Western Public Service Building

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

From the record

“The Western Public Service Building is a historic building in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. It was built in 1931 by Ernest Leafgreen for the Western Public Service Company, an electricity company whose president was E.”
Wikipedia article Western Public Service Building, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 19 National Register listings published here for Scotts Bluff County · listed in 2004 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 1721 Broadway, Scottsbluff, 69361
When was it listed? October 2004
Category. building
City. Scottsbluff city
Architectural style. Art Deco architecture
National Register reference number. 04000798 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

300 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 300 fires within 5 miles of Western Public Service Building between 1993 and 2020, burning about 719 acres in total. 8 started naturally. 13 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	138
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	48
Fireworks	43
Equipment and vehicle use	20
Smoking	16
Arson/incendiarism	13
Natural	8
Recreation and ceremony	5
Power generation/transmission/distribution	4
Misuse of fire by a minor	3
Railroad operations and maintenance	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
9 September 2020	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
7 September 2018	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
7 September 2011	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
5 September 2010	Power generation/transmission/distribution	2.0 acres	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
4 September 2011	Debris and open burning	4.0 acres	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
19 September 2012	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Nebraska Forest Service	not named
15 September 1993	Smoking	under an acre	Scotts Bluff National Monument	BIKE TRAIL
14 September 2014	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Nebraska Forest Service	not named

Every fire recorded in Scotts Bluff County

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Western Public Service Building: 3 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Gritzfeld Pit & Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Riverview Pit & Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Scottsbluff Pit & Plant	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer

Every working recorded in Scotts Bluff County

Storms near this property

60 of 223 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Scottsbluff, the town this property stands in, in 223 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 146 hail, 51 thunderstorm wind, 11 flash flood, 7 tornado. The reports record 37 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 1999	Hail	Scottsbluff	25 hurt, $55,000,000	no account filed
July 2001	Hail	Scottsbluff	12 hurt, $50,000,000	Large hail fell over parts of Scottsbluff, NE, damaging many cars and buildings as well as causing some minor injuries from broken glass.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	$6,000,000	Wind-driven baseball sized hail was reported in the city of Scottsbluff. Numerous reports of damaged vehicles.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	$500,000	Baseball sized hail was reported in the city Scottsbluff. Solar panel array just north of the city was destroyed.
August 1996	Hail	Scottsbluff	$200,000	no account filed
June 2009	Flash Flood	Scottsbluff	$50,000	Heavy rainfall washed out some county roads around Scottsbluuf as well as flooded some buildings at the campus of Western Nebraska Community College.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	$50,000	Wind gusts from 64 to 79 mph recorded at the airport and near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Winds blew down some power poles and trees, and caused some roof damage to a few outbuildings.
June 2001	Hail	Scottsbluff	$50,000	no account filed
April 2001	Hail	Scottsbluff	$40,000	2 inch hail reported on the east side of Scottsbluff, NE.
June 2001	Hail	Scottsbluff	$40,000	no account filed
May 2000	Hail	Scottsbluff	$40,000	no account filed
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	$35,000	There were at least 10 large trees blown over at the Scottsbluff Country Club. Several homes had broken windows due to wind driven hail.
July 2008	Flash Flood	Scottsbluff	$30,000	Heavy rains caused some flooding of basements in about 9 homes, as well as washed out a few county roads.
September 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	$25,000	Numerous reports of winds estimated 60 to 80 mph with a gust of 81 mph recorded at the Scotts Bluff regional airport.
April 2001	Hail	Scottsbluff	$20,000	no account filed
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	$10,000	Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds along county roads 10 miles northeast of Scottsbluff.
August 1996	Hail	Scottsbluff	$10,000	no account filed
June 2010	Hail	Scottsbluff	$2,000	Shingles broken and dents in a steel building.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	$1,000	Time of report was 1116MST. Tree knocked down on east side of Scottsbluff.
July 1998	Flood	Scottsbluff	$1,000	A thunderstorm moved through Scottsbluff and dropped 1 to 2 inches of rainfall in the area. Urban flooding was reported by the local law enforcement agency.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	KNEB broadcaster reported tree damage with pictures of a deciduous tree with numerous branches snapped between 3-4 inches and the largest being 6-8 inches.
May 2025	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Trained spottered reported 1.75in hail.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	KBFF ASOS at the Scottsbluff airport reported a wind gust of 69mph.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	KBFF ASOS at the Scottsbluff aiport reported a wind gust of 71 mph.
May 2025	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Mping report of 1 inch hail just northeast of Scottsbluff.
May 2025	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Quarter sized hail reported by media via Slack.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	KBFF ASOS station at the Scottsbluff airport reported a 60mph wind gust.
May 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Minor wind amage reported on the roof of the KNEB radio station building.
July 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Scottsbluff Airport ASOS gust.
June 2025	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Spotter reports golf ball sized hail.
June 2025	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Media also estimated 70 mph winds a few miles west of Scottsbluff Nebraska. Some trees blown over.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	An eight inch tree trunk snapped nearby.
March 2024	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Received report via mPING.
March 2024	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Received report from KNEB radio station manager.
March 2024	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Hail up to three-quarters of an inch fell for 15 minutes.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	A wind gust to 71 MPH was observed at the Scottsbluff Airport ASOS.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	A Davis Weather Station in Scottsbluff measured a wind gust to 84 MPH.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	A garage door in Scottsbluff was heavily damaged due to very strong wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Numerous public reports of multiple large trees uprooted in and around the city of Scottsbluff. Wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	The KNEB Station Manager reported that a 300-foot KNEB broadcast tower on the west side of Scottsbluff collapsed due to strong wind gusts. 750+ trees down in Scottsbluff in Gering, including several very large trees. Wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
May 2023	Flash Flood	Scottsbluff	-	Numerous reports of significant street flooding in and around Scottsbluff and Gering. Water was reportedly entering some homes.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Received phone call for pea sized hail, 1 inch of rain and tree branches down.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Golf ball sized hail was reported 2 miles W of Scottsbluff by a trained weather spotter.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Trained weather spotters reported baseball sized hail in the city of Scottsbluff.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Ping-pong ball sized hail was reported 1 mile NW of Terrytown by the public via mPING.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Two-inch diameter hail was reported 1 mile NW of Scottsbluff via mPING.
June 2023	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Baseball sized hail was reported 1 mile NW of Scottsbluff via mPING.
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Reports of dust along with strong winds.
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Received report of 1-inch tree limbs broken.
June 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Observer noted downed tree branches with the largest branch measuring roughly ten inches in diameter.
July 2021	Flash Flood	Scottsbluff	-	Several streets in town flooded.
July 2021	Flash Flood	Scottsbluff	-	Reported flooding along portions of Avenue B and G and West 29th were reported flooded in the town of Scottsbluff.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Report from mPING of 1 inch tree limbs broken and shingles blown off.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Nebraska Public Power District reports 3,361 customers without power in the Scottsbluff area due to wind.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Railroad cross beam broken at Ave B in Scottsbluff.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Report of a roof blown off a building.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Tree blew over and came through the roof of a house in Scottsbluff, NE. No injuries reported.
April 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Report relayed by KNEB of handheld anemometer measurement of winds.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Scottsbluff	-	Thunderstorm winds measured using a Davis brand weather station.
August 2019	Hail	Scottsbluff	-	Observer had windows broken out by the wind-driven hail.

Every storm recorded in Scotts Bluff County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Midwest Theater	under 500 feet	1997
Scottsbluff Carnegie Library	under 500 feet	1981
Marquis Opera House	0.1 miles	1985
US Post Office-Scottsbluff	0.2 miles	1989
Lincoln Hotel	0.2 miles	1998
Tri-State Land Company Headquarters Building	0.3 miles	1997

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 04000798 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Scotts Bluff County	All 19 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.