Miller
School
Dist. 54. Built a $3,500 in 1893. 10-grade in
1915, went to 12 grade. High school closed in 1968. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller.
Had elementary grades for a while but its closed now also.
Newspapers
May to Dec. 1888 Will Hale, editor - The
Armada Times
Dec. 1888 R. A. Reid editor changed name to Armada Watchman
April or May 1889 - July 10, 1890 Charles Houston editor -
Armada Watchman
Born at Sidney, Iowa, in 1869
Father a newspaper man so he learned the printing business in the home
office.
He came to Armada in April, 1889, (age 19) & purchased The Armada
Watchman
Moved paper to the new town of Miller, and changed the name to Miller
Union.
July 17, 1890 The Miller Union
made its first appearance and was issued from a barn, "which had been
hurriedly erected for a shelter from the weather until better quarters could
be secured."
Date unknown Name changed to the Miller Forum.
1915 Miller Sun (But we have a copy of the Dec. 31, 1914 Sun in
an archives file.)
Churches
United Brethren Church - organized in
1890. Built a church in 1893.
Methodist Episcopal Church organized in 1890. Build a church in
1893.
Disbanded and sold their building to the Church of Christ.
Church of Christ organized in 1913 (very small). Purchased a
building in 1914.
Christian Church organized in 1905. Built a church in 1907.
Other Organizations
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
organized in 1910. By 1915 had a library, club room, & supporting and caring
for a ladies restroom.
Grand Army of the Republic Established in 1885 with 35 members. Had
11 in 1915.
Square & Compass Lodge (Masonic Lodge) chartered in Armada in 1888.
Moved to Miller in 1890 and rechartered at Miller Lodge in 1891.
Modern Woodmen of America Started in (no date given) with 13
members. Up to 85 in 1915.
Knights of Pythias Organized in 1890.
Odd Fellows organized in 1905.
Banks
First Bank of Miller - organized in
1887 as the First Bank of Armada by Frank D. Brown and J.E. Dickerman
Moved to (1915) building in 1909.
Picture of stone building, no date (1909?)
First building has been restored and sits on the south side of main street.
Bank of Miller organized in 1889 building burned Nov. 1915, new
building early in 1916.
Telephone
Miller Independent Telephone Company
Organized in 1906 with 40 phones
By
1915 had 150 phones
Ag Business
Grain elevators 3 in 1916
International Harvester dealership
sometime after 1955
Downtown in the Past:
Outdoor movies; Big fair comparable to county fair in Kearney trained dog
act by relative of Naomi Harnagles
Present Downtown:
A drinking fountain
Restored First Bank of Miller (white
frame building)
Store
An ag business at the intersection of
the two highway called the Crossroads, formerly operated by Quail
Opera House/Community Hall
No date Abels Hall
ca 1920 Community Hall
2005-2006 Remodeled last year, more this year.
New furnace & air conditioning,
ceiling fans for air circulation.
Removed suspended ceiling, installed
acoustical panels on ceiling.
Added a room for Village Board & fire
department meetings.
New siding blends addition to the
rest of the building.
Kitchen and restrooms still to be
done.
Uses:
Dances 1920-present
Roller skating
Donkey Basketball game
Famous People
Bill Greutman Swiss family
Invented a fence stretcher 19teens
Manufactured as the Golden Rod
Dr. (Doc) Clint Ramer veterinarian, self taught
Very busy, had a driver who let out
the clutch fast, sprayed gravel and dug ruts
Driver would bring Doc to the animal
Doc would sleep in the car as driver
took him from farm to farm, esp. in epidemic
1880 census Isaac Ramer, 32,
wife Hattie, 29, daughter Minnie, 3, and Oliver, 1, living in Odessa
Township
1900 census Isaac Ramer, 51,
head, farmer. Living in Harrison Township. Wife Harriet, 51, sons Oliver,
21, and Clinton, 14, and a daughter, Fannie, 16. Oliver was born in Indiana
but the other two were born in Nebr. Harriet had given birth to 6 children,
5 were still living. Isaac and Oliver were farming, Fannie and Clinton were
in school.
1910 census Harriet Ramer,
farmer, head of household with son Clinton, 24. Living in Harrison Township.
Living on the next farm was Oliver Ramer, 31, wife Viola, 20, and son
Hazekiah, about a year and a half.
1920 census Living with
mother in Harrison Township. He was 34, his mother was 69. His occupation is
listed as veterinary. He was born in Nebr. But his mother was born in Ohio
and father in Indiana.
1930 census Living alone in
Harrison Township. Listed as John C. Ramer. He was 44 and his occupation is
given as a farmer.
Armada Cemetery Ramer, I.
N., Born June 8, 1848 - Died May 13, 1906;
I. N. Jr., Born Dec 11, 1881 - Died Nov 18, 1888
Ramer, John Clinton (Doc), Oct 15, 1885 - Dec 18, 1979
Would hold sιances All sit
in circle and place hands on knees of person on each side. Naomi
Harnagels father took her to one when she was about 10. She said a voice
spoke to her, calling her by name. She was so surprised that she took her
hands off the knees of her neighbors and stopped the sιance. She knew it was
not her grandfather because he spoke only Czech.
He would serve food which he prepared
himself. People would be lined up for two blocks. When someone else prepared
the food there would not be a line.
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