1934: Wynot area is invaded by strange insects

July 20, 1939

HARTINGTON —Although the annual Cedar County fair will not open for six weeks, plans are being rushed daily to arrange the county’s greatest exposition in years.

The fair opens Sept. 2 and closes Sept. 5.

July 20, 1939

HARTINGTON —In a direct line north of Norfolk, the proposed Highway 81 re-routing will bring that road within eight miles of Hartington, instead of its present location 14 miles west of this city, information from the state highway commission states.

July 20, 1939

WYNOT — Residents in and near Wynot think there are more insects of various kinds this summer than ever before.

Besides the hoppers there are black beetles and gray beetles, both of which eat the garden vegetables and more different kinds of bugs than was ever seen before.

Until a few days ago no one had ever heard of a fish fly. And will somebody please explain what kind of a fly a fish fly is? In a letter received by Laura Sonneman from her cousin Hilda Sonneman of Winona, Minn., she tells the following story about fish flies.

The other night our little city was besieged by an army of millions of fish flies or May flies as some people call them. Towns along the river are invaded by the flies about once a year. They head for the “bright lights” and were thicker this time than they have ever been due no doubt to the very warm weather. When I went to work yesterday morning I noticed there were piles of them about a foot high in some places under the lamp posts or under the store windows that are lighted at night. In fact the street department had to shovel them into trucks and haul them away like snow. There is an odor of fish connected with them. I suppose that is because they come from the river.