History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 36

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011

USA > Nebraska > Hall County > History of Hall County, Nebraska > Part 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

WOOD RIVER CO-OPERATIVE GRAIN CO.

A movement was perfected at Wood River in the organization of the Wood River Co- operative Grain Co. for purpose of handling and shipping grain, farm produce, coal, live stock, and farm supplies. The incorporators who signed the articles on May 8, 1919 were William A. Bouton, Thos. P. Hoye, Jas. G. Kunz, Henry W. Wiese, Wm. B. Parks, Wm. A. Francis, M. J. McDermott.

FARMERS UNION CO-OPERATIVE EXCHANGE

This organization was incorporated May 22, 1919, with the following members signing the articles : Herman Tagge, R. T. Boldt, W. A. Crabtree, J. O. Hutton, John Fagan, August ·Wilhelmie, Henry Frenzen, A. Jepson, Philip J. Rose, Jas. Donigan, Chas. H. Boldt, J. L. Johnson, Henry Dulitz, Geo. Rauert, Henry Arp, Henry Rohweder, Arthur H. Boldt, John Spiehs, Henry Pauly, August Rauert, John C. Rauert, August Schweiger, Hans Rath- mann, Ernest Myers, Jacob Brandt, Carl Hitchler, Fred Schuett, Theodore Moll, H. W. Poore, J. P. Smith, E. J. Liedtke, Wm. Fries- man, Walter F. Johnson.

CAIRO

Farmers Mercantile co. at Cairo was organ- ized for a general mercantile and shipping business. The incorporators on June 13, 1919, were Max J. Voss, Glenn C. Roberts, John M. Veeder, M. A. Benton and Frank J. Veeder.

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CHAPTER XIV

INDUSTRIAL HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY

FIRST INDUSTRIES - STEAM POWER - MILLING INDUSTRY - GRAND ISLAND CANNING FAC- TORY - GRAND ISLAND BREWERY - BEET SUGAR FACTORY - GRAND ISLAND CREAMERIES - GRANITE WORKS - BUILDING MATERIALS - GRAND ISLAND IRON FOUNDRY AND FENCE FAC- TORY - BROOM FACTORY - BOTTLING WORKS - FURNITURE FACTORY - PLANING MILLS- HURST SASH & DOOR CO. - CIGAR FACTORIES - STEAM LAUNDRIES - CULVERT AND METAL WORKS - HIDE INDUSTRY - SERUM CO. - FLORAL INDUSTRY - PRINTING AND CALENDARS - NEBRASKA TELEPHONE CO. - THE STOCK YARDS - LOUP VALLEY PACKING CO. - GRAND ISLAND HORSE, MULE AND CATTLE MARKET - GROWTH OF MARKET - FIRMS AND DEALERS ON MARKET - WHOLESALE HOUSES - MINTON-WOODWARD CO. - DONALD CO. - DOLAN FRUIT CO. - BROWN FRUIT CO. - NEBRASKA MERCATILE CO. - ETTING CANDY CO. - MOVING PICTURE INDUSTRY - LOCAL PICTURE THEATRES - THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY - GROWTH OF AUTOMOBILES, TRUCKS AND TRACTORS IN IMPORT- 1

ANCE BY V. E. EVANS - BICYCLE INDUSTRY - GRAND ISLAND AERO INDUSTRY

Industrially, of course, the greatest wealth and growth of Hall County has depended upon the pursuit of agricultural activities. The development of agriculture and the live stock industries has been treated in a separate chapter. The development of the sugar-beet industry has in part been treated in that chapter, but the history of the factory will be included in this chapter.

A second great factor in the industrial and commercial importance of Grand Island and Hall County has been the transportation facil- ities it possesses. Being a division point on the great Union Pacific railroad has been perhaps the next greatest revenue producing source of income to the people of Grand Is- land and Hall County, after the grain- grow- ing and live animal industries have been con- sidered. This activity and industry has been judged to be of sufficient importance, in its relation to Hall County, to be considered in a separate chapter.

Throughout the chapter on the commercial history appears mention of smaller industrial

plants and enterprises, other than those strictly engaged in purely wholesale and retail activities, for it is hard to draw any distinct line between commercial and industrial enter- prises. On the other hand, the wholesale interests have been partially included in this chapter, because the wide field outside of Hall County they are now covering makes them industrially important to the county.

FIRST INDUSTRIES

While the "old town" or first settlement existed, down on the river, and before the railroad came through, the community had not reached the stage of industrial expansion. Yet, as has been remarked before, the old first blacksmith shop of James Michels' 1 did suf- ficient carriage and wagon work to make it industrially important, likewise, the shop of Ed Hooper established in 1861. The first sawmills built down there were producing institutions, in a way.

But aside from stores and shops, practically the first strictly industrial enterprise in - Hall

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

County was the State Central flouring mills established by Henry A. Koenig in 1867. Adam Blunk erected his Platte Valley grist mill ten years later, in 1877.

The next industrial enterprise established was probably the Hurley & Jones brick yards in 1870 near Prairie Creek - five miles north of the city. Here were made and sold what would probably now be called a poor quality of brick, at $15 per thousand. Evidently this enterprise did not flourish for very long, and probably was not in existence at the time the first courthouse was built, as the brick for that building was hauled in from Omaha.

The earliest excursion into the brewery bus- iness was made by Dodge & Abbott, on the south side about where the old Abbott res- idence was afterwards built. The plant was one that had been originally placed in use on the "Jim Boyd" ranch (James E. Boyd, afterwards governor of the state), up near Shelton, and the machinery and appliances were purchased and moved down here, housed and placed in operation. This plant was after- wards torn down and was in no way connected with the brewery next to be considered.

In 1873, the State Central Brewery was in operation, first established by George Boehm. Strattman Brothers' wagon shop came in about this point.

The fourth important enterprise to start in here was a foundry established during 1878 in connection with the blacksmith and wagon shop of Hooper & Ferguson, and pur- chased in 1881 by Ed Hooper.

The next real important industrial develop- ment was the location of the Union Pacific machine shops - erection of which started in 1880, and by 1881 they were partially in op- eration. These will be discussed in greater detail in the chapter on railroads.

The year 1884 saw the establishment of a creamery, and the organization of a gas and electric company.

STEAM POWER

Steam power received an early usage in Hall County. By 1885 the manufactories and enterprises in Grand Island employing steam-

power were: Schaupp's Planet Roller mills, Glade's mill, Peterson's mill, Gardner's feed- mill, Merrill's feed mill, Union Pacific rail- mill, Union Pacific shops, Union Pacific car shops, sash factory, Hooper's foundry, and the State Central Brewery. In Wasmer's and Wiseman's elevators steam power was also used as well as in the electric light works, bottling works, Independent office, Weeks's job office, and city laundry. Blunk's flour and feed-meal mills, south of the city, were operated by water power.

In the line of manufacturing industries, Grand Island has been credited with the fol- lowing named industries in 1887:

Cost of No. of Men

Industries

Plants

Employed

Union

Pacific

car

shops

$350,000

500

Union Pacific steel rail mill

80,000

Canning factory

30,000 as high as 250

Two roller flouring mills

60,000

Creamery

25,000

Brewery

50,000

Blank book making,

printing, ect.

60,000

Furniture factory

5,000

Steam dye works

2,000

Bottling works

10,000

Soap

factory

and

rendering

2,500

Two brickyards

30,000

100

In addition to the above, the community then had numerous smaller industries in the line of broom factories, planing-mills, gas and electric plant, cigar factories, street railway system, nursery and green house, stock yards, patent medicine factory, and marble works.

MILLING INDUSTRY

The pioneer milling industries west of Fort Calhoun (except the occasional water-mill) was the State Central Flouring Mill, estab- lished in 1867, by Henry A. Koenig. In 1883 this property became the property of Henry Glade, and has been continuously op-

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

erated by the Glade family, and by Glade & Etting, and as the Grand Island Roller Mills and the Glade Mills. The business is now conducted by The Henry Glade Milling Co., the corporate name used since 1912. The present officers are F. M. Glade, president ; Lee E. Etting, vice-president; A. A. Glade, treasurer, and F. A. Glade, secretary.

Twenty years ago the plant had a capacity

Peterson & Co. ran a mill at Greenwich and Front, and some milling was done as the Grand Island Milling & Elevator Co. In 1891 John Berry conducted the City Feed Mill. Later the mills of A. Krombach, August - Meiss, Stancliff mill (the old Rollins mill) figured and H. A. Guy had a corn meal mill in the old gas plant on Fourth street. But the Glade Mills has at all times been the

EARLY FACTORIES AND RAILROAD FACILITIES OF GRAND ISLAND

of two hundred barrels a day and was turn- ing out four brands of flour, also rye and graham flour, corn meal, etc. Six men were then constantly employed. In 1883 the ca- pacity was 100 barrels per day, amounting to around $100,000 per year. Now the capacity is about 450 barrels per day, amounting to over $9,000,000 annually. The bulk of the wheat harvested around Grand Island is taken by this mill and something like 120,000 barrels of flour are shipped out of Grand Island each year to markets, many of which are a long distance away. This company also main- tains offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

There have been numerous other mills in Grand Island. Mention has already been made of Blunk's mill on Wood River, Mer- rill's feed mill and Gardner's feed mill. C. A.

establishment with a far reaching industrial effect so far as Grand Island is concerned.

THE GRAND ISLAND CANNING FACTORY

Not far from the Union Pacific railroad shops, a little more to the north, is the canning factory, with the main building and numerous adjacent portions of the plant surrounding it. The main part of this three-story building, brick and stone in construction, is 50 x 100, with a wing 40 x 90 feet. There are also husking sheds 180 x 30 feet wide. The factory has a capacity of 150,000 cases of corn and 50,000 cases of peas per season and can use the products of about 4,000 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of peas yearly. Through the many years of its operation, this industry has given a great impulse to

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

garden farming, for which the soil of the surrounding country is especially adapted.

The Grand Island Canning Company filed articles of incorporation on March 14, 1887. The subscribers were O. B. Thompson, C. W. Scarff, William A. Hagge, C. A. VonWasmer, T. J. Hurford, Charles Wasmer and J. D. Moore.

This company operated very successfully for a number of years. At times, during the height of the season, it could employ as many as 400 hands, including the large force of huskers required in the corn season, and to this annual force of workers about $20,000

GRAND ISLAND CANNING FACTORY

was paid in wages and about $30,000 more revenue accrued to the farmers for the corn raised. This company had rented the building at a figure that could be met in successful and normal years. But during the early 'nineties when, agriculturally speaking, things went to smash this item was too high to be met under those conditions. So in the de- pression that followed the hard and dry years this industry went under and stopped. A capital of $38,000 was originally invested in the buildings and machinery and at every season more machinery had been added, so that when the factory closed, about 1893, it was worth $50,000. Of course the conditions that prevailed for a number of years did not discourage the reopening of this enterprise.

It was re-opened in 1903 by James F. Rourke, who has restored it to its full glory

of former years, and it is now running under his management, on practically the same basis as in its best days under the former regime. During the 1919 season a substantial amount of acreage has been contracted, and the new Craft-Edgerton farm, operated near the city under the new Kelly well irrigating system and with all mechanical appliances available, has a large acreage about ready for the 1919 canning season.

THE GRAND ISLAND BREWERY

Mention has been made of the first brewery enterprise in the county, by Dodge & Abbott, and of the very early establishment by 1873, of the State Central Brewery, by George Boehm. After Mr. Boehm's death this insti- tition was handled by Andrew Ott. Ott's Brewery was operated during the late 'eighties and in the early 'nineties at 1013 West Charles street. Later in the 'nineties the plant was operated by Lange Brothers. On November 1, 1897, it was acquired by the Grand Island Brewing Company, an incorporated company consisting of Martin Schimmer, John Schim- mer, Fred Lohmann and Herman Hehnke, Sr., directors. Martin Schimmer was presi- dent. and John Schimmer, secretary. This property was later destroyed by fire. After a few years a new enterprise was organized that erected a fine six-story brick building at 1111 west North Front street, which at the time of its completion was the skyscraper and one of the show places of the city. Since the arrival of prohibition this enterprise has been changed to the title of Grand Island Manufacturing Company, and is operating on successful basis in the manufacture and sale of a beverage called "near beer," and is meet- ing with a sale that indicates the customers like it regardless of the "far" or "near" distance.

THE BEET SUGAR FACTORY

In the agricultural chapter of this work an account has been given of the growth and development of the beet sugar industry. In 1887 the citizens of this locality had tests made of the soil, imported seed from France and Germany, and in the season of 1888 many $1888 manYe Digitized by

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

1. GATHERING SUGAR BEETS. 2. EXTERIOR OF FACTORY. 4. INTERIOR VIEW OF FACTORY.

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

beets were planted in this locality. Thinking that 1888 might have been an exceptionally fortunate season seed was again imported and planted on a still more extensive scale in 1889. The subject of the location of a beet-sugar factory came before the citizens of Grand Island in November, 1889, and they decided to raise $100,000. They did raise $60,000 by voluntary subscriptions ranging from $100 to $1,000 each to promote the enterprise. In the meantime negotiations were carried on to interest men with the proper amount of cap- ital to build and operate a factory here. Finally the gentlemen in Grand Island in charge of the matter won out over the various difficulties in their way, and on December 7, 1889, the site for a sugar factory was selected, and on Monday, December 9, ground was broken and work commenced.

The dimensions of the principal factory building are as follows: Length, 292 feet, width, 85 feet, height, four stories, fifty feet. The structure is built of stone, iron, and brick and in such a substantial manner it will stand for a good many years. In addition there are the boiler house and engine house, lime house, beet sheds, and a system of smaller builings built around the principal buildings.

The site chosen was one at the extreme western end of the city, and two tracts of land acquired, one belonging to the United States Improvement Company and the other to Messrs. Thummel & Platt, situated along the side of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad and extending north to the Union Pacific stock yards, thus touching both the Union Pacific and St. Joseph & Grand Island tracks, and the sugar factory belt line to re- ceive Burlington shipments. The northeast corner of the site comes practically to the new fair grounds, and the east line touches Glad- stone Place and the south line of the Packer & Barr, Shoemaker and Wasmer additions, so that many homes heve been built in that section to be in close proximity to the factory.

The street car line was built out to the factory in January, 1890. Since the demise of that system of transportation adequate motor transportation has been provided in

recent years to get workers conveyed back and forth.

The machinery and appliances for the factory and sugar refinery were ordered and shipped from Germany, France, and Australia, and it was due to the knowledge, persistence, and energy of the little group of citizens in Hall County who knew from experience and observation in Europe what this industry could be, that Grand Island secured the first beet-sugar factory installed and placed in op- eration in the United States. In the years that have intervened other factories have been established in Nebraska that have gone out ,of existence, and in very recent years a group of wonderfully large institutions has been placed in the western end of the state by the Great Western Sugar Co., but the old "pio- neer" factory is still very successfully operat- ing at Grand Island.

Henry T. Oxnard was president of the Oxnard Company, which took charge of the operation of this institution at Grand Island. J. G. Oxnard was vice-president, C. Kennedy Hamilton was secretary, E. C. Howe was manager, in 1893. The old Oxnard syndicate's management was succeeded by the American Beet Sugar Company, which is now operating the factory. A. J. Denman has been super- intendent of the plant for the past few years.

GRAND ISLAND'S CREAMERIES

In 1884 a number of Hall County's enter- prising citizens formed an association for the purpose of establishing a creamery. They formed a stock company, organizing in March, 1884, with J. W. Liveringhouse, president, J. P. Kernohan, vice-president, J. E. Jewett, secretary, and J. H. Wethers, treasurer. They engaged Mr. Jewett, and later Mr. Livering- house as manager. Liveringhouse conducted the institution both as lessee and manager for a time.

In 1890 Messrs. Roeser & Co., who from the beginning had been members of the com- pany, leased the plant and operated it for a long time for the company - The Grand Island Creamery Co. In the meantime they bought up practically all of the shares, and

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became, in reality, the owners. In the early part of 1897 Robert Freitag sold his interest to his partner, Oscar Roeser, who became the sole proprietor of the creamery.

The creamery business thrived during the administration of Messrs. Roeser and Freitag, except for an unavoidable and inevitable inter- ception in the drought years of 1894-95, when the results were naturally rather poor. In 1891 the creamery made 129,104 pounds of butter; in 1892, 159,200; in 1893, 174,355;

world, employs several hundred people and is of vast importance to Grand Island.

GRANITE WORKS

PAINE-FISHBURN GRANITE CO.

---

As early as 1887 H. J. Mayer was conduct- ing a granite and marble works. Ira T. Paine purchased Mayer's plant in 1888. This es- tablishment was first near the present loca- tion, and later for many years was on Second street, near the City Hall. In 1905 the con-

TEF FAIRMONT CREAMERY COMPANY.

FAIRMONT CREAMERY COMPANY PLANT, GRAND ISLAND

1894, 164,484; 1895, 134,195; 1896, 248,128; 1897, 266,000.

In 1904 this creamery was still owned by Mr. Roeser and managed by W. N. Culbertson, and was doing a business of about 38,000 pounds a month. It then had twelve cream routes and was employing a large force throughout the year.

In 1901 the St. Paul Creamery Company established a plant in Grand Island, on east Fourth street, at the city electric light works. They began the manufacture or fine separator butter. George McBride succeeded to this plant, about 1905, and sold it about 1907 to the Fairmont Creamery Co. The immense plant of the Fairmont Creamery Company was completed in 1909. This company, the second largest of its line of business in the

cern was incorporated as the Paine Marble & Granite Works, by Ira T. Paine, Charles Beal and Bayard H. Paine, and in 1910 was reincorporated as the Paine-Fishburn Granite Co. The officers of the company are at the present, and through most of its business career have been, as follows: Ira T. Paine, president ; D. H. Fishburn, vice-president ; Bayard H. Paine, secretary, and A. A. Tooher, treasurer. The company built the present fine two-story brick structure on Walunt street, between Third and Front, in 1909. It is now operaed as the Paine-Fishburn Granite Co. This company sells its goods all through western Nebraska, and into Wyoming and the other neighboring states to the west, and keeps a half dozen representatives on the road, employing an average of twenty people.

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

The Paine-Fishburn plant is the largest in its line in the state outside of Omaha, being fully equipped with pneumatic and electric machines and traveling cranes.

For a time another granite and marble works was conducted as the .Grand Island Marble Works, with W. D. Glenn, president, E. E. Glenn, vice-president, and Rose E. Hanson, secretary, but this plant went out of business within the last two years.

SCHEFFEL & SON MONUMENT WORKS

Grand Island has another plant engaged in this same industry. William Scheffel, for many years a leading stone cutter and stone mason of Grand Island, who had installed many street crossings, curbings and sidewalks and produced excellent jobs in finished and dressed stone building work, branched out into the monumental works. On October 17, 1917, articles of incorporation were filed for The Scheffel & Son Monument Works, in which enterprise Mr. Scheffel is assisted by his son, Carl. A new building has been erected on Cleburn and Front streets, and they are handling a stock of monuments, marble and stone for various purposes.

BUILDING MATERIALS

In 1870 the Hurley & Jones brick yards, already spoken of, inaugurated the very early entrance of Hall County into the industry of furnishing building materials. In the late 'eighties, Fred Lehman had brick yards in South Grand Island; Henderson Brothers had another, and Kerr & King operated in west Grand Island. J. F. Zedicker had a yard in 1889. The Grand Island Brick Company started about 1890, and Schmidt & Kirschke were operating then in north Grand Island, a mile north of the city. Louis Schmidt later became sole manager of this concern.

The Doniphan brick yards, under the man- agement of H. E. Kunk, acquired 'a wide- spread operation. This yard was operated by C. Klose & Co., who also had yards at Aurora and Lincoln.

Walker's Gravel and Sand Works, operated in recent years, shows another phase of Hall

County's resources along the building ma- terial line. The new highway construction law giving the state and counties power to construct gravel pits, stone quarries, brick yards, and other establishments necessary to manufacture road buliding materials at rea- sonable and usable costs may result in a re- vival of this industry in Hall County in the near future.

The Traill Sand and Gravel Co. was incorporated February 20, 1919, by James W. Traill, David J. Traill and Richard M. Kuester, and is operating sand and gravel pits, and producing raw buliding materials of various kinds for the building material market.

THE GRAND ISLAND IRON FOUNDRY AND WOVEN WIRE FENCE FACTORY

During the 'nineties a fine brick building was erected at Front and Elm streets, on the north side of the track, for an iron foundry and the business started out under favorable auspices. Like many other enterprises, it succumbed under the pressure of the des- tructive business period of the middle 'nineties.

But in May, 1897, C. H. Tully opened the factory again, adding to the original business that of manufacturing woven wire fences. For some years Grand Island has possessed a bridge builder, John L. Means, and for some time Mr. Tully had been associated with him, the firm name being Means & Tully. Mr. Tully rapidly built up a good foundry business and a line of repair work. His woven wire fence business steadily improved so that he has had to enlarge the plant frequently, and at certain times of the year he employs a force both night and day. He manufactures about ninety cars of wire per year. Sales and production of this concern have increased over 200%. The plant now uses eight fence looms, automatic. Grand Island fence is produced in several types, a special corral fence, with two barbed wires woven into the center of the fence as well as barbed wires at top and bottom, a 48-inch fence barbed at top and bottom, a 39-inch open hearth steel for garden, lawn, or orchard fence, a 32-inch

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

fence to enclose sheep, hogs, etc., a 26-inch fence supplemented by barbed borders, and a 20-inch fence for hogs, with barbed wire additions. All Grand Island fence has a special double wrap at each knot. This plant is also jobbers for a line of gates and orna- mental fences. The business is now conducted by C. H. Tully Fence Co., with C. H. Tully as proprietor and advisor and C. F. Tully, general manager. A large mail order business is done, so that not very many men are kept on the road, but at least eight people are em- ployed at all times.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 36

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co. Number of Pages: 1011

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011