February 29, 1928 A Sixteenth Birthday Anniversary

What is it like to only have a birthday every four years? On Wednesday evening, February 29, 1928, Thomas P. Hause, owner and editor of the Interlaken Review was given a birthday party, and unlike “Sweet 16” parties of today, this party was an opportunity for the people who knew him in the 1860s, and since then, to acknowledge his many accomplishments.

Dinner was served, as it was for many special occasions, at the Goodman Hotel and was organized by the Chamber of Commerce. The Ovid Gazette and Independent paid tribute to “Tom” with an article on the front page of the March 2^nd issue.

Speakers for the evening noted the value of the newspaper he founded in 1887, and still operated, his work within the whole newspaper industry, and his assistance to the community at large. T.P.’s son, Frank Hause, was able to talk about Dad, and growing up in the community.

When given the opportunity to speak after the many other guests, “Mr. Hause could not find words to express his appreciation of what had been done for him and said about him during the evening.” Instead, he gave each guest a souvenir. The small piece had a miniature facsimile of the front page of the Interlaken Review (An Extra Edition) which gave a short history.

The Extra Edition prepared by the Interlaken Review in honor of T. P. Hause's birthday
Collections of the Interlaken Historical Society

The two inside pages of the extra edition.
Interlaken Historical Society collections

The back cover of the extra edition.
Collection of the Interlaken Historical Society

Missing from the evening was Frank’s son Robert, who shared grandpa’s birthday, being born on February 29, 1924. The family had arrived that afternoon from Jamestown to attend the evening’s party. Robert’s younger brother “was taken down with mumps that afternoon, so Robert was barred from making his appearance to the great disappointment of the assembly. He was, however, represented by a little birthday cake with one candle set beside the grandshire’s cake with its sixteen candles.”

As noted above much of the text was taken from an article in the Ovid paper. The report clearly showed the esteem others held for Mr. Hause.

Local historian Wheeler A. Bassett once wrote...

  What proved to be of far reaching benefit to the village was the founding of the Saturday Morning Review by Mr. T. P. Hause. Mr. Hause was an apprentice in the office of the Ovid Independent and came here in the summer of 1887 and started a printing office in the house opposite the Reformed Church. The first paper came out July 23, 1887, as the Saturday Morning Review, afterward changed to the Farmer Village Review, then when the name of the place changed, it became The Interlaken Review. Ever since then the Review has been identified with every forward movement for the betterment of the Village and community, and today stands second to none in the County. Unstinted praise should be accorded Mr. Hause for the influential part he took in championing incorporation, good roads, fire department, electric lights, etc.

Thomas Purdy Hause died on January 24, 1929. He and members of his family are buried at Lake View Cemetery, Interlaken.

Dewitt’s Diary Wednesday, February 29, 1928

Mild and melting some this morning. I sold 4 bushels of potatoes at $1.25 this morning. 

Oiled up my new harness this afternoon. 

Leland is sick with a cold today. 

North wind and colder tonight. Edna washed today.

Monday, February 29, 1932 

Worked in the woods this afternoon. 

Big epidemic of measles and whooping cough. They have the whooping cough in school so I suppose the kids will have it too.