April 21, 1917 - World War I came to the settlement with the enlistment of 10 young men.

The roll call included seven enlistees in the Army Coast Artillery--Alfred Hansen, Nels Kirk and Soren Nielsen of Kimballton; Martin Hansen, Nels Larsen, Peter Nielsen and Einer Pedersen of Elk Horn.

And three who enlisted as Army machinists -- Leonard Esbeck and Hans Nielsen of Kimballton, and George Esbeck of Elk Horn.

There were Saturday night demonstrations (April 21) in Elk Horn and Kimballton, with the main streets lined with autos.

The "Star Spangled Banner" was heard often that night and each time it brought the Danes, young and old, to their feet cheering.

March 12, 1917-- In the first school board election for several women voters, Elk Horn's first woman school director was elected. Mrs. H. F. G. Hansen, a teacher, was joined on the board by Chris Petersen and Dr. P. E. James.

August 2, 1917-- Elk Horn voters approved 165-27 a $44,000 bond issue for a new public school building to include spaces for a high school.

1918-- The new public high school and the emotional war patriotism which made public use of a foreign language suspect, meant the end of the Elk Horn Danish school.

1918-- Hans Petersen, named congregation president, succeeded Thomas Christensen who had served since 1913 replacing Paul Petersen.

The Record's May 3, 1917, Elk Horn locals noted:

"Nothing much doing in our town this week. Most of the folk have the grippe and the rest of them are talking war"

April 23, 1917 -- The first 10 Army enlistees left Omaha by train for Fort Logan, Colo.

There had been another demonstration Sunday (April 22) on the old college campus in Elk Horn. There was a poignant scene when the diminuitive Rasmus Hansen, a veteran of the 1864 Danish-German war in Europe, grasped the hand and arm of his son Alfred in a farewell on the college porch, with the United States flag as a backdrop.

April 24, 1917 -- Two of the ten boys who enlisted in the Army Saturday (April 12) were back home after failing to pass physical examinations. Nels Kirk had poor teeth and Martin Hansen a hernia. Kirk was arranging to have his teeth fixed.

Speak English Please . . .

A May 30, 1918, announcement from Iowa Gov. W. L. Harding must have caused some problems in the Danish Community.

The governor said English was to be the only medium of instruction, conversation in public places should be in English, public addresses were to be in English; and, "Let those who cannot speak or understand the English language conduct their religious worship in their homes."

1918-- The congregation, at Pastor C. C. Kloth's suggestion, approved Sunday evening services in English.

December 12, 1918 - The community learned about its only World War I battle death, Albert Green.

The report noted Green " . . . was the first soldier from this community to pay the supreme sacrifice in action . . . "

Green a former employee of Thomas Christensen had been in the United States only a couple of years when he joined the Army.

A stretcher bearer, he was killed in France November 6, just five days before the armistice.

November 11, 1918 -- The Armistice ended the war. It was Monday and Elk Horn business doors never opened as the town began its celebration early.

In 1917 it cost . . .

A community's economy often could be gauged in the newspaper's advertisements and news columns.

The July-September 1917 Kimballton-Elk Horn Record columns showed:

"Farms at $200 in the vicinity of Elk Horn are growing scarce and a number of them are climbing up into the $300 class. J. P. Carlsen's farm sold to Nels Sorensen of Rorbeck for $300, the highest price that has yet been paid for any farm in the community."

Jensen Construction Co. sought workmen at $3-$3.50 per day.

Wool suits were offered by Oscar Boose at $15-$20, oxford shoes at $4.25 per day by Faaborg & Carlson. Women's muslin drawers at 29 cents, a two burner oil stove at $10.50 by Nels Mortensen: a seven passenger Reo "six" automobile sold for $1,450 while the asking price for a Ford touring car was $360.

A white enameled steel bed was offered for $3.65.

Ole Olsen had bought a 12 acre tract on the Nels Olsen land in the north part of Elk Horn and subdivided it in 50x160 and 50x170 foot lots, which sold at auction for an average $183.55 -- the prices ranging from $145 to $296.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass from Elk Horn 1868-1918, July, 2022, page 15.