906 G Street

Address: 906 G Street

Legal Description: Lot 81 West 1/2

Building: Citizens State Bank / Masonic Temple

1872 Vacant Lot

1875 The State of Nebraska sold Lot 81 to Emilie V. (Emily V.) Northrup.  A two-story frame building was built shortly thereafter.  One or two other frame buildings may have been located on the lot on North 9th Street.

DATE Emily V. (Emilie V.) Northrup sold Lot 81 to J. Jensen and W. H. Cooksey.

1883 J. Jensen and W. H. Cooksey and wives sold the East ½ of Lot 81to D. W. DeWolf and C. C. Shumway.

DATE J. Jensen and wife sold their one-half interest in the West ½ of Lot 81 to the Citizens Bank.

DATE Wm. H. Cooksey and wife sold their one-half interest in the West ½ of Lot 81 to The Citizens Bank.

DATE The bank later sold the north 72 feet of the West ½ of Lot 81 to DeWolf and Shumway.

1884 J. Jensen made plans to construct a new business building in the first of 1885.  It was located on the corner occupied by the old Northrup building.  The new building was 28 x 60, two stories and had a lower store room.  The upper story was finished off for offices.

1884 In May, E. W. Billings had a law office in the Citizen’s Bank.

1884 In May, Bigelow and Spear fitted up a pleasant office to sell real estate and make loans.

1884 In September, J. H. Luke sold real estate and insurance.  He had an office with Spear and Bigelow.

1884 In September, the partnership of J. E. Spear and George Bigelow was dissolved.  They sold their real estate and loan business to an attorney from Seward.

1884 In October, Billings formed a partnership with Donisthorpe and they moved into the Bigelow building on Center street 112-118 No. 9th.

1885 Citizens Bank opened under new proprietorship.  Dr. H. L. Smith, president; H. E. Cobb, vice-president; E. K. Cobb, cashier; J. B. Sexton, assistant cashier.  

1885 Citizens Bank was organized and occupied offices at the corner of Center and Court Streets (9th and G Street).  The building was a 2-story frame structure.  The post office was located in one of the rooms that faced west on Center Street.

1890 In March, the old Citizens Bank building was moved into the center of the street where it remained during the erection of the new bank building.  The original wooden building was then moved two blocks east to the corner of Pearl and Court Streets (11th and G Street).  It was later moved to the north end of lot 96 (just to the south of the alley).  Over the years it was used as apartments and commercial space.  It was eventually dismantled.

1890 A new three story brick Citizens Bank/Masonic Building was erected.  The bank occupied the south 112 feet of the west half of the building.   The balance of the first floor was retail space in the shape of an “L,” with the foot of the “L” extending west behind the bank to 9th St.  The “foot” was about 48 feet wide and divided into store rooms.  The south room was 117 No. 9th, the center room was 121 No. 9th, and the north room was 125 No. 9th.  The brick work was done by Adams Bros. of Geneva.

1890 Solomon & Nathan moved their business to the elegant and commodious rooms in the Citizens Bank Block.

1892 According to the Sanborn map, a bank (Citizens Bank) and a dry goods store (Solomon & Nathan) occupied the main level.  The second story was office space and the third floor was used by the Masonic Lodge.  There was also a barber shop (Orla Beals) in the basement.

1897 According to the Sanborn map, a bank (Citizens Bank) and a dry goods store (Solomon & Nathan) occupied the main level.  The second story was office space and the third floor was used by the Masonic Lodge.  There was also a barber shop (Orla Beals) in the basement.

1897 The officers of the Citizens State Bank were Dr. H. L. Smith, president; H. E. Cobb, vice-president; E. K. Cobb, cashier;  and J. B. Sexton, assistant cashier.

1898 Will Shickley was employed by Solomon and Nathan.

1899 T. L. Williams gave the Citizens bank  some inside ornamentation.  The paper was torn off and walls were covered with cementico, walls were a dark green shade and the ceiling was light green.  Mr. Williams also put up a hand painted border about 20 inches deep.

1902 According to the Sanborn map, a bank (Citizens Bank) and a dry goods store (Solomon & Nathan) occupied the main level.  The second story was office space and the third floor was used by the Masonic Lodge.  There was also a barber shop (Orla Beals) in the basement.

1902 The officers of the Citizens State Bank were J. O. Walker, president; C. W. Shickley, 1st vice-president; V. C. Shickley, 2nd vice-president; E. K. Cobb, cashier; and W. H. Sstewart, assistant cashier.

1906 After 17 years in business at Geneva, Solomon and Nathan had a closing sale.  They wanted to concentrate all of their business interests to Lincoln and Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Mr. Nathan and family planned to move to New York City to assume the duties of resident buyer for the Lincoln and Council Bluffs stores.

1907 The Picard Pharmacy moved from the Dempster Building into the rooms vacated by Solomon & Nathan.  The drugstore stock of wallpaper, paint, and other decorating items was located in this area.

1907 In May, Geneva Ice Cream, Mfg Co operated an ice cream parlor here.

1907 In August, Nate Barker's meat market shared space with the Ice cream parlor when the space it formerly occupied owned by F. Wight was to be torn down.

1909 The Sanborn map listed a bank and a drug store on the main level.  The second story was office space and the third floor was the Masonic Lodge.

1909 The Citizens Bank made improvements to the private box room of the vault.  A set of boxes was added that doubled the capacity of the vault.  The room formerly occupied by the Shickley Brothers was fitted up for a directors room.  This was possibly on the second floor.

1910 On February 13, the Citizens Bank burned down.  At 6:00 am Sunday morning the fire alarm was sounded.  The blaze ultimately consumed the Masonic Temple, Citizens Bank, Picard's drug store, Sloan's law office, Donisthorpe's law office, the Abstract Association office, Geneva Public Library, Dr. L. H. Warner's dental office, Aldrup's barber shop, S. F. Donisthorpe's office and the Geneva Commercial Club rooms.

1910 In August, the Bank of Commerce combined with the Citizens State Bank.

1922 The Sanborn Map listed the main floor with the bank and drug store.  The second floor had offices and the third floor was the Masonic Lodge.

1926 Citizen State Bank opened the front end of their basement and  remodeled it into a barber shop to be occupied by H. W. Merrill.  Steps were put down on the west side of the building.  Showers and bathtubs were installed.  Mr. Merrill moved his shop here from the west half of the Elder jewelry store at 924 G Street.

1927 The State Banking Commission closed the bank on July 12, 1927.

1929 A portion of the Citizens State bank property 24 x 70 first floor and basement was purchased by Earl H. Wilkins.  The remainder of the building was owned by private individuals who had no connection with the bank.

1930 Sometime before 1930, this area was divided into two storefronts, each with its own entrance.  The foot of the “L” was divided into two offices.  The south part became the location of the Geneva Insurance & Realty Company, John P. Davis, manager, while the Picard Pharmacy continued to use the north part.

1932 In March, a fire started in the dental offices of Dr. Adams, Bukacek and Warner on the second floor.  Most of the damage caused by the fire was confined to the second and third floors.  The office of Charles H. Sloan on the ground floor in what was formerly the Citizens State bank room was damaged by water that came from the upper floors.

1933 The Sanborn map listed the main floor with the bank and the drug store.  The second floor had offices and the third floor was the Masonic Lodge.

1936 According to the phone directory, the Geneva Insurance & Realty Co. was located here.  Also listed at the same address was the office of Charles Sloan.  Mr. Sloan was also listed here in the 1937 directory as well.

1938 Apparently the room formerly occupied by Citizens State Bank at 906 G was vacant because it was used as a voting place for a city election.

1939 The Fillmore County Agriculture & Conservation Association moved to the Citizens Bank building from offices in the Courthouse.  An office of the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act) was also opened here.

1943 The Sanborn map listed the main floor with the bank and the drug store.  The second floor had offices and the third floor was the Masonic Lodge.

1951 In June, the Soil Conservation  Service moved their office from under the Geneva State Bank to the rear of the Production Marketing Association offices.

1959 In February, the  Agricultural Stabilization Conservation service (ASC) moved to 942 No. 13th.

1961 Dr. Anderson, Optometrist, moved his office to this newly remodeled building.  He was formerly located in space north of this present location at 117 North 9th Street.  Dave Steider opened a barber shop in the vacated space.

1996 Dr. Mark A. Judd purchased the practice of Dr. Anderson.

1997 The Studio, a framing shop,  moved to this location, Pat Grothe and Peg Oliva, proprietors.

2004 This Olde Bank Coffee Shop, Mike and Charlene Janing proprietors.

2007 This Olde Bank Coffee Shop, Mike and Valerie VanHoosen, proprietors.

2008 Geneva Java and Bistro, James Noyes proprietor.

2014 Geneva Java and Bistro closed the business to devote more time to other interests, Dairy Delite on North 13th Street.

2016 Molcajete Restaurant, Jaime Lopez, owner

This was ongoing as of the last posting.