714 G Street
(Also formerly known as Court Street)
Address: 714 G Street
Legal Description: Railroad Right-of-Way, 700 Block of G Street
Building:
1872 Unplatted
1885 The Kansas & Nebraska Railway surveyors passed through Geneva. They laid a line up the alley west of Church Street, to which there was considerable objection on the part of the people of that neighborhood, who wished the road farther west. This was close to the existing Northwestern tracks.
1886 The railroad carpenters began work on the Geneva depot. The build was on Garfield street opposite the elevator and half a block south and faced the east. The main building was 24 x 46 feet, two stories high, the ground floor containing two waiting rooms eah 17 x 24, with an office between 10 x 17. Above was a dwelling for the agent. Extending north from this building was a freight house 24 x 58, one story high.
1887 The F. E. & M. V. Railway (Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad) surveyors finished setting stakes through Geneva.
1887 The county commissioners inspected the new F E & M V railroad and authorized delivery to the railroads of the bonds voted by Exeter, Geneva, Madison and Stanton Townships.
1887 The Chicago and Northwestern line between Fremont and Geneva began operations. The company was originally the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad before the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad purchased the line.
1888 The line was extended to Superior, Nebraska.
1892 A. B. Cass built an oil storage room 16’ x 24’ just west of the F E & M V Railroad track. He got his oil delivered by the carload.
1893 The County Board granted the Elkhorn railroad the right-of-way from their tracks to the courthouse square for a branch line to use for materials for the new courthouse.
1899 A telephone was installed in the depot.
1903 A large number from Geneva went on the Northwestern’s excursion to Bonesteel, South Dakota to look at the country to be opened by the government for homesteaders.
1909 The Northwestern Railroad put up a new water tank at Geneva.
1912 Through the efforts of Agent Elmore, electric lights were installed in the Northwestern Depot.
1915 A patent locker with many compartments for storing grips and parcels was installed at the Northwestern depot. Upon inserting a dime, the key for the locker came out of a slot. The door could then be locked and the key kept till the person was ready to get his packages.
1916 Special trains on both the Burlington and the Northwestern lines were lined up to bring people to Geneva to see the movie, “The Birth of a Nation” at the auditorium.
1917 The Northwestern pump house burned during the night. An official of the railroad stated that the power house would be rebuilt immediately.
1927 The Northwestern ran an excursion train through Geneva to Omaha.
1972 This was the last year for the Chicago and Northwestern Depot to have a listing in the telephone book. The company filed a Notice of Intent to abandon the line with the Nebraska Railway Commission. The railroad was willing to sell for the right price.
1974 The Great Plains Railroad, a grain producer-owned firm, announced that it was having a cash flow problem and would need to sell $25,000.00 more stock. Investors in Fillmore County were assured that the firm would not file bankruptcy.
1975 Negotiations for the sale of the line culminated in the purchase of the line by a group of investors from towns along the rail line. The new company was named Great Plains Railway. It was planned to operate as a short line railroad.
1975 Heavy rains in eastern Nuckolls and western Thayer counties washed out the trestle across the Big Sandy Creek at Oak. The cost to replace the bridge was found to be more than the company could afford and the railroad was abandoned. The rolling stock was sold or scrapped, the rails, ties and rock removed from the right-of-way was sold.
1976 Tracks and ties from the short-lived Great Plains Railroad, a customer-owned line formerly owned by the Chicago & Northwestern, were being torn up for salvage by the L. B. Foster Company of Pittsburgh, PA.
1976 The bankrupt, local investor-owned Great Plains Railroad was offering its right-of-way for sale in Fillmore County. Heinisch & Bryan Law office in Geneva was named the local law firm handling the transactions.
1979 The depot was purchased by Delfs Gehrke, a local building contractor with plans to restore the building. Upon closer inspection it was determined that it was not possible, so Delfs demolished the depot and cleaned up the the site.
The depot area became a storage or parking area for Geneva Tire Store.
This was ongoing as of the last posting.