Wood River Township

Wood River Township

The community of Wood River, lying partly in Wood River and partly in Jackson township commands a very lage trade area. The greater portion of both these townships, and a larger portion of Harrison and Cameron on the west, are included in the natural trade territory of Wood River. Therefore the commercial history of Wood River is an important factor in the commercial history of Hall County.

First General Stores

The establishment of the first general stores has been somewhat touched upon by Mr. Quackenbush in his early history of the village of Wood River, in a preceding chapter. At Old Wood River station, James Jackson and A. A. Baker were the first merchants. In the present Wood River, James Jackson brought over the first store. James White, A. G. Hollister, John Roach, William L. G. Trapp, and F. Scwartz were early merchants. The Roach store and the Trapp store opened in 1879. N. T. Brittin purchased the HoUister store in 1880. In 1884 this business was purchased by T. J. Dunn. Stoddard Brothers were in business a short time during the 'eighties. Thos. Langan had a business also during the 'eighties. F. M. Penney came to Wood River in 1886 and engaged in the general merchandise business, and remained in that business until 1893.

During the early 'nineties, James Jackson, F. M. Penney, T. J. Dunn, Fred Scwartz were still in business, and Riley Wescoatt and John Maughan had stores.

The E. Brett store started in 1892 and is still a continuing business, under the management of James T. Brett. After the death of E. Brett, in 1897, when Mrs. E. Brett became owner of the store, her son, James T. Brett became manager. This store has expanded into a department store of considerable proportions. This store occupies a building which faces on three streets.

In 1899 the general merchandise stores in Wood River were those of James Jackson, E. Brett, T. J. Dunn, W. W. Mitchell, F. Scwartz, with groceries and other items handled by Gushing Brothers and Jos. Rounds.

W. W. Mitchell

W. W. Mitchell engaged in the general merchandise business in Wood River in 1889, and continued for twenty years, when he sold out to A. E. Rogers who continued the business for a short time when the stock was bought by Frank Fulton. He conducted the business for several years, closing out the stock and going out of business in 1913. Mr. Mitchell has been one of the leading builders of the Wood River community in many ways. He was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, May 2, 1846, and in that state he made his home until 1860 when he went to Michigan and engaged in the lumber business until 1864. He joined the federal navy and served on a gunboat in the squadron under Admiral Farragut. In 1871 he came to Hall County and took up a soldier's homestead nearj^lda. In 1873 he opened a store in Alda and bought grain and sold farming machinery. He fl^s one of the pioneer builders of the town of Alda. In 1887 he came to Wood River, bought the elevator, and engaged in the grain business, and he also continued his business at Alda. In 1889 he engaged in the general merchandise business in Wood River. He built a brick store, with basement, fine plate glass front, 2,500 running feet of shelving, 600 feet of counters and ample show cases. Since 1894 he has been president of the Citizens State Bank, and though he now makes his home in Omaha he is much in Wood River, with the same consistent interests of Wood River at heart.

S. A. Sherrerd came to Wood River January 13, 1877, remained about a year, then went to Wyoming for about eight years, and retured to Wood River in 1886. He entered the employ of Hollister & Howard, hardware dealers. In 1894 he concluded to engage in the jeweler's trade, which he had learned in Pennsylvania, and accordingly opened a jewelry store. He was appointed postmaster in 1898. About seventeen years ago he opened a general merchandise store.

Mack's Cash Grocery, operated by Elsa V. McKee, and the Star Grocery, operated by J. A. Rounds, have become leading business institutions of the community.

Hardware And Implements

The first general hardware stock in Wood River was opened by William B. Hollister on June 1, 1882. He then carried a stock of $4,000 of hardware and all kinds of implements. He started out with agencies for Randolph, Hedder & Nichols' Shepard Thresher. Mr. Hollister had been a long time resident of Wood River then. He had gone to North Platte on May 1, 1868, and taken charge of the Union Pacific telegraph office, and then came to Wood River as station agent and remained in the railroad employ at Wood

The A. C. Murphy hardware business was established some time after the Hollister store and continued for a long time. About 1891 John Diefenderfer established a hardware store, which he ran with the assistance of his sons Martin and Ernest.

Drug Stores

came to Wood River from his farm one and a half miles northeast of town where he had resided for the preceding five years, and after a short employment in the lumber yard of Little & Foster took employment in Dr. Gibson's drug store. In 1886 he engaged in the drug business himself, and in 1892 fonned a partnership wfth M. I. McCarty, which partnership continued for some years. Mr. McCarty came to Wood River from Ohio in 1884. For the first three years he was in the employ of Freeman Dodge and Frank Howe, and in 1887 went to town as clerk in the F. M. Jenney mercantile establishment, and remained there until 1890, when he became a clerk in the Jerry Bowen drug store. In 1892 he became a partner of Mr. Bowen, and received his diploma as a registered pharmacist on June 5, 1894. W. P. Connor is now conducting the Rexall Drug Store, the ultimate successor of the old Bowen-McCarty stock. Jerry Bowen served, in addition to his career as a merchant, as vice-president of the Citizens State Bank from 1894 to 1900. Mr. Bowen recently died. During the last years of his life he had been conducting a drug store in the new county-seat town of Arthur, Nebraska.

About 1890, H. Janss opened the second drug store stock in Wood River. This was subsequently owned by Chas. E. Towne, Dr. Thomas, Fred Hollister, and W. L. McKee. In January, 1898, D. E. Wilcox and S. A. Sherrerd associated together in the drug business, under the firm name of Wilcox & Sherrerd. The A. L. Wagoner pharmacy stock has also gone out of business. The other leading drug store in the community at present is the Hoye Pharmacy (Nyal Store), which has been successfully conducted by John Hoye.

Early Commercial Interests 1879

In 1879 Wood River comprised the following business men : Bush & Paine, grain dealers; A. M. Hanscom and E. J. McDermott, blacksmiths ; A. G. Hollister, postmaster and grocer ; W. B. Hollister, railroad agent ; C. M. Horn, shoemaker; J. Kennedy, saloon and hotel ; and James Jackson, general merchant.

By November, 1884, Wood River was popularly credited with 700 people. Another glance at the business and commercial roster at that time shows remarkable growth in five years. J. H. Shick was nmning the Wood River House, the first hotel, and C. W. Stoddard was the new proprietor of the Commercial House ; James Jackson, Stoddard Brothers, Thomas J. Dunn (succeeding N. T. Brittin and the Hollister stock), Thomas Langan, and Henry Janss were engaged in the mercantile trade, R. H. Dodd in the grain trade, and C. C. Bense in the lumber business. Miss Simpson carried on a millinery business; Claud Fransenburg, was butcher ; E. C. White, drayman, James williams, livery stable owner, and J. B. Furman, shoe dealer. W. W.

Another Five Years 1889

In five years more Wood River had grown still more in population, and the commercial interests had grown to a still longer list. James Jackson and F. M. Penney were among the leading merchants. Riley Wescoatt enjoyed a large business. Other general merchants were Fred Schwartz, T. J. Dunn and John Maugham; O'Neal & Nolan and J. F. Langan were liquor dealers ; H. Janss and Jerry Bowen were then the druggists ; Hollister & Howard and A. C. Murphy had the hardware stores ; Watts & Williams, Williams & White and James Shick furnished ample livery stable service ; the Wood River House was still conducted by James Shick, and the Commercial Hotel then by Fred Thorpe. O.

B. Desoe and W. Paris were implement dealers ; Austin Ryan conducted a grocery store ; Burkerd & Hooten and James Williams were meat dealers ; M. 'J. Parke, coal and grain dealer; W. W. Mitchell, grain and elevator; Wood River Gazette, published by C. W. Mercer; Maddock & Taylor, harness; Miss Annie Simpson still had the millinery shop ; Miss Sherry and Miss McGuyre, dress-making; A. M. Hascom, John Wilkinson and J. D. Sanburn, blacksmiths ; J. N. Harrison and

C. W. Corman, physicians ; Howell Lumber Company ; A. Harper and Juckett & Jenks, barbers ; John O'Connor, C. A. Baldwin and J. R. Jewett, carpenters and builders ; Ed Dribelow and W. F. Curtis, painters ; G. W. Miller, Brett & Johnson, and N. J. Costello. real estate; Charley Horn and A. C. White, shoemakers ; N. T. Brittin, postmaster ; John Quinn, stock-dealer ; Tom Langan, restaurant ; Thorpe mills ; E. Baldwin, jewelry ; C. A. Tracy, furniture.

Ten Years Eater 1899

A resume of the commercial interest ten years later shows that considerable growth and many changes had taken place in the last decade of the nineteenth century in the community of Wood River. The business men of the town about the end of the year 1899 werej. Bowen & Co., druggists; E. Brett, general merchandise, as said before this store was established in 1892 and Mr. Brett died in 1897, but James T. Brett was manager of the store; Brett & Tyrell, stock buyers; H. Brown, drayman; N. T. Brittin, justice of the peace; Wm. Chidester, carpenter; Citizens State Bank, W. L. Sprague, cashier; Geo. S. Clayton, elevator; Robt. Clark, carpenter; Wm. Colwell. carpenter; Cushing Bros, groceries, boots and shoes ; Wm. Curtis, painter and paper hanger ; Wm. Cunningham, carpenter; J. H. Diefenderfer, hardware and implements; Dierks Lumber & Coal Co., T. W. Faught, manager; Ed. Dreblow, painter and paper hanger; T. J- Dunn, general merchandise, still in business ; First National Bank, F. M. Penney, cashier; N." Fisher, bakery and confectionery; Wm. Fitchhorn butcher; Foster & Smith Lumber Co., W. T. Spelts, manjiger; Frank Ford, livery; A. Hanscomb, blacksmith; Geo. Honold, carpenter; Chas. Hoppel, pumps and windmills; John Hoppel, carpenter; James Jackson, general merchandise; W. B. Kern, physician; John Langan, saloon; J. H. Ladley, implements and carpet weaving; R. Mankin, hotel and saloon ; John Mathews, plasterer and brick mason; W. W. Mitchell, general merchandise; Geo. W. Miller, real estate, loans and insurance; Miller Bros., blacksmiths; A. C. Murphy, hardware; John Norbeck, tailor; John O'Connor, carpenter; Omaha Elevator Co., S. Mac Murray, manager; John Quinn, coal, live stock; O. M. Quackenbush, lawyer, publisher and editor of Interests; N. Ramsdell, painter and paper hanger; J. P. Riddle, physician; Riesland & English, pumps and windmills ; Rounds & Colwell, undertaking; Jos. Rounds, grocery and meat market; E. T. Rounds, furniture; Austin Ryan, painter and paper hanger; F. Schwartz, general merchandise, still running; S. A. Sherrerd, jeweler; James Shick, meat market ; T. C. Taylor, bakery and confectionery; B. Z. Taylor, implements; W. & F. Thorpe, millers ; John Tyrell, saloon ; W. N. Wade, harness shop; W. S. Warren, livery; A. C. White, shoe shop; White & Son, livery;

Ten Years Later

The Wood River Business Directory of 1909-1910, after another decade had elapsed, shows still further changes. Many familiar names are beginning to be missing and new faces appear in the commercial activities of the community :

Another decade, down to date, shows many startling changes. A notable feature about the roster of the present commercial interests down to the present time, shows lines of business that formerly were strongly represented, and the presence of new lines, such as garages, picture shows, etc., which have developed in the last decare.

The business interests of Wood River, in 1919, are : Agricultural implements, C. A. Fairbanks; theatres. Gem Theatre (formerly Lyric Theatre), for moving pictures, and Moore's Opera House (still in service) ; O. M. Quackenbush, attorney; auto livery and garages: E. Diefenderfer, J. E. Rounds, T. E. J. Paukl, Ed Dreblow; the same banks. Citizens and First National ; barbers : T. E. Ryan and O. K. Winn; blacksmiths: Geo. C. Miller, John C. Wilkinson, Trell Miller, and Mell Lynch; confectioners: C. B. Wilson; cream station : Wise King; dentists : Dr. A. Carlson (Dr. Bulger deceased a short time ago) ; doctors : A. T. Hubbell and H. L. Starkey ; drug stores : Hoye's Pharmacy (Nyal Store)and W. P. Connor (Rexall Store) ; elevators : Central Nebraska Elevator Co., T. B. Hord Grain Co., and Hampton Grain Co. (Omaha Elevator Co., formerly) ; furniture: E. T. Rounds (having purchased stock of Anderson Furniture Co.), and a new store. Turner & Co., about to open ; hardware : P. H. West (also handling implements), and Milton C. Wingert & Sons; general merchandise stores: Brett Mercantile Co. (Mayor James T. Brett, manager), J. E. Harper (successor to E. E. Brittin's store), Mack's Cash Grocery (Elsa V. McKee), J. A. Rounds, Samuel S. Sherrerd; harness: H. N. Wade; hotels: Mankin House, A. M. Sheets; live stock dealers: Jos. H. Cunningham, E. S. Leavenworth, Fred J. Miller, Newt Senseney (Peter HoUing in business short time ago, now out) ; livery stables: Scott Warren (successor to Warren & Wilson), E. C. White & Co. (successor to Wilhams White; lumber yards: S. A. Foster Lumber Co. and Hampton Lumber & Fuel Company ; meat markets : Sheets Market ; millinery : Brett Mercantile Co.; music teachers: Mrs. Geo. Stone and Mrs. O. H. Lilley; newspapers: The Interests, O. M. Quackenbush, editor; pool and billiards: Tom Miller, Lewis Wilson; real estate: David D. O'Kane (postmaster and manager Nebraska Telephone Co.), and Seth W. Wilson; restaurants: Jas. Juckett; veterinary surgeon: Robt. Green; jeweler: E. S. Sherrerd ; mills : Wood River Roller Mills, J. J. Carter proprietor.

The Wood River Interests has been published by O. M. Quackenbush since 1894. Continuously and successfully under the management of Mr. Quackenbush until very recently.

there by C. C. Johns, succeeded by Mr. Maltman, until removed to Kenesaw about the year 1905. Mr. Quackenbush, in 1919 sold his Interest plant back to Mr. Maltman, who, under the name of The Sunbeam is publishing a fine enterprising weekly.

The Doniphan Index was established April 1, 1888, by Charles Kelsey, who in 1879 came to Hastings, and worked at the case there until his removal to Doniphan.

The Doniphan Enterprise, under the ownership of J. W. Beirbomer, is at present published as a live local weekly and is apparently enjoying a good patronage.