Adams County, Nebraska - Chapter 6: Hastings After County Seat Fight, 1916

Chapter 6: Hastings After County Seat Fight

There has never been wanting in Hastuigs from its earliest history an element that furnishes expectation of the future and furnishes it in a more marked degree than would characterize simple growth. Before the county seat was won, the possibility of obtaining it yielded a stimidus that would not be found in the j^roblems of simple growth - there was added the sjiirit of rivalry and struggle. When at last the seat of county government was secured in 1878, it left the people of the town suddenly deprived of the old bone of contention but with a sjjirit develojied by the old struggle that could not be satisfied with small conceptions and simjile accomplishments. With a rather vague sense of plan l)ut with unlimited ambitions they set to work to build a city.

They had a considerable town to begin with, and excellent railroad facilities. Perhaps it will be of some assistance in glimpsing the Hastings that existed when the county seat was obtained to take an inventory of tlie business as it was represented by the advertisers. In its issue of October 3, 1878, the leading editorial of the Hastings Journal is under the cut of a triumphant, crowing rooster. "Oin- Bird Sings!" scream the headlines, "For the County Capital Is at Hastings! - And Don't You Forget It."

In that issue the following attorneys had their cards: J. JNI. Abbott, J. H. Fleming, J. James, G. D. Pierce, Loui F. Page, J. A. Vanatta, Ash & Scofield, Batty & Nelson. The following physicians had printed announcements: Drs. T. H. Urquhart, A. H. Sowers, S. Saddler, J. Oscar Garmon, J. B. Nagelvoort. Other physicians of that day were Dr. Francis Naulteus and Dr. John Cooke.

Among the announcements of merchants and other business men are those of Wigton Bros., job printer and publishers; George F. Work, justice of the peace; L. B. Palmer, notary public, insurance and collections; H. G. Newson & Co., barbers; J. P. Farr, city dray and expressman; John G. INIoore, draying and exjiressman; Star Clothing House of Simon Daum, First Street, between Hastings

The grain buying business in the Hastings of this period ])resented many features that do not characterize the business today. The princi])al grain buyers in Hastings at that time were Nelson I>. Thatcher and Isaac Norton. The Thatcher elevator was located on the Burlington Railroad and the Norton elevator on the St. Joseph & Denver. Between the two elevators keen competition existed. Farmers hauled the grain to Hastings from long distances, many coming from Kansas, making a trip of 100 miles. Sometimes the wagons came in trains with as many as seventy-five wagons in the train. Upon such occasions it came to be noticed that the grain men did not compete. Apprised that the wagons were approaching the

For the greater part of the time, liowever, the two grain buyers, each backed by his raih'oad, competed keenly, and in those days a farmer did not sell his load of wheat until after the buyers had finished raising each other's bid. Some of the farmers declare that at times they received more for their grain in Hastings than it would bring on the Chicago market, and here was visible the hand of the railroads operating through rebates. With all the competition, however, wheat sometimes sold as low as 60 cents per bushel and barley for 25 and even 20 cents. Shortly after this i:)eriod the element of competition disappeared from grain buying and was no more apparent than it is at present.

Among the Hastings mercliants nametl at this time should be A. J. ^lillett, who conducted a popular grocery store on First Street. There Avere, of course, other business men in Hastings at the time, but those mentioned serve very well to give an idea of the business activity of the town at the time the county seat was removed. In this connection it is of interest to note the comparison between Hastings and the defeated town, Juniata, at tlie same period. An inventory of the business at Juniata as it existed January 1, 1879, reveals the following business establishments: C. R. Jones & Co.. general merchandise; also in the same business, Dillon & Cole, Stadelman & Bodein and W. H. Burr; G. W. Carter, stoves and tinware; Carter & Harsough, hardware; B. E. Swift, farm implements; E. M. Allen, lumber; G. S. Guild, publisher Juniata Herald; H. E. Wells, druggist; S. B. Webb, confectionery; JM. Scudder & Sons, nursery; Mrs. A. A. White, millinery; Carlock & Clark, millers; J. N. Stark, jeweler; Clough & Watkins, meat market; William Twidale, meat market; B. F. Smith, attorney; James Laird, attorney; Cliarles Kilburn, attorney; Ben Hayden, attorney; Winfield Ackley. physician; H. M. Crone, jiainter; G. W. JMontgomery, barber; W. D. Belding, livery stable; George Walker, livery stable; A. J. Peterson, Union Hotel; L. F. Pickard, hardware; Swift & Angell, agricultural implements; John Chandler, coal dealer; George Stocker, coal dealer; S. L. Brass, bakery and restaurant; Walker & Van Houten, livery stable; ]\Ir. Lapp, proprietor, Jiniiata House; J. A. Robertson, deputy sheriff and collector; O. Stearer, expressman and justice of the peace; F. M. Webb, groceries; O. H. Verber, boarding house; Mr. Angell, restaurant; Titus Babcock, postmaster; F. H. Hole, blacksmith; G. S. Gitchel. Sheirmerhorn & Co., wagon makers; O. A. Buzzell, pastor Baptist church; Rev. Mr. Camp, pastor Congregaso PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY tional church; Rev. JNIr. Love, pastor Episcopal church; Frank Kellogg, station agent; Miss L. A. JNIcFadden, principal of the schools, and Miss Anna Pruyn, assistant; John T. Hill, saloon.

I'Ikst Bkick Building

In 1879 the iirst brick buildings were erected in Hastings. One of these stood at the southwest corner of Second Street and Hastings Avenue, where the First National Bank Building now stands. It was erected for A. L. Clarke and George Pratt, and was the original First National Bank Building. This bank building was built of red brick and its dimensions were 22xl2;5 feet; it was two stories high. The other brick building stood on the west side of Hastings Avenue, a little soutli of the location of the Clarke Hotel. This building, wliicli stood initil torn down in recent years, was known as the "]\Iasonic Building." It was erected by the Paine Lumber Company.

Before the First National Bank Building was completed Hastings was swept with what was j^erhaps the most important fire in its history, and the next few years witnessed the erection of a large number of brick buildings in the business section. It has come to be believed, therefore, that the fire of 1879 was a main factor in ushering the brick building era.

On the night of January 1, 1878, the Thompson Hotel, a very creditable structure that stood on the east side of Kansas Avenue between First and Second streets, was destroyed by fire. This loss awakened the inhabitants of the new town to the fact that they were without means to protect themselves from fire. In the spring following a volunteer fire company was organized with nearly all the young men in the town as members, and with John D. Crans as chief. Ed Kennard was foreman of the hose company and Caspar Fisher foreman of the liook and ladder trucks. This organization followed the failure to vote bonds in the amount of $6,000 for the purpose of providing fire jn-otection. The bonds having failed, the city council made an appropriation with which a hand engine was purchased at an expenditure of $680, also a hook and ladder outfit and fourteen Babcock extinguisliers. On the southwest corner of the courthouse square a two-story frame building was erected. In the lower part the firefighting apparatus was installed. The upper story was used as a council cliamber until 1890, when the present city hall and engine liouse was erected on Burlington Avenue, between First and Second streets. It may be remarked tliat previous to this time the city council liad met in tlie office of the Hastings Town Company on Second Street ; at times, however, sessions were held in the stores. The problem of fire protection was by no means solved with the purchase of the fire engine, for the apparatus Avas no good without a water supply. The council, therefore, decided to erect a tank centrally located, and with a cajiacity of a thousand barrels, and to build a windmill to draw the \\ater. Bids were advertised for; the lowest received was for $1,250 and the highest $1,500. The council advertised again, and Mr. Isaac LeDioyt, representing C. X. Paine & Company, the proprietors of the Badger lumberyard offered in behalf of his firm to furnish the material and do the work for $950. The offer was accejited.

The tank and windmill were erected between First and Second streets, in the rear of the present location of the Masonic Hall. The tank was set upon a heavy frame twelve feet above the ground, and the frame supporting it lay upon a heavy stone foundation, which extended from below the frost line. Describing the course of the water pipes radiating from the tank, JNIr. Isaac LeDioyt wrote as follows: "From the tank a six-inch pipe carried the water to another six-inch pipe laid four feet below the surface of the ground and extending through the alley from Hastings Avenue to Denver Avenue, and from the ends of this pipe a four-inch pipe extended to the four corners of the block, where the water was brought to the surface through a two-inch pipe. Still, with all this preparation, there was no connection between the water works and the engine.

So, once more, the city appropriated money for the digging of cisterns at the intersections of the streets in the business center of the cit}'. One was dug at the intersection of Hastings Avenue and Second Street, another at the intersection of Second Street and Lincoln Avenue, near where the St. Joseph & Grand Island tracks end. One or two others were dug at other locations. The scheme was to fill the cisterns nearest the corners where the water was brought to the surface, and fi'om these cisterns the engine and hose were made to fill the others. Once a week the fire company would be called out and the firemen and bystanders would work upon the engine mitil all the water that could be spared from a cistern had been sent to a neighboring cistern." The engine had two long handles, wliich a dozen or more men could seize. The movement of the handle was a good deal like that used to propel handcars on the railroads before the advent of the gasoline engine.

Fire Of 1879

It was in the forenoon of September 14, 1879, that the epochal fire in the history of Hastings broke forth and gave the Hastings fire department its first severe test. The fire was discovered in the drug store of J. S. Allison, which was located in a building on the west side of Hastings Avenue, south of the alley ruiming through the block from Hastings Avenue to Lincoln Avenue. The tire engine was brought out and worked first from the cistern at the intersection of Hastizigs Avenue and Second Street, and then from the cistern at the intersection of the same street with Lincoln Avenue. In the basement of the drug store, which was a frame structure, paints and oils were stored, and these inflammables soon caused the fire to reach formidable strength. Just when it seemed that the firemen had the flames under control, the engine broke. After this the citizens and firemen were compelled to fight with bucket brigades. They were unable to check the flames, and the main business section was wiped out. Every building in the block bomid by First and Second streets and Hastings and Lincoln avenues was destroyed, excejit the First National Bank Building and one small frame structure. On the south side of First Street, and between Hastings and Lincoln avenues, every building was burned as far south as the Burlington track. The loss by this fire is estimated to have been $100,000. Individual losses were reported by the newspapers of the time as follows: J. S. Allison, stock, $.5,000: J. W. Davis, building and stock, $6,000; H. Lepin, hotel aild fixtures, $8,000; Charles Cameron, stock and building, $13,000; Thomas Scale, building, $800; A. W. Cox, stock and two buildings, $2,300; J. ^Veingart & Bros., elevator and 2.000 bushels of wheat, $2,200; Kelly & Hahn, building and contents, $2,300; Dr. F. Naulteus, building and stock, $3,000; Wolbach Bros., building and stock, $15,000; N. F. Damron, hotel and furniture, $6,000; D. H. Ballard, building and stock, $4,000; G. F. Work, ofiice, $125; Exchange Bank, furniture, $200; Oswald Oliver, lumber, $100; Wigton Bros., oflfice and type, $600; ]\Iillett &: ]Mulford, stone works, $1,000; C. H. Manker, carpenter shop, $200: Prindle & Burke, tailor shop, $50; ]Mrs. JNIow, two buildings, $250; JNIrs. Higgins, building, $300; Langevin & Plamondon, two buildings, $1,500; J. B. Seridge, building, $800; W. A. Smith, stock, $900; George Volland, livery stable, $1,200; J. Kohl, building and fixtures, $1,500; E. Stout, building and stock, $800; A. J. Nowlan, stock, $300; Forch & Co., damage to building, $100; Lowman & Fisher, office furniture, $150; Charles Carmichael, personal jn-operty, $300; Frank Coy's drug store. In all tliirty-thi-ee buildings were destroyed.

A period of building followed the great fire, and the business activities of Hastings increased in volume and ambitions until the climax was reached in tlie boom of 1887. On the northeast corner of Second Street and Lincohi Avenue, the present location of the 10-cent store, Morris and Eugene Alexander erected a brick building two stories high in 1881 at a cost of $10,000. In the corner building was located the grocery store of M. J. Lunibard. For many years this store was one of the important stores of the city. The rooms above this store were occupied as the offices of the Benevolent Union, an early Hastings mutual life insurance company, which by 1887 had written $2,,)00,000 of life insurance for 1,400 members.

During the same year, 1881, F. J. Benedict & Co., erected a brick building adjoining the Alexander Building on the east. This, too, was two stories high, 4>i by 110 feet, and cost -$10,000. It was in the west store room of this building that the Benedict grocery store was located.

In 1881 also was erected the brick building adjoining the Bene(Hct Building on the east. This was known in the early days as the Reed Building. One of the store rooms was occupied by Burger Brothers, who conducted a wholesale and retail hardware store and in the other store room was the delicatessen dining hall of iNIessrs. Noyes & Baird, a very popular restaurant of that period. The building was erected by a Mr. Reed at a cost of $.5,000.

The Kerr Opera House was not erected until 1884. For several years it was the most imposing building in Hastings. The building was erected l)y the Hastings Opera House Company at a cost of $61,000. Tlie board of directors of this corporation elected, in 1884, were D. F. Naulteus, James B. Heartwell, ]M. L. Alexander, William Kerr, T. J. Dowd, George H. Pratt, L. B. Palmer, R. A. Anderson and C. E. W. Struve. A long list of citizens in addition to those named were stockholders. The house was named in honor of William Kerr, one of the principal stockholders, and who eventually became the sole owner of the building. The stage is 66 feet wide by 38 feet deep and the procenium 32 feet wide and 28 feet high. The original curtain, scenery and decorations were by Noxen, Albert & Toomey, of St. Louis. The Kerr was first under the management of F. D. Taggart. William Shellack was manager for a time. Subsequently Manager Stevens conducted the affairs of the Kerr and was succeeded by Thomas Kerr, son of William Kerr. William Lowman came after Thomas Kerr, and is the present manager.

October 18, 188.5, Miss Nellie Boyd appeared in a dramatic production at the Kerr, and was very enthusiastic over the new oj^era house. Miss Boyd first appeared in Hastings in 1874. She was the first actress to appear in Hastings, and she was much impressed with the change that had been wrought in eleven years. In 1874 she appeared in ]\Iillett Hall. There were neither stage nor seats. For ojjera chairs the citizens supplied benches made of rough pine jjlanks laid across nail kegs. The stage was constnicted in a similar manner. For the drop curtain two patchwork qiults were kindly lent, and candles did service for footlights.

Prof. John Rees was the director of the first Opera House orchestra. Will Rees, first violin; Ben Urquhart, second violin; Gus BindevuY), viola; Elgin Gilbert, bass viola; C. F. Royce, clarinet; Walter Chapman, first cornet: Al Boyd, second cornet; ]\I. L. Averill, trombone; William Bates, drums. Alex JNIurray was the first stage director. Ajnong the notable actors and actresses who have appeared at the Kerr are Mr. and INIrs. J. W. Florence, Thomas W. Keene, Mile. Rhea, Sol Smith Russell, INIaggie ]Mitchell. Patti Rosa, Louis James, Lewis JMorrison, Robert JNIantell, Blanche Walsh, INIrs. Fiske and Walker Whiteside.

The Kerr Oj^era House was greatly improved in 1913, a new fireproof curtain was installed and the interior completely redecorated, new boxes built and the stage was greatly improved.

Tlie Bostwick Hotel block was built in 1884-85 by a corporation, the princi])al members of whom were Harrison Bostwick, A. H. Cramer. T. E. Farrell, George M. JNIowery, John Ballinger, G. J. Evans, Dr. J. N. Lyman and J. C. Kay. The block was erected at a cost of $0.5,000. W. H. Dildine was the first manager of the Bostwick Hotel, and from 1889 to September 1, 1904, W. H. Dillon was in charge. He was succeeded by J. D. INIines, who remained in charge for a few years. Mr. INIines was followed by H. C. Haverly. who was manager to within a short time of the opening of the Clarke Hotel, in 1913. C. H. Dietrich has been the owner of the block, except the store room on the west side, for a number of years. In 1916 the Bostwick Hotel was extensively improved and the name clianged to the American House. It was originally named in honor of Harrison Bostwick. The Lindell Hotel was built four years before the erection of the Bostwick, by N. F. Damron. For about the first ten years this liotel Avas called the Commercial.

In 1883 Charles H. Dietrich erected two brick business buildings on the northeast corner of Hastings Avenue and Second Street at a cost of '$21,000. In 190.5 the corner building, occupied by the German National Bank, was completely remodeled and brought to its present form. The corner building was the home of the dry goods house of Pickens & Hanna, of which the firm of Pickens & Bratton are the descendants. The same vear in Avhich Mr. Dietrich built these two buildings, 1883, saw the erection of a two-story brick building by J. ^V. Davis adjoining INIr. Dietrich's building on the east. This structure cost $12,000. In the same year Charles Cameron erected the Exchange National Bank Building, including the store room immediately north of the bank, at a cost of $2.5,000. For many years ]Mr. Cameron conducted a large dr\' goods and clothing store, the store fronting on both Hastings Avenue and First Street.

The "Stone Block" standing on the south side of Second Street between Denver and St. Josejih avenues was erected in 1881 by T. E. Farrell and George JM. ]\Iowery. The stone for this building were broughf from ]Mr. Farrell's stone quarries in Colorado. The corner store room of tliis block was the early home of the J. H. Haney harness and saddle business.

In 1884 Claus Frahm erected the building now occupied by the A. H. Brooke drug store, on the southeast corner of Hastings Avenue and Second Street. For several years it was occupied by the drugstore of Frahm Bros., and later bj^ Kay C. Roberts. The building immediately south of the Frahm Building is called the Curtis Block, after the original owner. It was erected in 188(5. At about the same time the building adjoining the Curtis Building was erected by George Tyler.

The ^Masonic Temple was erected in 1886-87. The Imilding as originally built was 66x12.5 feet and three stories high. It cost $26,000 to build. This building was remodeled in 1013 at a cost of nearly $6.5,000.

A brick building has stood on the southwest corner of Second Street and Denver Avenue since 1881. In this building the City National Bank was located.

The building adjoining the old City National Bank on the west was erected by M. Stern in 1883 at a cost of $.5,000. and in the same year Jacob Fisher erected a brick building immediately ^\est of ]\Ir. Stern's. It should have been stated also that in the store )'oom immediately west of the City National Bank, between the latter and the Stern Building, the meat market of Charles Doyen was located for many years. In 1886, Jacob Fisher completed the erection of his second brick store room at 609 West Second Street. The third brick business building to be erected in the city was by Wolbach Bros., at the same locatioji as that of the present site of the store of Wolbach & Bracli. Wolbach Bros, commenced the erection of their building' in 1870, but not quite so early in the year as the First National Bank. About the same time A. W. Cox erected a building facing on Hastings Avenue and immediately south of the First National Bank. Mv. Cox

In 1883 C. K. Lawson and Carson J. Hamot erected the store room at 704 and 706 West Second Street, now occuijied by the J. H. McGrath Harchvare Company. The builders occupied the room at 704 for their hardware store, which was conducted under the firm name of Lawson & Hamot. The building on the northwest corner of Hastings Avenue and Second Street was built in 1884 by R. R. Morledge and J. H. McWade. For many years the firm of IMorledge & McWade was one of the important general merchandise establislinients of the city. The firm occupied the corner store room. In 1885 this store became the location of an important dry goods store, "The Bee Hive." of which A. J. Unna was the proprietor. It might also be noted that 706 North Hastings Avenue, was the original location of the New Yoi-k & Boston Clothing Company, of which JNIr. JNIark Le\y was the proprietor. Tlie building at 702 West Second Street, adjoining the INIorledge & JNIcWade Building on the west, was erected by Moses Stern; the building is now occupied by the Barnes Clothing Comjjaiiy. In 1886 JNIr. Stern also erected tlie building which is now the location of the A. F. INIeyer Hardware Company, at 61.5 West Second Street. At about the same time Henry Gross erected the building immediately east. 613 West Second Street, now occupied by Kauf & Rinderspacher. The building was bought by Kauf & Rinderspacher from INIessrs. Stern and Gross in 1894 and completely remodeled by them in 1910. The meat market of Kauf & Rinderspacher Mas established by Karl Kauf and George Rinderspacher, in 1887- their first location being 216 North Hastings Avenue, the present location of tlie Hastings Bakery.

The meat market now called Blake & Son has borne the name of Blake since 1874. Fred Blake and wife arrived in Hastings from Oxfordshire. England, in 1873. Mr. Blake became associated the following year in the meat business with William H. Stock, whom he soon bought out. This business was located at the present site of the James A. Benson barber shop. 621 West Second Street. In 1886 Mr. Blake erected the brick building standing at tlie nortliwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and First Street, and at the same time the store room adjoining on the north was erected by Charles Plamondon, who was engaged in the grocery business in Hastings for many years.

Cliarles Kohl and John Yager erected the building containing the store rooms 212 and 214 North Hastings Avenue in 188;). ]\Ir. Yager was a homesteader and a veteran of the Civil War. He conducted tlie G. A. R. sample room in the Kohl & Yager Building for a nmiiber of years. Mr. Yager always maintained that his child was the first to be born in Adams County. That honor is also claimed for John Eabcock, the son of ]Mr. and Mrs. Titus Babcock of Juniata. ]\lr. Yager arrived in the vicinity of Hastings some time during 1871. He died at the Soldiers' home in Burkett (Grand Island), in 1915.

The Central Block comprising 713, 71j and 717 West Second Street, or the present location of A. M. Clark's drug store and the diy goods establishment of Pickens & Bratton, was completed in 1886. The building at 713 was erected by Samuel Alexander and J. B. Heartwell, while the remaining store rooms were built largely by eastern capital under the management of E. C. Webster. Dr. Francis Naulteus, L. i\I. Campbell and others, however, were joint owners in the building. It was in this building that the important dry goods house of Fyler & Wing, afterwards H. A. Fyler & Company, was located. This establishment continued from 1886 to 1890. In July of the latter year the Fyler stock was destroyed by fire entailing a loss estimated at the time as amounting to between $90,000 and $100,000.

The Nebraska Loan & Trust Company Building was erected in 188J^ at a cost of about $35,000. This building is three stories in height and has a frontage on Second Street of 44 feet and upon Lincoln Avemie of 125 feet. The trust company was the outgrowth of a partnership formed January 1, 1881, by James B. Heartwell and E. C. Webster. The original firm name was J. B. Heartwell & Com- ])any. By ]May 1, the following year other capitalists became interested in the business, and the Nebraska Loan & Trust Company was incorporated, with a capital stock of $100,000; this was increased INIay 1. 1883, to $250,000, and in August, 1885, to $500,000. The business of the company consisted largely in loaning money on mortgages : they also dealt in school bonds and municipal securities. Of the early organization, James B. Heartwell was the j^resident; A. L. Clarke, vice president; E. C. Webster, treasurer; C. P. Webster, cashier. These with Samuel Alexander, Oswald Oliver, George H. Pratt, D. M. IMcElhinney and J. J. Wemple comprised the board of directors in 1887. Feliruary 1. 1906, the Nebraska Loan & Trust Company made a voluntary liquidation, an action which was brought about through the placing of loans on western Nebraska and Kansas lands situated in the arid regions which became a burden. In 1907 the Clarke. Buchanan Company was formed with J. N. Clarke and W. F. Buchanan of Hastings at the head. This firm does the same character of business as the Nebraska Loan & Trust Company and occupies the same building. W. F. Buchanan is now a resident of Huntington, West Virginia. In 1882 the Gazette- Journal ComiJany erected a building on the soutliwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Second Street which the following spi'ing was occupied by their newspaper and job printing plant. In 188G the publishing company built an additional building joining the first on the west and wliich gave them a frontage of sixty-six feet on Second Street. The entire buildingwas occupied bj' the Gazette-Journal plant. During the same year Oswald Oliver erected the building which bears his name and which adjoins the building erected by the Gazette- Journal on the west.

The building oi^erations narrated indicates something of the strides taken by Hastings in the period between 1879 and 1887. In tliis period the whole aspect of the business section was changed. The western town nath its frame business buildings was transformed into a city of brick blocks. C. C. Rittenhouse was the architect that prepared the jjlans and specifications for a great number of these buildings, Avhile D. M. INIcElhinney and Sven Johnson under the firm name of jMcElhinney & Johnson were the contractors that erected the majority of the business buildings.

It is interesting to note that when the city was built in brick it was from brick manufactured in Hastings, and thus the foundation was laid for the extensive brick industry which yet characterizes the town. The contractors jNIcElhinney & Johnson were incorjiorated as brick manufactiu-ers July 28. 1880. Their brick j^ard was located on ten aci-es. which they owned in the southwest jiortion of the city immediately west of the present residence of Mr. Johnson, 623 South Burlington Avenue. The same firm established brickyards in Holdrege and St. Francis, Kansas. Their jiayroll reached a total of $1,000 per week for labor, and their output of red brick reached 2,000,000 a year.

The years 188.5 and 1886 were the great building years of that period. During 1886 over 300 residences were erected. Among the notable dwellings erected that year were those of James B. Heartwell, E. S. Fowler, W. H. Lanning, C. K. Lawson, George W. Kirby, and H. jAI. Oliver. The house erected by James B. Heartwell was an extraordinarily emphatic mark of belief in the city's future. Its dimensions are 40 by 70 feet, and the interior of the principal apartments are finished in bird's-eye maple, red oak, cherry and other elegant woods in natural color. The house is upon the most elevated site in the city limits. This residence was erected at a cost of about $30,000. It is now the property of Clarence J. JNIiles.

Alexander Pickens. The residence of James Laird was located at 123,5 West Second Street. It is now the property and residence of Eniil Polenske. The Gazette-Journal estimated that the total expenditure for new residences in Hastings in 1886 was $395,875, while business buildings the same year had been built at a cost of -fllSj-jOO. The same paper estimated that all the building operations and general improvements made by the railroads, etc., reached a total for 1886 of $857,375. While these figures are perhajis high, still it is the opinion of business men who were residents of Hastings at the time that they are not far off.

Eakly Business Developments

Tlie building o2)erations narrated connotes a corresjDonding business activity of the city. A summary of Hastings in 1886 shows in addition to the brick factory of JNIcElhinney & Johnson a similar enterprise conducted by John and Henry Puis, who during the year manufactured about 500,000 brick. Near the corner of JNlinnesota Avenue and Second Street stood the extensive foundry and Header works of ]M. K. Lewis & Sons. This firm was incorporated July 10. 1885, and was composed of Frank S. Lewis and Edgar L. Lewis. In addition to headers the firm manufactured well boring and drilling tools and horsepowers. The header known as the "Lewis Header" was patented by ]M. K. Lewis and was one of the important harvestingmachines of its type for many years. The firm employed about twenty men. Cigar manufacturing was already on a substantial basis. There were at this time four factories with thirty-two employes. Those engaged in this industry were Snyder & Brewer, Berry & Sons, C. A. Dunn and ]McTaggart & IMcKeehan. The firm of Snyder & Brewer was comprised of S. S. Snyder and Harry Brewer. Their output was from 20,000 to 25,000 cigars per month, while the output of Berry & Sons was about the same. The newspapers of the period placed the output of all the factories to be 2,500,000 cigars per year. An industry that seemed to promise at the time was the manufacture of the Hot Air and Hot Water Heating Furnace. This was the I^roduct of the Hastings Manufacturing Company. INI. K. Lewis Avas the president of this company; C. K. Lawson, vice president: li. B. Palme)-, secretary, and William Kerr, treasurer. The Hastings Cornice Works, of which JNIr. Louis Fricke was the proprietor, employed ten men in the manufacture of cornice. There were two sash and door manufacturers that did an extensive business. These were B. Button and F. L. Pade. ]Mr. Pade's planing mill was for years tlie most iniijortant jjlant of its kind in a large territory surrounding- Hastings. He continued to work in wood in the city until his death in 1914. There were in operation at the time two firms that manufactured buggies and wagons. Anstroni & Anderson conducted one of these jjlants, and the other was a joint stock company who were the i^roprietors of the Novelty Carriage Works. In all lines of manufacture including printing and book binding about 450 men were employed in the city.

The general dry goods trade was represented by Fyler & Wing, Charles Cameron, Pickens & Hanna, Wolbach Brothers, A. J. Unna & Company and George E. Brown. Exclusive clothing stores were operated by Barnes Bros., the New York & Boston Clothing Company and Stone & Son. Clothing was also carried by "Wolbach Bros. There were fifteen retail grocery stores in 1886, and a statement made by them placed the retail grocery trade of the year at $321,000. A similar statement made by proprietors of thirty different lines in the retail trade placed the entire retail trade of Hastings for 1886 at $2,673,88.5.

Hastings has had a telephone system since 1881. On January 17th of that year the Hastings Telephone Exchange was incorporated. The men forming the corporation were Lyman H. Tower, Allison B. Ideson, Abraham Yeazel. John J. Wemple and John INI. Ragan. This system had about forty subscribers. In 1886 the local company sold the exchange to the Bell telephone interests operating in Nebraska as the Nebraska Telephone Company. Hy this sale to the larger company Hastings acc^uired trunk connections, and in a short time several liundred telephones were installed. On September 1, 1916, there were 2,952 subscribers on the Hastings exchange, while in the county the number of subscribers of the Lincoln Telejjhone & Telegraph Company totaled 4,170.

April 15, 1886, the citizens of Hastings voted bonds in the sum of $85,000 for the erection of a waterw^orks system, and on Septeml)er 6th of the same year, the Aurora branch of the Burlington was completed to Hastings. At this period the railroad anticipations of Hastings were almost unlimited. The Fremont. Elkhorn & JNIissouri Valley as was the early designation of the Chicago & Northwestern operating in Nebraska, was expected to reach Hastings not later than 1887, and it was hoped that it would extend its line westward to Denver. It was about a certainty that the Missouri Pacific would extend its line from Superior to Hastings. The Chicago & Rock Island in 1886 extended its line from St. Joseph, Mo., to Nelson, and its articles of incorporation stated the purpose of the road to be to build through Adams County. That the hue would reach Hastings was generally believed by the citizens. Not less certain was tlie belief that tlie Kansas City & Northwestern would build into Hastings. Charles H. Dietrich and A. D. Yocuni were members of the board of directors of the latter road. It was the expectation of great railroads that woidd open new fields for commerce coupled with the great building activities that had prevailed since 1881 that brought on the boom that reached its height between February and June, 1887. City lots advanced steadily from 1882, and there was produced an eagerness on the part of investors. The abstractors Cramer, Rohrer & Robinson compiled the record of city transfers made between ^Nlarch 1, 1886, and February 22, 1887. and found the aggregate to be $1,. 565, 616.

Boom Of 1887

The business men's organization which had been organized December 9. 1870, was supplanted by tlie Hastings Board of Trade, which was organized JNIarch 8, 1887, with lo3 members. The 1879 organization was called the Business JNIen's Association. A. D. Yocum was president; D. H. Ballard, vice president; A. B. Ideson, secretary, and C. K. Lawson, treasurer. G. F. Work, J. JNI. Abbott, A. L. Wigton, Samuel Alexander and W. A. Camp comprised the executive committee. Of the new organization, Charles H. Dietrich was president ; A. F. Clarke, vice j^resident; A. D. Yocum, secretary; D. JNI. jNIcEIhinney, treasurer, and J. A. Casto, attorney. The committees established indicate the scope in prospect at this time. Besides the standingcommittee there was a railroad committee, a committee on commerce and manufacturing and a committee on advertising.

Attending the honest effort of many to build a substantial town, there came in a large number of real estate boomers and buying and selling became a craze. The spirit of the time is well embodied in a motion made by Councilman Charles Cameron in March, which provided that "the city attorney be instructed to prepare an ordinance to extend the city limits as far as the law will allow us." At a meeting of the council held within the same month an area embracing 1.120 acres was annexed to the city. Dvn-ing the few months of the boom between 1,500 and 1,600 acres were added to the municipal area of Hastings. Among the additions made in rapid succession at that time on the north side of the city were Campbell's Addition, Lowman's North Side, Cottage Home, Volland's Second, Dawes & Foss and Pleasant Hill; on the east side there were Shockey's Ash Grove, JNIiles' Pleasant Hill, East Lawn, Pleasant View, Pleasant View Second.

East Park, Bostwick's Second, Berlin, Spencer Bros. Park, South Park; on the south side were Woods &; JMcCloud's, J. W. Davis', H. C. Dean's, Paul's, South Side, Heller's, A. H. Cramer's, Vieth's Park, Hamj)shire's South Side, Hastings Syndicate's First, Neill's, Kerr & Palmer's; on the west side were Catalpa Grove, West Side Improvement Company's First, Pollards and Pleasant Home. Besides these additions several others Avere platted, while considerable of the annexed area failed to be platted before the bottom fell out of the boom. The postoffice at that time was located near the corner of Hastings Avenue and First Street, and the nearest point of the Cataljia Grove Addition was two miles from the postoffice, while the most distant point of the addition was two and one-half miles.

An interesting development of the boom days was the construction of two street railway systems in Hastings. As early as December, 1885, the Hastings Street Railway Company was formed, JMorris li. Alexander and C. L. Alexander being the incorporators. This company asked the council for a franchise, and although the council consented to call a sjjecial election the matter was dropped without any additional develoi^ments. In December, 1886, the Hastings Improvement Company was incorporated by James B. Heartwell, James Laird, J. J. Wemple, E. C. Webster, C. P. Webster, Harrison Bostwick, Charles P. Heartwell, Angus McDonald and L. JNI. Campbell. At a special election held February 10, 1887, the Hastings Improvement Company were granted a franchise, not exclusive, to construct and operate a street railwaj'. The vote at the election resulted in 656 votes being cast for the franchise and 207 against. Before the Hastings Improvement Company had more than begun the construction of their lines, the Citizens' Street Railway Comjiany was formed by the Alexander brothers and others, and at special election lield June 17, 1887. tliey, too, were granted a franchise, the vote this time resulting in 1,100 ballots being cast for the franchise and 143 against. The Hastings Improvement Company constructed in all about sixteen miles of street railway and operated ten horse cars furnishing a twentyminute service on some lines and a thirty-minute service on others. The Citizens' Company constructed between four and five miles of Ihie.

The Improvement Company operated a line on Second Street from St. Joseph Avenue west, and when tlie Citizens' ComiJany sought to build a second line upon the chief thoroughfare legal and other warfare followed. Jacob Fisher finally obtained a court order that prevented the construction of the second line. There was an exciting race in constructing the lines to Cole's Park in tlie southeastern part of tlie city and during these strenuous days bodies of workmen tore ujj during- the night what workmen of the o^jposing lines had built dm-ing the day. Street car lines extended as far as the Academy of the Immaculate Conception, the Fair grounds in the northwest part of the city and Cole's Park in the southeast, and as far west on Fifth Street as Briggs Avenue. The car barns of the Improvement Company were located at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and C Street.

In 1889 the Improvement Company's lines were taken over by Jonas F. Proffitt and F. B. Thompson, who after operating them for about four months turned them back to the Improvement company. The line struggled along until September, 1890. It was at midnight in that month that ^Nlr. Proffitt stopjjed in front of the Lepin Hotel to discharge his last fares, and Avhen he drove his car to the barn the career of the street car line terminated. The Citizens' Company continued to opei-ate a little more than two years longer. It was reincorporated, in 1892, with R. A. Batty, as president, and ISIrs. Rose E. Shedd, as vice president. Shortly afterward the enterprise was abandoned. Of the street car drivers, J. F. Proffitt and F. B. Thompson still reside in Hastings. Another driver was John Hall, now a Bm-lington engineer running between Hastings and Lincoln.

'While conditions making for the boom had been shaping themselves for a mmiber of years, the boom proper lasted from the early spring of 1887 until about the first of the following July. The price of city lots soared to unreasonable heig'hts, and finally the holders reahzed that the values were fictitious. The reaction was rapid. Transfers which some days had totaled a hundred, suddenly ceased. There was no market for city lots. Several efforts were made to keep the Avheels moving, but it was to no avail. Shortly afterward properties which during the boom had sold for upwards of $2,000, were offered for less than $.500, and found no buyers. Manj' houses were sold to farmers in the years following and removed to the country. The recovery from the boom as reflected in the price of city lots did not l)egin until 1904. In some instances the purchasers of boom price lots who held them during the reaction have in recent years disi^osed of their holdings at a profit.

City lots that were offered for sale in February, 1887, for prices ranging from $300 to $.500, advanced, before July, to from $1,200 to $1,800 each, and suburban property increased from a price of $100 per acre to $.500. Hastings was filled with sj^eculators from the East, and when the collapse came many of them returned home richer only in experience. One Hastings business man, who now resides in the city, possessed a forty-acre tract, for which he was offered $20,000,

$0,000 casli down. He refused the offer, and after the boom disposed of the tract for $2,400. His is only one instance of many. This particular tract is not located where it will advance as rapidly as some other parts of tlie city. Init for the last two or three years it would sell easily for $12,000.

Generally, during the boom property advanced from 300 to 500 per cent, but when the collapse came, in July, 1887, the decrease in value ranged from 300 to 700 per cent. jNIany creditors accepted a deed to j^roperty in lieu of a settlement of mortgages by borrowers. Still others foreclosed and took a deficiency judgment for fi'om 2.) to 75 per cent, which in most cases was never collected.

The recovery dates to 1904, when values began to rise, not rapidly, but with a steady movement. At the present time lots in the business section, many of them, are worth a higher price than was reached during the boom, but the fact does not cause a single flutter of excitement, because the values now reached are normal, in the judgment of business men. One lot in Bostwick's Addition well reflects the recovery from the boom. It was bought in 1904 for $300, sold in 1906 for $600. and sold again in 1916 for $1,700.