On Thursday, Jan. 16, at the monthly meeting of the Dakota County Historical Society, Dennis Reinert stepped down as president of the Dakota County Historical Society. Dennis has held the position since 2011, shortly after he and his wife, Sally, had joined the organization.
“We were looking for things to join once we retired. We decided to join the Dakota County Historical Society, The Dakota County Chamber of Commerce, and the New Horizon’s Band,” recalled Dennis; both Dennis and Sally are Dakota City residents and retired Sioux City School teachers.
At the time, Paul Culbertson was the president of the Historical Society. His wife, Jean, fell ill with cancer not long after Dennis and Sally had joined the Historical Society. Six months after Jean’s passing, Paul called Dennis and said he needed to speak with him.
“Paul met me at the door of the Historical Society, handed me a box of books, and said you’re the new president. Those were some big shoes to fill; Paul ran a very tight ship. He enjoyed taking care of things. I hadn’t set out to join to become President, but I felt I could successfully set the agenda,” commented Dennis.
Some of the first business orders addressed were maintenance issues for some historical sites, specifically the roofs on the buildings: The Emmanuel Lutheran Church, The O’Connor House, the Combs School, and the Museum of Machinery. The church, house, and school roofs would cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to replace completely and $40,000 for the Museum.
The Emmanuel Lutheran Church is the oldest wood-frame church in Nebraska. It was built in 1860 and was the first Lutheran church in the Nebraska Territory. The Vespers Service continues to be celebrated there annually in August. It is located at 1500 Hickory Street in Dakota City. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
The Combs School was built in 1857 and closed in 1964. It is the oldest school building in Dakota County. Its original location was in the town of Omadi in 1857. The Missouri River threatened to destroy it as it undermined the area. The school was moved to Thomas Smith’s claim, approximately two miles south of Homer. When the Burlington Railroad was being constructed, the school was on the railroad property. It was then moved to its final resting place at the Old Combs Mill. When it closed its doors for the last time on May 22, 1964, it was part of the Homer School District.
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