Resource Center
On-Line Library
Spanning the years
at random
THE following notes were taken at random from a number of sources including the files of the Nebraska State Journal. Histories in the Nebraska University, Nebraska State and Lincoln City Libraries, papers and other memorandums in the files of the Nebraska State Historical Society, from various City, County and State office annals, from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and many individuals who graciously delved into the past to aid in making this record
(Firm name was Winger & Miller
First store building was at 1010 P Street)
Things were going on then . . . The Lincoln Telephone Company was organized . . . Omaha and Lincoln were connected by telephone . . . streets were lighted by gas ... but the city did not pay for lighting . . . city water works began sinking a single well at F street park . . . electric lights were announced a success . . . city streets were numbered and lettered . . . oyster suppers were favorite entertainment . . . chief of police's salary was raised to
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
$65 a month ... Lincoln Street Railway was granted right-of-way ... Home of Friendless was established . . . 51 business houses and 1,000 homes were erected in 1881 . . . Mayor was John B. Wright.
(Firm name was Winger & Miller
Second store building was at 1008 P Street)
Free mail delivery was inaugurated . . . started with 5 carriers . . . 1,000 pupils were enrolled in the public schools . . . Sigma Chi was first fraternity on the University campus . . . free rides were given on initial appearance of street cars on Lincoln streets . . . Nebraska Telephone Company bought Lincoln exchange . . . John D. Doolittle and R. E. Moore were mayors.
(Firm name was Winger & Miller
The Third store building was at the
corner of 10th & P Streets)
Funk's Opera House opened . . . electric lights were installed by business men . . . premiums at Lancaster County Fair were for the best made hoop skirt . . . bustle . . . waxed fruit and flowers . . . cones, shell and seed work . . . hair work, etc. . . . Metropolitan skating rink opened . . . Richards block was built at 11th and O streets . . . mayors were R. E. Moore and C. C. Burr.
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
1885-1889
(Firm name was J. V. Miller
Fourth store building was at 145 South Tenth
Street)
City building was erected on Market square. . . . Fitzgerald Hose Company won the world's championship at New Orleans . . . this year five full-paid men were added to the force . . . volunteer fire departments, disbanded later . . . thirty-five full paid men on force . . . Missouri Pacific and Northwestern lines came to Lincoln . . . Y. M. C. A. organized . . . 20,000 persons visited the State Fair one day . . . first phonograph was brought to Lincoln . . . twenty-one blocks of cedar paving was laid . . . W. J. Bryan came to Lincoln to join A. R. Talbot in a law partnership . . . Lincoln District Telegraph Company was organized . . . Seventh Day Adventist School was established . . . the building boom was on . . . railroads gave free passes to bankers, lawyers, business and professional men . . . Journal became a seven day paper . . . the legislature passed compulsory educational law . . . Cushman Park had a grand opening . . . Elk's Club organized ... brick paving came . . . University Place incorporated as a village to prevent annexation to Lincoln . . . Mayors were C. C. Burr, A. J. Sawyer. R. R. Graham.
(Firm name was Miller & Paine
Fifth store building was at 135-139 South Eleventh Street)
Sunday Morning Globe appeared . . . J. C.
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
Seacrest was editor . . . Lincoln Wheel Club was organized . . . Conservatory of Music had a home at 13th & L streets . . . Tartarrex Pageant took place . . . merchants announced stores lit by electricity . . . Tabitha Home was dedicated . . . Lincoln Humane Society was organized . . . Sisters of St. Francis arrived to take charge of the new hospital in the old Buckstaff residence at 11th and South . . . private rooms were $10 weekly . . . Board of Trade was organized . . . Legislature of 1889 gave Lincoln a new charter . . . Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite was organized . . . Lincoln Hotel was opened . . . Electric power replaced home power on traction lines . . . drouth brought crop failures . . . Lincoln Park opened . . . Lansing Theater a vertitable "Thespian Temple" was opened . . . President Harrison was guest of Lincoln . . . Lincoln Women's Club was organized . . . Mayors were R. B. Graham and A. H. Weir.
Miller & Paine moved to "O" street occupied the second
50 feet from 13th street.
Miller & Paine remained there until 1898 new O street viaduct opened . . . was built by city and railroads . . . eighteen miles of paving was in . . . three miles of paved alleys . . . forty miles of water mains . . . eleven brick school buildings and six wooden ones . . . Nebraska School of Music was founded . . . J. H. Canfield was Chancellor of the University . . . University registration in 1897-1898
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
was 1,673 . . . Mayors were A. H. Weir and F.A. Graham.
Miller and Paine also occupied the corner of
13th and O Streets.
Miller and Paine remained in the same location until 1902 . . . First Nebraska Regiment Infantry was mustered May 9, 1898 . . . John P. Bratt was in charge . . . The Post a Populist paper was organized 1898 by F. D. Fager and W. P. Swind . . . Nebraska State Fair was permanently located at Lincoln by the Legislature 1899 . . . first automobile in city was owned by J. H. Wittman . . . a steam car . . . City Library housed in the Masonic Temple was destroyed by fire . . . The Commoner was started by W. J. Bryan in 1901 . . . Green Gables Hospital opened at Normal . . . 1890 census gave Lincoln a population of 29,000 . . . Mayors were F. A. Graham and H. J. Winnett.
Miller and Paine added a three story building Between
O and N streets on 13th street
Miller and Paine buildings remained the until 1905 . . . Lincoln Daily Star was founded with D. E. Thompson president . . . new city Library building was opened to the public . . . Country Club was organized in 1903 . . . Y. W. C. A. building was dedicated near 15th and N . . . Orthopedic
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
Hospital was established . . . Mayors were H. J. Winnett, George A. Adams and F. W. Brown.
Miller and Paine purchased 25 feet on the west--giving 125
foot frontage on O Street
Miller and Paine buildings remained the same until 1916 . . . new Post Office building was opened to the public . . . old Post Office was purchased for a City Hall . . . first moving picture show opened . . . the Elite on O street between 13th and 14th . . . W. J. Bryan deeded ten acres along Antelope for a city park (Jan. 1907) . . . shortage of currency in 1907 . . . clearing house authorized script . . . Lincoln voted out saloons . . . but they came back in two years . . . J. E. Miller introduced bill in the Legislature of 1909 to prohibit secret fraternities and sororities in High schools . . . it passed . . . new Y. M. C. A. building was completed . . . war was declared in 1914 between Germany and France . . . 1910 census gave Lincoln 43, 973 . . . Lincoln Mayors were F. W. Brown, Don L. Love, A. H. Armstrong, F. C. Zehrung and C. W. Bryan.
Miller and Paine occupied beautiful group of buildings,
erected to keep pace with the city's growth
Miller and Paine occupied these from 1916 and now (1930) these are still it's home . . . Mayors
S P A N N I N G T H E Y E
A R S
were C. W. Bryan, I. F. Miller, F. C. Zehrung, Verne Hedge and
Don L. Love . . . Rialto and Colonial theatres were opened (1918)
. . . American Legion was organized . . . Nebraska Reformatory was
established at Hawthorne (1921) . . . construction was started on
the new Capitol (1922) . . . Eastridge and University Clubs were
organized (1924) . . . Universty Stadium was started (1925) . . .
Lincoln Theatre opened . . . Lincoln General Hospital was built
(1925) . . . Bryan Memorial Hospital was built (1926) . . . Shrine
Country Club was organized (1927) . . . Stuart theatre opened
(1929) . . . and progress goes on . . . and on . . . and on.
[80]
