143 No. 9th Street

Address: 143 North 9^th Street

Legal Description: South 20’ of the South 68.8’ of Lots 63 & 64

Building: Hammond Building, Sanborn location: 507, 508, 509

1877 The residence of James Shepherd was moved from 942 G to this location and used as a hotel.

1882 George W. Fraley built a barn on his property. It was his intention to put in a hay and feed store

1886 Mrs. Race rented the building recently purchased by Mrs. Dworak and opened a restaurant.

1886 Mrs. Elma B. (Edson) Race rented the building recently bought by Mr. and Mrs. Dworak and opened a restaurant. No more information about this establishment was found. In 1888 Elma B. Race and John Race were divorced. In 1890 she remarried in Utah and later moved to California where she died.

1889 A building on Center Street belonging to V. Dworak and occupied by A. M. Tyson was struck by lightning. (No information about what type of business Mr. Tyson was engaged in.)

1890 A hotel was located here. A restaurant was in the south part of the hotel building and a harness shop in the north part.

1891 Ora Compher Livery, Feed and Sale Stable was here.

1892 The Sanborn maps showed a hotel with a harness shop in the north part and a restaurant in the south part.

1892 In July, the Baptist society gave an ice cream social at the Finch boarding house.

1892 In November, the Fillmore County Republican published a business directory in their newspaper. The Finch boarding house was in that list of businesses.

1892 Also in November, Ella M. (Finch) Lloyd, widow of Watkins Lloyd, sold the south 48ft of lots 63 and 64 to C. T. Gray.

1893 C. G. Gray advertised a public auction of hotel stock to be held at the Commercial Hotel north of the post office. (The Putnam House/Kellogg House was also known as the Commercial Hotel from 1881 to 1882.)

1894 G. L. Raffenspargar of Lincoln opened a flour and feed store in the building north of Bradley’s livery barn.

1895 Frank Hranac had a shop the first door north of Bradley’s livery barn. His harnesses and carriage trimmings were hand made.

1897 In March, the Sanborn maps showed a broom factory in the north part of the hotel building and broom storage in the south side.

1897 In December, The Candy Kitchen, four doors north of the post office, was run by Mesdames Toogood and Flory.

1898 In May, the Candy Kitchen sent a box of candy and cake to half a dozen members of Company G through the kind hands of Dr. Propst.

1898 In September, Lyman Pardue purchased the south 116’ of Lots 63 & 64 known as Dworak property and built a livery barn. The building he purchased had a frontage of 48 feet and was divided into three rooms, each of which had a storefront. The partitions were all torn out and an addition 48 x 50 feet was built on to the rear.

1898 In October, Pardue moved his livery stock across the alley from the south.

1899 In April, Pardue’s livery stock was sold in Medford, Oklahoma.

1899 In November, A. H. Burnett moved his livery stable from the building next door to the south to the Pardue stable.

1900 In January, E. M. Wade of Republic City, KS purchased the Andy Burnett livery stock in the Pardue barn.

1900 In May, this was advertised as Central Livery, Winslow & Wade, proprietors.

1900 In June, E. A. Bidelman of Coldwater, MI purchased Central Livery. E. M. Wade remained.

1900 In August, E. M. Wade purchased a half interest in the Caldwell livery in Exeter and he and his wife moved there.

1900 In October, E. A. Bidelman also purchased the Lamb and Bradley barn across the alley. He will operate both barns.

1902 In January E. A. Bidelman sold the livery barn to Wade and Hall. Wade and Hall purchased the Albert Kline livery barn on the west side about the same time.

1902 In July, C. A. Hall sold his interest in the Wade & Hall livery stable to J. Weaver of Thayer County. Mr. Hall moved to Nuckolls County.

1902 In August, the Sanborn map showed Jay Weaver’s Livery.

1902 In August, Wade & Weaver were the proprietors of the Central Livery. As the Geneva Gazette said August 15, 1902-- “Livery stables change hands faster than money in Geneva.” J. Weaver bought the interest of Mr. Wade. Mr. Weaver became the sole proprietor and Mr. Wade became an employee of the business. The name of the business remained Central Livery.

1902 August 29, Jay Weaver of Thayer County was the sole proprietor.

1903 On August 11, Jay Weaver’s Livery along with Palace Livery on the south side of the alley burned down and were not replaced.

1903 In October, Jay Weaver purchased the old Ed Mercer barn which he occupied after the fire.

1905 Gregory Skinkle purchased the south 116’ of these lots for his Electric Light Plant, which was later built to the north of this location.

1909 The Sanborn maps showed this to be vacant.

1933 The Sanborn maps showed this to be vacant.

1943 The Sanborn maps showed this to be vacant.

1948 A new building, the Lauber-Hammond Business Building, was built for the Hammond Insurance Agency.

1950 The Hammond Insurance Agency was purchased by John R. Bixby.

1950 Ray L. Cellar, attorney, leased space here.

1951 The name was changed to the Bixby Insurance Agency.

1954 John R. Bixby opened First Credit Company and continued to operate the Bixby Insurance Agency.

1957 Ray Cellar was elected county judge in 1956 and moved to the courthouse.

1959 M. A. Nichols Construction Co. leased office space here.

1961 M. A. Nichols Construction Co. moved to new offices at 260 So. 7^th, where they owned and operated Geneva Ready Mix Concrete.

1965 Fillmore County Bank opened temporary offices here. John Bixby was an officer of the bank.

1966 Fillmore County Bank moved to its new building at 1022 G Street.

1970 First Credit Company closed the office here.

1971 Dr. Ray Cronk opened a dental office here.

1983 Dr. Cronk moved his dental office to 115 So. 10^th.

1992 Joseph N. Bixby, attorney, moved here from the offices of Gewacke and Bixby in the Geneva State Bank after the death of partner, John Gewacke.

2016 Paul Bixby joined the Bixby Law practice.

This was ongoing as of the last posting.