DHA LXXVII
(8/19/2004)

Hooker Historical Marker

The Hooker, SD, Historical Marker was erected near the north end (point) of the Hooker plat area, the forenoon of Saturday, August 17, 2004.

Present for the installation were Hookerites Rick and Sue Jensen, Casey Wallace, and Duke Joffer, Hooker; Martin Nygaard, Viborg; Ron Nygaard, Davis; Dick Gors, Tea; and Lester Lauritzen, Centerville.

The design was adopted at a planning meeting at the Jensen's in Hooker in June. A sudden recollection by Larry Wallace was enthusiastically received by the group, and a design was quickly completed, for a Hooker Silhouette, to be cut from one-eigth inch plate steel. Sue Jensen, using old photos, created, via computer, a Hooker skyline, including a church, school, store, grain elevator, and railroad depot. A to-scale print of tis was taken to Lynn Peterson of Lynn's Metal Creations in Viborg.

Pterson cut the sign from a 4x8 sheet of steel, with silhouette of the buildings on top. Below is lettered "Hooker, SD, Est. 1894." cut out of the metal. Fine detail in Peterson's work is better seen than described. The sign has back-reinforcement and is mounted on steel pipe posts set in concrete. Peterson told DHA News that this is the only sign that he has made of this type.

A large boulder, part of earlier sign plans, is just below the sign. Some additional landscaping may be done later.

The new marker is located a few hundred feet south of the intersection of the east-west Turner County gravel, known as the "Hooker Road," and the north-south Turner Twp. gravel section-line on the west side of the marker and between the latter and the street in the Village of Hooker, that parallels the former Northwestern RR grade, on the east. Hooker is 3 miles east and 2 mile north of the 4-way stop in Viborg.

Funds for the sign came from contributions received at recent Hooker Reunions.

The annual Hooker Reunion (potluck), Sunday, August 8th, nearly filled the DBS Hall. In addition to the plenitude of good food, the day we devoted to visiting and recollections, and viewing photographs, organizers Rick & Sue Jensen had a number of souvenir items for sale, including caps, perpetual calendars, and scenic mouse-pads.

Those in attendance were invited to view the DHA museum before they went home, and many of them did. Richard Gors informed those present of the design, making, and erection of the Hooker Historical Monument.

Mange Tak

To all those who have contributed to the museum work, including memorials. To all those who visited the museum Sunday, including those from the Hooker reunion and others. May you have enjoyed your visit as much as your DHA hosts did. To contributors Warren Nelson and Cole Huber. To Marge Hansen for memorials for Merlyn Hansen.

Mrs. Barbara Miller is now assuming the financial office duties for DHA receipts and expenses. This will permit the Tr. to concentrate better on the DHA column and hosting the museum. Contributions or bills may continue to be sent to the DHA formal address, Box 177, VIborg, SD 57070. Or, if you feel a need to write Mrs. Miller directly, her address is Box 484, Viborg, SD 57070. And, if sending news items for this DHA News column, you may enclose them with the news, to be delivered.

Word was received, too later for last week's Enterprise (Aug. 12), that the owner of the wallet and currency has now learned that they have been recovered. They have been returned to the owner by DHA. Again, thank you to Lazz and Judah Wanscoat for finding them and turning them over to DHA.

Calendar

DHA board meetings continue the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Museum at 6:30 p.m.

Lester Lauritzen opened the museum about 10 a.m. Aug. 8th, and closed it about 4:30 p.m. About 11:30 a.m., Richard Skola came in to host, permitting Lauritzen to attend the Hooker reunion (above) until about 1:30 p.m. Many people visited the museum, including many of those from the Hooker Reunion in the nearby DBS Hall.

Lauritzen plans to continue opening the museum on Sundays, from 10:30 a.m. to now 5 p.m. He will also be "on call" as noted in the last issue, for visitors or tourists wishing to view the museum.

And finally and least: Mange Tak, bu no thanks. DHA, as a historical organization, has received a form letter from the SD Dept. of Tourism, asking if we would be interested in taking responsibility for care of the recently moved, former SD Governor's Mansion, in Pierre. That seems just a little bit out of our financial range at present.