135 No. 9th Street
Address: 135 North 9th Street
Legal Description: North 44’ of the North 72’ of Lots 81 & 82
Building:
Note: This location began as Sanborn location 506. In 1906, it was divided into two business locations. From 1872 to 1906, this history covers both 135 and 139 as one location. After 1906, this history is about 135 only.
1872 Vacant lot
1886 In July, George DeWolf put up a livery barn on Center street near the post office.
1886 In June, Dewolf, the Geneva liveryman, sold his livery business to Shumway and Webb.
1888 In April, W. T. Voris and J. M. Burt bought the Shumway and Webb livery stable.
1888 In August, W. T. Voris sold his interest in the livery business of Voris and Burt in Geneva to Mr. Burt.
1890 In August, James Burt sold his livery stock to Joe and Jim Hafer.
1890 DeWolfe & Shumway’s livery barn, known as the Palace Livery, was located here.
1891 In April, Wm. Merrill purchased the C. C. Shumway Harness Shop.
1891 In August, Frank Kincaide bought the Merrill harness shop and consolidated it with his own at 918 G Street.
1892 The Sanborn Maps showed the Palace Livery here.
1892 Miss Jennie Brown bought the Shumway livery barn north of the post office.
1894 In May, Pardue and Bradley were the proprietors of the livery here.
1894 In July, Pardue and Bradley moved to the barn on the west side of the square.
1895 In November, Pardue and Bradley were back at this location.
1897 The Sanborn Maps showed the Palace Livery here.
1898 George R. Bates traded his farm in Hamilton Township to Jennie Brown for the property north of The Signal office occupied by the L. F Pardue Livery Stable. The building covered the area between the alley on the north and the Kessler Building on the South.
1898 L. F. Pardue purchased the Dworak property across the alley and made alterations and additions to the property before moving his livery there.
1899 In June, C. E. Roberts traded George Bates some land in exchange for the livery business.
1899 In March, S. P. Lester of Exeter leased the vacant livery barn north of the Signal and put in a livery there. Mr. Lester’s son-in-law, Frank Craft, moved to Geneva and conducted the business.
1899 In August, Lester and Craft sold their livery stock to Frank Burnett, son of Andy Burnett. Lester and Craft moved to Exeter.
1899 In September, the Burnett livery stable office was improved. A new sign was also put up.
1899 In November, the Burnett livery stable was moved one door north and across the alley to the Pardue stable.
1900 In October, E. A. Bidelman also purchased the Lamb and Bradley barn across the alley. He will operate both barns.
1902 Peter Weis & Bert Bradley formed a livery stable partnership and purchased the building. Mr. Weis’s stock was moved from the Park Livery barn (located in the Mercern barn) to the stable just north of the Signal office.
1902 The Sanborn Maps showed the Palace Livery here.
1902 P. D. Weis and Jos. Owens, who had been in partnership in the livery business, dissolved their partnership. Mr. Owens bought Mr. Weis’s interest in the business.
1903 F. C. Huntley took over the Palace Livery Barn.
1903 The Palace Livery Barn operated by F. C. Huntley north of the Signal office and the Jay Weaver barn across the alley to the north burned. They were not rebuilt.
1905 Fred and Charles Picard purchased the property and began the erection of two storerooms just north of the Nebraska Signal office. The North room was to be used for the post office.
Note: The storefront was 24 feet wide. At times, it was divided into two or more business rooms.
1905 Hrubesky used this as storage for some of his furniture while his new building was being built at 930 G.
1906 Curry Brothers of Seward, opened a branch clothing store in November. They rented the south room of the Picard building. They stocked men’s, boy’s and children’s clothing.
1907 Curry Bros. moved their clothing store to a building three doors west of the Geneva State Bank to the room occupied by Kelly’s restaurant (874 G).
1907 In August, C. W. Hrubesky moved his furniture stock into the room south of the post office while waiting for his new building to be built at 926 G.
1907 In December, the Picard room next door to the Signal was fitted up last week for use in moving pictures. There was seating for about 400 people. Dow and Smith, the proprietors, named the place The Jolla. It was open every weekday afternoon and evening. Miss Bedford furnished piano music and John Groff sang each evening.
1908 In January, Mr. Dow bought out his partner, Mr. Smith.
1908 In April, the Jolla closed. Several reasons were given. The community of Geneva couldn’t support going to the theater every night. The electric plant couldn’t support such a heavy load, and the cost of renting movies went from $18 a week to $42. Thomas Edison had sued manufacturing companies for infringement on his patent.
1908 Later in April, E. A. Hayter of Fairbury purchased the Jolla/Jollo Theater. He renamed it The Lyric.
1908 In June, the interior fixtures were removed from the Jolla/Jollo Theater. The seats were left intact to rent for gatherings.
1908 In July, J. Dorbin placed a stock of new merchandise in the building in order to close out the stock quickly.
1908 In August, the Yale Theater was advertised.
1908 In Sept., C. M. Pierce of Minden rented the Picard building occupied by the Yale Theater, where he opened a dry goods store. The Boston Store opened Oct. 5th.
1909 The Sanborn Maps showed dry goods here.
1912 A fire broke out in the Boston Store and the building was badly damaged. Most of the store’s stock was destroyed. C. M. Pierce bought Henry Mohrman’s stock of goods in the store at the corner of Court & Main Streets (10th & G). Mr. Pierce continued to operate the dry goods store at what had been the Mohrman stand under the name Boston Store at 10th & G. The goods that were salable were taken to the Vawter stand, 974 G Street, where Mr. Pierce had leased one side of the room.
1912 C. M. Pierce sold groceries here. He erected an electric sign in front of his business.
1919 Chenoweth & Co was located here.
1920 In February, Chenoweth & Co moved to 996 G.
1922 Farmers Cooperative Society Grocery was here until 1932.
1922 The Sanborn Maps showed a grocery here.
1932 In October, the Farmers Co-operative Store sold their stock and fixtures at public auction here at their place of business. Over the years of operation, they had many managers. The following is a partial list of those that we have found: Charles Purdy, L. M. Stoldorf, A. E. Weber, Harry Fussell, Curt Ogg, John Linnert, Everett Phelps, and T. F. Hamilton.
1933 The Sanborn Maps showed a store here.
1933 In August, Ralph Lohr’s OK Café was moved here from 112 North 10th Street.
1935 In July, Ralph Lohr, proprietor of the OK Cafe sold his lease to William Hinkle. Mr. Lohr moved his equipment to Alexandria where he plans to open a cafe.
1935 In July, the room vacated by the OK Cafe was remodeled. It was being prepared for the Hinkle Package Store which opened here. Legal liquor returned to Geneva after an absence of twenty years when Hinkle’s package store opened for business. Geneva went dry the last time in 1915 by a majority of 22 votes in the spring election. State prohibition was voted in November 1916 and became effective the following year. The next year national prohibition went into effect.
1936 In April, the Hinkle Package Store moved into Mowry’s room in the Union Block at 808 G Street.
1936 The Kritner Funeral Home, Arthur M. Kritner and Robert L. Kritner was here.
1943 The Sanborn maps showed a store here.
1946 The Kritner Funeral Home moved to a house at 1035 H. Street.
1949 Smith’s Furniture Store was here.
1951 Smith’s Furniture Store had a sale and closed.
1952 Dr. David Portwood opened a dental office here in the south half of the building.
1952 The LaSalle Beauty Salon was located here. Mrs. Maude Picard, who owned the salon, sold it to Loretta Rockholm of Hastings. The salon remained in the north half of the building through 1970.
1962 Mrs. Jay Burton sold the LaSalle Beauty Shop to Mrs. Cora Forney of Hastings.
1963 The Portwood Dental Office moved to 1320 H Street. The Nebraska Signal took over the south half of the building.
1964 The Signal purchased the Maude Picard building adjoining the office to the north.
1970 The LaSalle Beauty Salon, located in the north half of the building, closed.
1971 Mary V. McPeck opened a bookkeeping and tax service in the north half of the building.
1983 McPeck Bookkeeping and Tax Service closed.
1989 The Geneva Chamber of Commerce was located here through 1990.
1991 The Signal moved equipment into the building and used the building.
This was ongoing as of the last posting.