615 G Street

Address: 615 G Street

Legal Description: Bigelow’s 1^st Addition, Lots 18-20

Building:

1872 Unplatted, not in the city limits.

1886 Youngers & Co. purchased grounds near the Burlington Depot. A stock warehouse 24’ x 50’ with an 8’ basement was built on the site. The company had 200,000 fruit trees and 320,000 forest trees ready for sale besides large fields of seedlings.

1888 Youngers & Co. moved into its new store and packing rooms.

1889 Peter Youngers and A. J. Brown became partners in a wholesale nursery operation.

1900 Youngers & Brown built the brick nursery warehouse and office on G Street, which the company occupied until 1916. It was built with brick produced by the A. Koehler Company and was 60’ x 80’ and was two stories high. It was one of the largest produce warehouses in the state and shipped to all states except those in the extreme south. This nursery covered between 600 and 700 acres in outlying areas of Geneva.

1901 The Youngers Orchard, two miles east of the courthouse, advertised applesauce and sweet cider for sale.

1904 Pete Youngers purchased 150 acres lying at the southeast corner of Geneva from W. I. Carson for $85.00 per acre, the highest price ever paid here up to that time for a large tract of land.

1904 John Hill was a foreman in Younger’s Nursery.

1905 Youngers & Co. of the Geneva Nursery received a shipment of a car load of nursery stock, in all about 500,000 trees from France. They paid nearly $1,000.00 in tariff and freight. The tariff alone amounted to $576.00.

1906 Youngers & Brown had an inventory of trees under cultivation that included 750,000 cherry, 200,000 plum, 400,000 peach, 3,500,000 apple and “uncounted” forest trees for windbreaks.

1916 Youngers & Brown partnership was dissolved and the nursery closed.

1917 Peter Youngers, Adoniram J. Brown and wives, sold this property to Edward J. Pierce.

1917 Geneva Manufacturing & Supply, Ed J. Pierce, produced soft drinks under the name “Takmor” along with wholesale distribution of fruits and vegetables here. He moved his business here from 127 No. 10th where he made ice cream in addition to the soft drinks. Because of the unavailability of storage for ice, he sold the ice cream portion of this business before moving here .

1920 Eventually, the business was sold to Frank Battle and John Spohn, operating under the firm name of Battle & Spohn. The business was relocated to 145 So. 10th Street.

1920 The Economy Paint Mill purchased this property and moved their factory from 141 No. 10th Street. Fred Picard and Dr. H. L. Smith went into partnership to produce paint with Knud Knudsen in charge of the firm. Mr. Knudsen and Clarence Wilson (Mrs. Wilson was a grand-daughter of H. L. Smith) later became partners in the firm.

1925 The Economy Paint Mill began work on a new warehouse. The building was to be of corrugated steel and would be 16’ x 40’ in size. It was to be on the Burlington right-of-way. Two tanks for oil would be installed along the side of the warehouse.

1925 A full tank car of Woodman Linseed Oil was received by the Economy Paint Mill, a 60 day supply for their increasing business. This was the first tank car of linseed oil ever shipped in Nebraska outside of Omaha and Lincoln, making Geneva the third city in Nebraska in this line of industry.

1925 Knud Knudsen sold his interest in the Economy Paint Mill to Clarence Wilson, one of the original owners.

1928 Clarence Wilson bought Fred Picard’s interest in the company.

1932 Derby Gas was introduced at the Mills with free cigars and candy.

1932 The Economy Paint Mills organized a new department under the name “Wilson Floor Servicing Co.” It was a new floor sweeping compound and linoleum cleaner. L. M. Crawford was hired as the sales manager.

1934 W. H. Gordy of Oklahoma came to Geneva to become paint maker for the Economy Paint Mills. Robert Wilson, a son of Clarence, became manager.

1936 Harry F. Maxon of Lincoln, was employed as a pharmacist at the Economy Paint Mills. They were advertising a drug department.

1939 An early morning fire at the Economy Paint Mills was put out by firemen. There was some smoke and water damage. It was later determined that the damage was more extensive than first estimated and the business closed its doors.

1940 Occupants unknown.

1943 The building known as the nursery building was leased by the Koehler Hatchery which had outgrown its original quarters. It was used for storage of hatchery equipment.

1946 American Legion Sloan-Bolton Post #68 purchased the building and after extensive remodeling to create a clubhouse and dance hall, it was dedicated July 4, 1947. Percy Bedford, President of the Legion, Harry Carlson, Roy Hampton, Henry Reinsch and Carl Schneider, all veterans of WW I, spearheaded the project. The building was used for meetings, receptions and dances.

1960 From the mid 1960’s until closing, the Legion Hall was managed by Henry and Margie Reinsch. Henry booked many Saturday night dances. On Sunday after mass, Henry, Margie and their children would clean the building.

1978 American Legion Sloan-Bolton Post #68 voted to sell the Legion hall to Geneva Grain Company due to deterioration of the building and high maintenance costs. The meeting place was moved to 815 E Street until 1989 when they began meeting at the VFW building.

1985 The Geneva Grain Co. had the building demolished. These lots were vacant.

This was ongoing as of the last posting.