641 G Street

Address: 641 G Street

Legal Description:

Building:

1887 This grain elevator was built and held 25,000 bushels.

1893 W. H. Ferguson owned 72 elevators in the state with his headquarters in Hastings. The elevator in Geneva held 40,000 and was one of the largest. The local manager was W. J. Gibbs.

1894 In July, Mr. Burchard of Lincoln inspected the elevator prior to making repairs.

1894 In August, a new driveway was built to the elevator.

1894 In October, someone put up a ladder and stole eight bushels of wheat. A train hit the ladder, causing the spout to turn. About ninety bushels of wheat ran out on the ground.

1896 In July, Mr. Ferguson discovered that someone had taken all the loose pieces about the engine in the engine house and had broken up the steam chest. The damage reached into the hundreds.

1897 The Sanborn maps showed the Ferguson elevator here, being built in 1887 and having a capacity of 25, 000 bushels. (The Sanborn maps of 1892 did not show this section of Geneva.)

1899 They replaced the foundation and put on a new roof.

1902 In April, W. J. Gibbs, manager, moved to Wray, CO to manage an elevator there. George Hedges was the manager of the elevator.

1903 C. F. Buehrer succeeded George Hedges as manager of the Ferguson elevator. Buehrer was previously located in Wilkins’ barbershop.

1904 Geneva Farmers’ Elevator Co. leased the Ferguson elevator for one year at the cost of $50 per month, with a purchase price of $6,000 anytime during that lease. C. F. Buehrer, manager, and Mr. Parris, engineer, continued with the new company.

1906 In February, the Updike Elevator Co. purchased seventy-five grain elevators from W. H. Ferguson, including the elevator in Geneva that the Geneva Farmers’ Elevator Co. had been leasing.

1909 In May, the Updike Grain Co. notified the Geneva Farmers’ Elevator Co. that they wanted to sell the elevator that they had been leasing. The purchase price was $6,000. They had a buy from Milligan willing to pay that price—Mr. Bahr. The president of the Co-op, I. N. Trask called a meeting of the co-op’s farmers to discuss the sale. In the end, the farmers were unable or unwilling to buy into the purchase.

1909 In June, I. N. Trask personally purchased the elevator for himself. The Geneva Farmers’ Elevator Co. quit business by the end of June.

1914 In December, Trask sold his elevator to the Hynes Elevator Co. of Hastings. The managers were U. F. Stanard and O. E. McKibbon.

1915 W. J. Hynes of the Hynes Grain company closed a contract with the Geneva Electric Co. to purchase two electric motors to be used in the operation of the elevator. The motors are to replace the steam plant they are using.

1916 In July, the Hynes elevator was partially torn down and then rebuilt.

1933 In April, Edmond Rock was appointed manager of the Hynes elevator to succeed Frank Krisl.

1933 The Hynes elevator was purchased by Farmers Terminal Co. of Omaha.

1934 In May, B. H. Cronin was manager of the elevator.

1943 The elevator was owned by A. Koehler Co.

For further history of the A. Koehler Co. refer to 703 G Street.