936 G Street

Address: 936 G Street

Legal Description: Lot 83 East ½

Building:

1878 Drs. Brazelton and Daily built an office between the (original) courthouse and the Putnam House.  Dr. Brazelton came from Fairmont.  Dr. Brazelton was also an examiner for the U. S. Pension Department.

1882 F. H. Briggs had his business located here.  He sold boots and shoes for the family and also carried a full line of staple and fancy groceries.  According to the proposal made to the county commissioners in April, F. H. Briggs had paid his lease up until September 1883.  If it was an annual arrangement, he had been at this location since September 1882. 

1883 In April, J. Jensen and F. H. Briggs went before the Fillmore County Commissioners with a proposal to lease lot 83 which was the location of the first court house.  They wanted to erect a good substantial building on the lot.  Mr. Jensen was to lease the west ½ and Mr. Briggs the east ½.  

1883 In May, Jensen and Briggs bought the lumber for their large double building, 44x60 ft. The whole of the upper story was to be used for a hall.

1883 In June, F. H. Briggs moved his building out into the street, where it stood until the new building was ready.

1883 Jensen and Briggs erected a new building.  The Briggs grocery store occupied the east half of the first floor.  The opera House, located on the second floor of the building was for musical performances, plays and social gatherings.  The first performance was a home talent play, “Fruits of the Wine Cup.”

1884 In December, Marcus and Ben Alexander rented the Briggs building and started a meat market.

1886 George R. Green bought M. V. King’s safe and took it to his new jewelry store at Mr. Brigg’s.

1889 Carson & Son opened a restaurant here to the Briggs block, opposite the courthouse, where warm meals were served at all hours. Will Carson moved the stock of confections, cigars, etc.

1889 In October, E. K. Cobb & Son, dealers in watches, clocks, jewelry and silverware were opposite the courthouse.

1892 In October, the Sanborn maps showed a confectionery here.

1892 In December, Harvey Hitch and Fred Laflin (Laughlin) purchased Carson & Son’s restaurant across the street from the courthouse.  Harvey Hitch paid the highest price for poultry and eggs.  They delivered flour to all parts of the city for free.

1893 After the fire in the Fisher Block at 830 G Street, Byron Mershon purchased Fred Laughlin’s (Laflin) restaurant.  He put in a grocery stock with notions and furnishing goods.  It was called the Nickel Plate Store.

1893 L. G. Cobb has bought his father’s interest in the jewelry store and owned the business himself.

1894 In January, B. Mershon purchased the Broquet inventory in the Union Block.  In February he moved the business from the Union Block along with this business to the Geneva National Bank Building. (858 G)

1894 J. R. Ballard with his shoe stock and Misses Palmer & Wheeler occupied the east business room of the Opera House.

1895 L. G. Cobb sold his jewelry store to J. Frank Bruner.  He repaired watches, clocks, jewelry and bicycles. He was found in the Fiegenbaum Drug store at 972 G.

1896 T. H. Francis was the manager of the second floor opera house.

1897 In April, J. R. Ballard traded his shoe stock to Dr. Hitchcock of Cambridge for a residence in Lincoln.  The stock was shipped to Cambridge.  Palmer & Wheeler ‘s millinery business occupied the entire room.  Mr. and Mrs. Ballard moved to Lincoln.

1897 Palmer & Wheeler’s Millinery shop and Alice Burdge’s Dressmaking were located here.

1897 The Sanborn Maps showed a millinery here.

1906 In March, T. C. Willey went to Neligh where he bought seven cars of ice.

1907 In March, Geneva Ice Cream Manufacturing Co. purchased the ice business of T. C. Willey.  The purchase included all the ice, ice-house, wagons and tools used in the business.

1907 In July, Frank Wight sold his meat market business to Nate Barker.

1907 Nate Barker operated an ice cream factory here.

1907 Nate Barker moved his meat market into the room previously occupied by Picard Pharmacy so that Frank Wright could build a new building.

1907 The buildings occupied by Frank Wight Butcher Shop and Hrubesky Furniture and Undertaking, the next door west were torn down.  Hrubesky’s building was to be a two-story brick 24 x 124 feet and Wight a one-story building 60 x 80.  During construction, Hrubesky moved part of his stock of furniture into the Picard building at 135 North 9th.

1909 The Sanborn Maps showed a meat market here.

1909 In February, Atherton & Evans reported the sale of Frank Wight meat market to A. C. Beahm of South Omaha.  The name of the business was City Meat Market.  

1909 In March, Beahm and Joseph Dlask from Omaha were operating the City Meat Market. 

1909 In March, Frank Wight sold the East ½ of Lot 83 to Margaret Coe.

1909 Frank Wight and wife moved to their ranch near Ogallala. 

1910 In June, Mr. Beahm and Dlask sold the meat market to William Harrison of Benson.

1910 In October, Harrison sold the meat market to Tom Hamler.

1912 In February, Hamler sold his meat market to William Kamler--William Kamler’s City Market.

1913 In February, William Mason of Randolph and Fred Gibson of Geneva, bought the meat market.

1913 In June, Mason purchased the interest of Gibson in the meat market.

1914 In March, they sold all of the equipment that belonged to Mason, Gibson and Kamler.

1914 In May, Harry Stowell opened an ice cream parlor and short order house in the building formerly occupied by Mason’s butcher shop.  A hardwood floor was laid and the building otherwise improved.

1914 The acetylene gas tank on Grant Otis corn popper exploded in front of Harry Stowell’s cafe while it was being wheeled to its position in front of the Palm theater.  The glass in the machine was shattered, but no one was injured.  Mr. Otis repaired the popper and there was no further risk of explosion.

1916 In October, Harry Stowell sold his cafe to William Hourigan.  Mr. Stowell moved to Montana.

1916 In November, Hourigan’s Cafe, W. P. Hourigan proprietor, menu advertised as short orders of all kinds, chicken, pork and ham sandwiches.  Oyster stew is a specialty.

1917 In the spring Mr. Hourigan sold his restaurant to Mrs. Evelyn Hartwig.   

1917 In August, J. E. Zimmer bought the cafe from Mrs. Hartwig that had been owned by W. P Hourigan.  He was drafted during World War I and we are assuming that the transaction reverted to Mrs. Hartwig.

1917 Mrs Hartwig sold the restaurant to Frank Hafer.

1917 In December, W. P. Hourigan purchased the restaurant in the east block from Frank Hafer. It will return to the old name, Stub’s Cafe.

1918 Stub’s Café was operated by W. P. Hourigan.  Fred Langseth, who had been working at Stub’s Cafe, left for his home in Hazard.

1918 W. P. Hourigan installed a new white marble soda fountain  in Stub’s cafe.

1921 In June, W. P. Hourigan sold his restaurant to I. T.  and Hallie Fellows.  Fellows Brothers will be the name of the new firm.

1921 In July, work started to connect the building occupied by Fellows Bros. café to the city sewer.  Mrs. Coe of Atlantic, Iowa owned the building.

1921 In October, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Emrick rented one side of the front half of Fellow’s Brothers building and opened a stationery and book store.

1922 The Sanborn Maps showed a restaurant here.

1922 In April, the Emrick’s  who had been running a stationery store in the Fellow’s Brothers building, moved their goods to Davenport.

1927 In January, Fellows Bros. Café, I. T. and H. E. Fellows, proprietors, sold their business to J. C. Bradley.  The brothers had conducted the restaurant and ice cream parlor for several years.  The name was changed to Central Café.  I. T. and H. E. Fellows were traveling for an advertising firm.  Their territory covered Kansas and Nebraska so they traveled by automobile and used Geneva as   their headquarters.

1927 J. L. Sornson of Sutton bought the Central Cafe in the east block from Joe Bradley and then bought a ½ interest in the Meridian Cafe in the west block.  The Central Cafe was closed and the consolidated Meridian Cafe began business.

1927 Iryl Shaner and R. O. Sigman purchased the local Chevrolet car agency from Brown & Dixon Chevrolet of Geneva and Fairmont.  The name used was S & S Chevrolet and was located on Court Street (G) in the room formerly occupied by the Central Café, between the Vogue Clothing and Hrubesky Furniture. 

1932 In May, the firm of Shaner & Sigman, Chevrolet dealers, was dissolved.  

1932 Iryl Shaner was to continue as the Chevrolet dealer and would have the repair shop in connection.  Mr. Sigman took the used cars and Mr. Shaner took the other parts of the business.  Mr. Shaner moved from the Picard building in the east block to the building formerly occupied by the Buick garage at the northwest corner of the square. Mr. Sigman remained at this location, 936 G Street, with his used cars business.  The new concern did business under the name Shaner Chevrolet Co.

1932 As of June 1, the Farmers Co-op Store moved to the room vacated by the S & S Chevrolet Co.  

1932 Jones & Son’s meat market shared the space with the Farmers Store.  They were previously located in the Eller building.  The Jones & Son’s meat market moved to the IGA store in the west block.  Schepers Bros. of Fairmont purchased the Jones meat market located in the IGA store.

1933 Farmers Store was located here, but by July 1933 the room they had occupied was vacant.

1933 In September a Gamble Store, one unit of a chain of Gamble stores, opened. The building was redecorated and additional shelving added.  A modern cement walk was laid in front of the building.  Otto John Guretzky and Arthur Weber, both of West Point, were managers.  

1934 The Geneva Gamble Store agency, located at 936 G Street, opened under new management.  Otto Guretzky sold his business to A. H. Fulton who formerly lived in Norfolk.  Mr. Guretzky returned to West Point.

1939 The Gamble Store, A. H. Fulton proprietor, moved his store from the east business block to the room formerly occupied by the Brinkman grocery in the west business block (858 G Street).

1940 A new Western Auto associate store was opened here, Albion Fictum of Wilber as manager.  The business was located in the Picard building in the east business block.

1940 The Western Auto store was closed.  Mr. Fictum and family moved to a farm in Saline County.

1941 Thrifty Drug, a new business was opened by Charles Picard.  He announced he would operate the business as a Walgreen Agency Store.  The store stocked tobacco and cigar products, toiletries, drugs, prescriptions, and sundry items.  The stock was arranged in open displays so customers could examine the merchandise easily.  The store also featured a 15’ soft drink fountain with seating for 40 people.

1943 In September, the Thrifty Drug, owned by Charles Picard, was sold to the Picard Pharmacy.  It was not sure whether the store was to be a separate store or part of Picard Pharmacy

1945 Thrifty Drug was operated by John and Marguerite Freeman as a sundries (variety) store since there was no pharmacist on staff through 1946.

1947 Orval and Ann McDonald took over operation, continuing as a sundries store through 1948.

1949 Charles Picard, registered pharmacist, returned and the store was again a pharmacy and sundries business.

1950 Thrifty Drug Store, Charles Picard proprietor, enlarged the store by extending the building 50’ in the rear.

1955 Thrifty Drug Store closed their business.  

1955 Vaughn Fulton expanded his Gambles store into the space vacated by Thrifty Drug.

1984 Vaughn Fulton sold his Gambles store to Gylon, Inc. a corporation formed by Lawrence Loontjer and two of his children, Glen Loontjer and Yvonne Carlson.  Mr. Loontjer had been employed here since 1966.

2007 The Gambles store then encompassed the original location of the Hrubesky Furniture Store at 930 G Street, Walgreen/Thrifty Drug at 936 G Street, Vogue Clothing at 942 G Street, Rialto Theater at 948 G Street, Maryland Café (later Vogue Clothing/Jacox Jewelry) at 954 G Street.

2012 Gambles built a new store at 1121 G Street and changed the name to Geneva Home Center.

2012 NAPA Auto Parts was located here.

This was ongoing as of the last posting.