History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 37

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 37

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).

THE BROOM FACTORY

About 1888 J. Kelso began an unassuming little factory for manufacturing brooms. It commenced on a very small scale and in- creased its output until it sold goods to a territory reaching into Montana. The corn for its brooms had been for the greater part shipped in from more southern climes, where the weather is more favorable to the growth of fine broom corn. At times the product of about forty acres of corn raised in this county has been used by this factory. In 1907 the Kelso Broom Company was organ- ized out of the old Kelso broom factory.

Larger buildings. were obtained and between twenty-five and thirty men are employed. Geo. W. Kelso had been last proprietor before the reorganization. Then R. R. Horth became president and Geo. W. Kelso, secretary-treas- urer and manager. The business was then located at 523 W. Front. This business dis- continued about 1912.

BOTTLING WORKS

During the 'eighties Henry Vieregg con- ducted his bottling works at 216 W. First. This business was later conducted by Henry Vieregg & Son, but it was sold a few years ago to Saas & Haack, and is now conducted as the Third City Bottling works. A. Ott conducted a bottling works in the late 'eighties at 1911 West Louise. The American Bottling Works at 618 East Fifth has been running for about seven or eight years now. Through these two plants Grand Island is a liberal

producer and shipper of the products of this line, and the quality of the Grand Island factories is accounted above the average by the trade.

FURNITURE FACTORY

It has been noted before that Grand Island had a furniture factory as early as 1887. This institution was at 214-216 North Pine and was conducted by Thomas Lee. In late years Wm. Elfers has conducted a cabinet and furniture shop at East Third.

PLANING MILLS

Geo. E. Winn had a planing mill here as early as 1887. There have been numerous planing mills and wood shops. L. T. Geer has had a long career here as a contractor, and with J. D. Harrison began that line of work as early as 1893. The Geer-Harrison Co. erected a buliding in which they carried on a planing mill about 1900, and enlarged it in 1906. The W. H. Harrison Co. also has a planing mill in connection with their lumber business.

HURST SASH & DOOR CO.

In recent years another business along the line of finishing business materials and fur- nishing the finished goods for the contractor and builder has been started here. The Hurst Sash & Door Co. was established under the sole ownership of E. W. Hurst in December, 1915, and continued as such until January, 1919, at which time owing to the rapidly in- creasing business and the desire to expand, it was organized into a stock company, with the following officers : E. W. Hurst, president and general manager, A. E. Cady, Jr., vice-pres- ident, M. E. Hurst, secretary and treasurer. This plant does a general jobbing millwork business for all classes of building and carries the usual accessories or side lines handled by the retail lumber dealer. It furthermore carries in stock one of the most complete assortments, both in variety and quality, of windows, doors, and hardwood interior finish handled in the west, and by means of several traveling men is covering not only Nebraska,

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

but Colorado, Wyoming, and eastern Mon- tana.

The Herman Nelson Lumber and Supply Co. conduct both a general lumber business and a plant for furnishing finished millwork for the builder. Kruse Brothers, contractors and builders, have been equipped for furnish- ing the public with millwork.

The Sothman Company is well equipped to undertake building jobs and furnish var- ious products for the work. Albert Stehr has reached that stage in the contracting bus- iness where he can also handle the entire job.

CIGAR FACTORIES

By 1887 Grand Island has three cigar fac- tories in operation, that of N. H. Cohen which was conducted for many years, the Chas. Lohmand factory which was discontinued about 1897, and the Henry Schlotfeld factory which ran until after 1900. Other factories which ran for a few years were : Abrahamson Bros., J. H. Delicompson and Grand Island Cigar Co. at 108 West Third, August Nitsch, Brand & Denebrink, Wiereck Cigar Co., J. J. Windnagel, Western Cigar Co., Nitchke and Klintworth, C. C. Lightner, R. G. Desch, 110 E. Third, Peter Gimple, Conrad Maurer, Cornelius Co., 108 N. Locust. Richard Buenz conducted a factory about twelve years ago at 114 N. Locust. Chas. Steinmeier conducted a factory at 222 N. Pine, and Nielsen &. Niess were at 3111/2 S. Wheeler a few years ago.

One of the most famous factories of Grand Island was the Puritan which became known by that name in 1902. Fred H. Michelson was running a business about 1900 and the name Puritan became quite well-known by the time this factory had been built up to a point where it often employed as many as fifty or sixty girls. It occupied the locations where the Brunswick Billiard hall and Davies Cafeteria are now running. Hal Rowl after- wards conducted the Puritan for five years as a pool hall when it had moved to Locust street, where Max Greenberger's clothing and tailor shop is now situated, and in recent years it has gone over to Pine street, but it has been out of the list of cigar factories for some

years. Hann & Boehl started their factory at the 214 West Second location ten or eleven years ago. That factory is now conducted by the Hann Cigar Co., while for the last few years Arthur C. Boehl has been around the corner at 108 S. Wheeler and 117 S. Wheeler with his factory and store. Henry J. Voss has been running a cigar factory since about 1893, over twenty-six years now. He first was located at 306 West Third, but the H. J. Voss & Son cigar factory has been at 2141/2 West Third for the last seven or eight years. A. Brandt started the Brandt Cigar Co. at 1091/2 S. Pine. F. C. Brandt had been at 113 East Front a few years be- fore. The Brandt Cigar Co. is now owned by Emil F. Rickert, at 215 East Third, where it manufactures eight or ten well-known brands of cigars, including the Lincoln High- way.

A very well-known establishment of this class has been the John W. Sink Cigar Co. which has operated at 10512 East Third and recently at 107 East Third. The man who established this business, John W. Sink, served in the legislature for two terms and became a political worker of state-wide rep- utation. In 1918 he sold the business, but it still operates, and its traveling selesmen sell its goods clear to the western border of the state and beyond. The Phelps Cigar Co. operated for about five years at 113 S. Locust street, but recently the Dan C. Brown Cigar Co. acquired that business. The Harkert Cigar Co. was at 113 N. Locust until recently. No attempt has been made to give a detailed history of the pool and billiard halls of the city, though occasionally some of them have been mentioned. The Saratoga, running recently at 116 West Third, formerly was at 120 N. Pine.

STEAM LAUNDERIES

Grand Island has had numerous laundries which did not stay in business very long, such as Omaha, and Troy, about 1887, and the Martha Washington, about that time. Thomas M. Hainline was handling laundry work at 620 East Fifth by 1889, and at the end of

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

the 'nineties the T. M. Hainline & Son Twentieth Century Laundry was operating on West Front street. The Hainline laundry in recent years has been at 107 East Front street. Sam Lee conducted the well known Chinese laundry at 118 North Pine for some- thing like twenty years through the 'nineties and up beyond 1910. The Model Laundry ran for awhile at 412 West Third. Sam Lee had Chinese competition at times, notably Kee Lung, at 116 N. Pine, about 1889 and 1890, and Hong Sing on East Third about 1910. The main competitor to the Hainline laundry and Sam Lee has been the Steam Laundry. The Steam Laundry was estab- lished in 1889. The firm of J. C. Alexander and J. W. Marsh then occupied an old build- ing at 512 East Third, and having found the field sufficiently good for a lanudry built a building of their own. After the retirement of Alexander & Marsh, Jno. Cunningham and later a Mr. Hall were owners, and P. A. Dennon operated it for about four years. The laundry was at 118 East Second, but is now at 222 East Third. Leo. Loeb had it later. Dennon and Degan incorporated the business. Ralph Sabin and E. E. Vollmer had been running the Grand Island Model Laundry until a corporation was effected about 1915, under the name of Grand Island Model Laun- dry and the Stean Laundry was absorbed in name. The Model Laundry is now operated under the supervision of T. M. Sharp.

GRAND ISLAND CULVERT & METAL WORKS - KELLY WELL CO.

Among the industries of the Third City of Nebraska, there are two that are worthy of special mention. The Grand Island Culvert & Metal Works is located on North Oak street, adjoining the Union Pacific tracks. This plant is the exclusive manufactory of the "Genuine Open Hearth Iron" culverts in nor- thern Nebraska. They make a specialty of screw joint well casing, heavy riveted pipe for irrigation well, and are equipped to turn out anything in the metal tank line from the smallest house tank and garbage can to the largest storage and supply tank. They are

designers and manufacturers of the only cor- rugated grain bin in this section of the country. This concern is also jobbers for furnaces and kindred accessories. The man- ager of this plant is Charles McElroy.

A few years ago a process for building a concrete well that not only will not wear out but that can be used in installing power and irrigation systems was patented and perfected by a Grand Island man, Wm. Kelly. The Kelly Well Co., the corporation formed to manufacture and market this concrete well screen, is a concern that threatens to acquire a national fame for its product and should this concern reach the success it bids fair to at- tract it will add to the reputation and name of Grand Island as plows did to Moline and threshing engines did to Racine; Wisconsin.

THE HIDE INDUSTRY

The D. H. McDonald Co. of Chicago opened a branch hide house in this city about 1896, with J. A. Mitchell as manager. Mr. Mitchell has been connected with the hide and fur business of Grand Island for a great many years. In recent years he has been manager of the Chicago Hide and Fur Co., of which M. M. Blake has been president and Ralph R. Horth secretary as named in new amendment to their articles of incorporation filed in Feb- ruary, 1917 .. Jas. S. Smith & Co. of Chicago established a branch house here about 1904, which was conducted for a number of years. The Grand Island Hide & Fur Co. came into this field on September 7, 1918, with Wm. F. Krehmke, Wm. Spangenberg, Frank I. Olsen, Harry C. Lyons and Mat Jarvis as incorpor- ators.

FLORAL INDUSTRY

J. H. Roman was running the Grand Island Green House in 1887 and Wm. Dudley was the nurseryman. This was followed by W. H. Jones. For twenty years Grand Island has had two very excellent green houses, that of Edward Williams and that of John Ellsworth Company, at 1300 West Third. These two firms ship cut floral designs all over the west- ern part of the state.

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MITCHELL SERUM CO.

A new industry incorporated for the pur- pose of manufacturing and selling serums for the treatment of hogs and other animals, the buying and selling of stock hogs, and slaugh- tering of hogs and the sale of hog products is the Mitchell Serum Co. Articles were filed in April, 1919, by James A. Mitchell, Claude Pollard, R. R. Horth and Chas. Hanson.

PRINTING AND CALENDERS

A few years ago the Augustine Company was a job printing office. This concern de- cided to branch out into the field of producing calenders. It gradually expanded in this field until a few years ago it was able to move out of its old quarters at 117 East Third into its splendid ornamental two-story brick building at 120 East Second. The firm has now reached the stage where it can keep several traveling men out on the road successfully competing with Thos. D. Murphy Co. over in their own nest, in southwestern Iowa, where they can go up against Brown & Bigelow in Minnesota, and they placed orders by mail all over the country. In the handling not only of calendars, but of any class of specially elaborate printing jobs they compete with any plant in the state. It might be remarked that while the Augustine is the only plant in town reaching out over the country for business, yet Grand Island has four other plants which can and do receive jobs from all over this part of the state and turn out pretty classy work. The Independent plant in former years catered to book binding work, but in recent years Grand Island has not offered a book bindery. But with the elaborate presses now owned by the Independent job printing department, they do not hesitate at any class of printing on the market. The Prompt Printery under the excellent management of Thos. V. Mc- Gowan has added to their printing line an up-to-date line of rubber stamps which they manufacture daily. This plant is being merged into The Thos. V. McGowan Co., which is a new corporation entering the wholesale office supply field as well as printing field. Fred Hold confines his work as formerly to com-

mercial printing, of which he turns out large quantities.

NEBRASKA TELEPHONE CO.

This company had a plant in Grand Island for a good many years before the consolida- tion with the Grand Island Telephone Co. gave it the local exchange exclusively.

But very few people may realize the im- portance of this industry to Grand Island at

NEBRASKA TELEPHONE COMPANY BUILDING

the present time. The Nebraska Telephone Co. has its territory throughout Nebraska di- vided into districts. Grand Island is the head- quarters point for the Grand Island district, the largest in the state in area. This district comprises Merrick County and the eastern line of its territory runs along Hamilton, Merrick, Greeley, and Garfield counties, along the north borders of Blaine, Thomas, Hooker, and Grant counties, taking in Sheridan, Dawes, and Sioux counties, in the northwest corner of the state. Running south along the Wyoming state line is its western boundary. It covers all the Digitized by

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

state south of the Platte River west of Adams County. This comprises a territory something like half of the state in area. This is the vast territory to be managed out of Grand Island. In this Grand Island district owned by the Nebraska Co., are 49 exchanges and 98 asso- ciated with the Nebraska Company and for which the business is conducted through this' Grand Island office. Stations owned by the Nebraska Company, operated in this territory, number 22,091 and something between 30,000 and 32,000 owned by connecting companies

Island who would reside elsewhere were this district office for this territory not located at Grand Island.

GRAND ISLAND TELEPHONE CO.

This company was incorporated in 1903 under the name of the Home Telephone Co. The first officers were Chas. G. Ryan, presi- dent, H. J. Palmer, vice-president, Fred W. Ashton, secretary, and Geo. B. Bell, treasurer.

In March, 1904, the capital stock was in- creased to $75,000, of which $50,000 was pre-

GLOVER BUILDING, GRAND ISLAND District offices Nebraska Telephone Co., third floor

and operated out of this office. Grand Island is the toll center for this vast territory and the majority of messages sent from and to towns in the west half of the state pass through or are relayed through the Grand Island station. Around one hundred people are employed in the office maintained here. The district commercial manager is E. K. Halde- man, district plant chief, R. R. Hartford, dis- trict traffic chief, C. Y. Barnes. Here also are located the district accountant, district in- spector, district foreman, district plant office, material yards, and various other offices neces- sary to the district work. The Grand Island local exchange employs from forty-eight to sixty operators. It is safe to say that over 100 additional families are stationed at Grand

ferred stock, and in February, 1910, it was increased to $100,000,

The name was also changed from the Home Telephone Co. to the Grand Island Telephone Company. The plant was installed by J. F. Butterfield of Chicago.

This company was not organized from money-making motives alone but to better the service and extend its scope to a greater num- ber of patrons, the motto being "No party lines."

After successfully managing the business for five years H. J. Palmer sold his interests to Frank H. Woods of Lincoln, and W. E. Bell and associates of the York Telephone Com- pany. Bayard H. Paine bought out the in- terests of a large number of local stockholders.

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

This move strengthened the position of the company owing to the fact that Mr. Woods was president of the National Independent Telephone Association. After running for several years under this management the en- tire plant was sold to the Nebraska Telephone Co.

The officers of this company, prior to its sale at a figure that enabled every stock- holder to take out every dollar invested with interest to the date of his returns upon the sale, were Bayard H. Paine president, Frank H Woods, vice-president, C. J. Palmer, sec- retary and manager, and W. E. Bell, treasurer.

REVIEW OF MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIES

There have been numerous industries which have been established and which flourished in Grand Island and added to the lustre of Hall County that have not been mentioned and should not be overlooked. The light plants and street railways system have been treated in the chapter on the city of Grand Island (its utilities ). About 1888 Grand Island had a little factory in connection with the Lehman brick yard; about 1890 J. O. Heffelfinger con- ducted a soap factory at 821 North Plum; McAllister & James conducted a cornice works about 1890 at 118 West Third; John T. Gra- ham's foundry manufactured various kinds of castings ; a cigar box factory was conducted here about 1914 by E. H. Vieregg; a patent medicine factory was in operation at Fourth and Pine streets about 1888; and the Oriental Remedy Co. was running about 1904.

No doubt numerous small industrial enter- prises have been established in the city which have been overlooked, but an effort has been made to give recognition to all of the lines of industrial initiative which has sprung forth in the years past in the community.

PRESENT MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIES

. Among other industries in operation in the city at this time are: L. M. Carlson mattress and auto top factory, East Second street; Great Western Chemical Co., Front and Elm streets, which manufactures an animal remedy very generally sold over the country; the

Grand Island Hide and Fur Co. at Front and Wheeler ; Grand Island Iron & Metal Co., local dealers and shippers of iron and miscellaneous products ; Grand Island Light & Fixture Co., 111 South Wheeler, jobbers and distributors for the well-known Cushman light form gas- engine; Grand Island Radiator Co. at 1105 W. Louise; Grand Island Roofing Co., 207 E. 13; Orloff Junk Iron & Metal Co .; Nebraska Oxo- Gas Heating Co.

THE STOCK YARDS

The old Grand Island stock yards operat- ing prior to 1890, were situated in the west part of the city, under the control of the Union Pacific. Alter and Glover were mana- gers in 1887. For the last twelve years the Union Stock Yards have been conducted in East Grand Island. In 1907 J. D. Whitmore was secretary and managing officer. At the present time the yards are under the manage- ment of the following officers: H. O. Wood- ward, president, F. G. Cockrell, general mana- ger, J. L. Johnson, secretary-treasurer. This plant is well equiped for handling a large amount of business and caring for those who accompany the stock. The scope of its busi- ness may be gathered from the volume hand- led in 1918, this being approximately 3,100 cars of cattle, 3,000 cars of sheep, 200 cars of hogs, and 300 cars of horses.

LOUP VALLEY PACKING COMPANY

Another industry, the success of which will bring considerable added importance to Grand Island as an industrial center, is the new Loup Valley Packing Company. This concern was first organized by a group of Ord and Bur- well men, but many Hall County citizens and farmers from all around Central Nebraska have purchased stock interests in the company and it is opening up with many stockholder- customers as a favorable nucleus for its clien- tele. M. B. Goodenow is president of the com- pany, W. D. Hart, vice-president, R. J. Mc- Lean, secretary, and C. E. Rassett, treasurer. The capitalization has already been increased from $100,000 to $200,000. William Hammann, general supervising engineer of equipment ofle Digitized by

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COLD STORAGE WAREHOUSE

PROPOSED ADDITION TO LOUP VALLEY PACKING CO. PLANT, GRAND ISLAND

the Brecht Co. of St. Louis for past five years and for sixteen years prior thereto general superintendent with largest packers in Chicago and Indiana, is to be general manager, with a manager of twenty-five years experience in every department of the business from the killing end to the finished product. A contract for the plant to cost over $200,000 has been awarded to the Brecht Co. and the building of the same is progressing at this time, 1919. With the growing proportions of the system of hauling stock to market in trucks for a dis- tance as far as a hundred miles or more, it will be nothing startling to see a vast amount of cattle brought to Grand Island in trucks every week, in the very near future. This saves at least two haulings and a shrinkage,

and a farmer can get a line on the market the same day he loads. and sells. Four years ago there were four unloading chutes at South Omaha to unload hogs from trucks, now there are more than eighty for unloading stock brought in by motor transport.

THE GRAND ISLAND HORSE, MULE AND CATTLE MARKET

The industry that has probably done more than any other one industry ever represented in Grand Island to spread the name of this city over the entire world and given it fame has been the horse and mule market. At var- ious times this market has reached the high point in sales that it could bring to the city the reputation of having the second largest horse

GRAND ISLAND HORSE MARKET

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and mule market in the world. This industry has for the last fifteen years brought a steady stream of visitors to this city to transact busi- ness from hundreds of miles to the north and west, and has made this city a sort of western gateway to the eastern markets for the wide cattle and sheep country in northwestern Ne- braska, Wyoming, and Montana.

Grand Island's horse market has grown from a very small beginning in 1903, when 4,000 were sold through the rings, until it has reached its proud position of second greatest market in the world. Situated on two of the great continental lines of railway, and in fact at their junction, such shipping facilities have made possible quick shipments in and out of Grand Island. The sales barns are situated near the heart of the city, covering some six acres of ground, with loading chutes and the very handiest trackage on both the Union Pacific and Burlington railroads.

BRADSTREET & CLEMENS CO.

Thomas E. Bradstreet started in the com- mission business in Grand Island in 1903. His auction sales were the first of a wholesale na- ture held in Grand Island, and numerous cau- tious friends warned him that such a busi- ness venture could not succeed and that he would be flirting with bankruptcy. But he kept on for about three years, when Jesse Clemens became associated with him. A

couple of years later the Bradstreet & Clem- ens Co. was incorporated by Thos. E. Brad- street, Jesse Clemens, and P. L. Fuller. In 1914 A. H. Langman, W. R. King, and P. L. Fuller were associated with this concern. In 1915 Thos. E. Bradstreet acquired the total interest of the Bradstreet & Clemens Co., which he now owns with his two sons, Archie L. and Deo Bradstreet.

Some idea of the growth of the Grand Is- land market may be given by the figures show- ing the number of head sold each year :

1903, head sold. about 4,000

1904,

7,184

1905,

8,112

1906,

7,984

1907, "

8,604

1908,

11,608

1909,

11,602

1910,

12,413

1911,

14,135

1912,

15,890

1913,

23,922

1914,

26,053

1915,

37,804

1916,

60,274

1917,

51,064

1918,

38,156

In 1917 some of the firms at this market commenced to handle cattle, and 520 were sold that year. On February 2, 1918, the Blain Horse & Mule Co. changed its corporate name to Blain Horse, Mule & Cattle Co. The Grand Island Horse & Mule Co. did not change its corporate title, but on December 29, 1917, filed amendments to its articles increasing its cap- ital stock from $25,000 to $100,000 and has participated in the changing conditions and purposes of this market. In 1918, the number of cattle was 9,175, and in 1919 cattle auctions are being held regularly as well as horse auc- tion sales. The total of the two lines brings the 1918 total up to 47,331 head of stock alto- gether, and makes as good a record as any year except 1916 and 1917 when the greatly increased demands of the foreign governments were so pressing that the French and British governments erected temporary yards at Grand Island to handle the horses purchased on this market and shipped from here. With the re- adjustment of conditions in the horse market and increase of the cattle sales here the Grand Island market will undoubtedly continue its records for steady substantial growth.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 37

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