward. John E. Kelley offered the land, a parcel 300 feet by 355 feet, for $ 1,000.
The American Legion came forth with a donation of $940 to buy the land — hence the name, “Memorial Auditorium” on the building.
Since part that parcel of land was outside city limits the City Council created a special “Auditorium Addition” to the city and agreed to buy the additional land for the auditorium’s construction.
One of the requirements of the government grant was that the project had to be started by Dec. 31, 1938. A contract for excavating work was let on Dec. 16 and work to satisfy the time stipulation was begun almost immediately, though a general contract for the building to R.W. Hughes of McCook, was not let until Feb. 17, 1939.
A standing Auditorium Committee, made up of Council Members, was named to oversee construction of the building.
Mr. A. Barnett was an unofficial consulting member of the Auditorium Committee. Even though he was 85 years old at the time, and sick with his fatal illness, his vast experience as McCook’s Master Builder was such that he was in constant contact with the city fathers, the architects, and the builders in the pre-construction phases of the auditorium project, even in his last days, when those in charge had to consult with him from his sickroom bed at St. Catherine’s Hospital.
The formal dedication of the new Memorial Auditorium was set for Nov. 12, 1939, but the veterans’ organizations of Mc-Cook, the American Legion, the VFW, and their auxiliary groups got things going on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1939, when they held a very successful dance, the first of many, in that facility.
During the first years of the auditorium’s life the building served as the hub of McCook’s cultural and entertainment center. Big-name bands were brought in to play for countless dances. Boxing and wrestling matches were held on the gym floor.
The auditorium was home to the McCook High School basketball games. High school graduation exercises were held here, as were wedding receptions, community and traveling theater productions.
In 1950, The City of Mc-Cook moved its city offices out of the Red Willow County Courthouse and into Memorial Auditorium. Space taken by the city curtailed some of the activities that were held in the building, but the “auditorium” has continued to host dances. Community concerts, cooking schools, craft shows, car shows, political rallies, and spectacular wedding receptions since that time. During the tenure of Mayor Vern Meints, the auditorium underwent a major face lifting. The gym floor was beautifully redone, but the baskets were removed, making basketball games (Even the YMCA Little League games) a thing of the past.
One bad rap of holding events at the auditorium has been the uncomfortable benches for seating, in the bleachers. A lengthy concert or lecture leaves spectators with aching backs. It has been argued that McCook has lost bringing in some medium sized conventions because of the poor seating at the auditorium.
This is unfortunate, because the auditorium is the one place in McCook where very large crowds can be accommodated.
Now, after some 65 years, the uncomfortable seating at the auditorium is being addressed by the “Share-A- Seat” (Spare Your Seat) campaign currently taking place in McCook, which aims to raise funds to install 534 high-tech polypropylene seats (which cradle your body while giving support — armrests included!”
A sample seat has been making the rounds of public places in McCook, and praise for the new seat is universally positive. Hopefully, we soon will be able to attend an event at Memorial Auditorium in total comfort — and not a moment too soon for this old, tired back.
Source — McCook Gazette Centennial Edition, 1882-1982.
By Walt Sehnert
McCook Daily Gazette / Monday, October 24, 2005
Sehnert is the author of two books on Nebraska history, “Growing Up In Plain View”, and “Ray Search Remembers McCook”. He writes a weekly column, “From Days Gone By”, in the McCook Daily Gazette. These columns usually recall an individual, or a place, or an event from McCook’s past, though they sometimes report an event or an individual’s story from Sehnert’s or the nation’s past.
Recently Sehnert was honored by placing two stories in a writer’s contest sponsored by the Nebraska Alumnus Magazine—Second place in the “Nostalgia” category (Spring ’06 edition), with a biographical sketch of ex-Nebraskan, “Cactus” Chris Buethe of Seward.
Check out Sehnert’s columns at www.mccookgazette.com. (Click on “Opinions” and then “From Days Gone By”.) For information about ordering one of Sehnert’s books you may contact him directly at walts@mccooknet.com or 308-345-3356 or www.bieroccafe.com and see “Walt’s page”.