Saturday Night in Haigler - LaNeta Carlock

Saturday night in Haigler! What thoughts do you have? What pictures do you see? What memories do you keep? If you are older – like in your 80’s – you may look at the picture of Haigler, Porter Avenue, 1925, and remember. If you are near Medicare age – like in your 60’s or more – you will have memories like mine. And if you are younger --- like 50’s or less – you will have still different memories. But ------we all have memories of Saturday night in Haigler, don’t we? These memories may be the same as others have and/or they may be special ones that belong to just you. But, they are memories, forever in our minds, of “our town,” Haigler.

So, what do I remember? I remember always looking forward all week to Saturday night. This was the night we could go to town. This was the night everyone would be in town. This was the night Porter Avenue, mainstreet, Haigler, Nebraska, USA, would come alive with people of all ages. Parents and grandparents would shop (trade) and visit. Children would run up and down the streets. Everyone always seemed happy.

For our family, it was the night we all had to have a bath – before we could go to town. And, we did not have a bathroom inside until the twins were born in 1953. So, this meant taking turns for the big washtub that Mama would ready for each of us. My sister, Myrna, always was my ‘tag a long.” We would look forward to getting candy at the John Kamla store. Saturday night movies were shown at the old Legion Bldg. south of the old bank on Hwy 34. Neither of these buildings stands today. John Corder would show the movies; and it seems there was a large popcorn popper in the back – so we could have popcorn with our movie. I liked the “Green Archer” movies best of all.

Saturday night in Haigler! Yes, there was a time when the streets were busy; the cars were parked solid on both sides of Porter Avenue; and people were everywhere. Today, the streets are usually quiet on Saturday night in Haigler – unless there is a special event at Jake’s Place or the Community Legion Building, or it is alumni weekend. But, the streets – and you and I – will always have our memories of what Saturday night in Haigler used to be.

-- LaNeta Carlock