More early McCook businesses

McCook's Main Street, later renamed Norris Avenue. Photo credit: courtesy

From H.P. Waites Collection of McCook Tribune Stories

In 1883 McCook was still in its infancy as a frontier community, yet those early settlers were filled with optimism, energy and foresight, making the new little city of McCook the fastest growing town in the state, which was attracting more settlers every day.

November 24, 1883: A petition bearing 73 signatures seeking the County Commissioners of Red Willow County to incorporate McCook as a Village was filed today with the County Clerk at Indianola. The petition was granted and Vocances Franklin (usually referred to as V. Franklin), Joseph E. Berger, Granville W. Daniels, H.C. Rider, and Gilbert L. Laws were appointed as the first Board of Trustees. (These five men were, without exception, outstanding citizens of McCook.

W. S. Fitch

1. Mr. Franklin had, prior to the founding of McCook, been a resident of Indianola, where he had been engaged in the mercantile business. When the RR Company determined that McCook would be a Division Station, Mr. Franklin came to McCook, purchased a lot at what became Main (Norris) and B. St., the site of what became DeGroff's Store. He erected a small wooden building and moved his store of goods to this location. He did not long continue in this business, which he sold to Hayden and Company. He then associated himself with J.W. Dolan, of Indianola, who organized the Citizens Bank of McCook. Mr. Franklin served as President of this bank until his death, in 1913, just 100 years ago.

2. Joseph E. Berger was in the furniture business.

3. Granville W. Daniels was the Proprietor of a General Merchandise Store. Both Berger and Daniels sold their McCook business interests and moved from McCook in 1885.

V. Franklin

4. H.C. Rider platted both South McCook and West McCook (which for some time were almost separate communities from McCook, as was East McCook. Mr. Rider probably did more building in the new community than did any other single person in the early years of McCook's history. As an individual, Mr. Rider was the sole owner of the Memorial Park Cemetery (an unusual occurrence), until the City of McCook bought the property some years later. He had also platted the old Riverview Cemetery. Mr. Rider owned much McCook property, and though he moved from McCook, he continued to visit and look after that property until his death.

5. The fifth member of the Board of Trustees was Gilbert L. Law. At the time of his appointment to the Village Board he was the Registrar of the United States Land Office in McCook. Later, he served one term as Congressman from this District, and one term as Secretary of State of the State of Nebraska.

George Hocknell was a Representative to the State Legislature from Red Willow County from 1882-1884, when Indianola was the County Seat. Initially he was associated with B.M. Freas in the lumber business in McCook and Benkleman. A bit later, in 1885, he joined with Alexander Campbell and a few other men to organize what became the 1st National Bank. He served various roles in the bank, including President for 20 years. At the time of his death in November, 1907 he was living in retirement in Los Angeles.

George Hockness

In November, 1883 five new men were elected to be Trustees of the Village of McCook. They, in turn, selected merchant, J.E. Berger (What-nots, sofas, coffins and burial cases), a member of the original Board of Trustees, as Chairman. F.M. Kimmell, who had just taken over as Publisher of the Tribune on November 1st, was chosen as Clerk. Lawyer, I.J. Starbuck was named Village Attorney, and W.F. Wallace was chosen as Treasurer.

There was also news of some of the prominent farmers of the area in the November 29th issue of the Tribune: John Stone and W.S. Fitch have returned from their hunting trip, which extended into Eastern Colorado. They killed 63 antelope near Hyde Siding. Antelope meat is kept for sale by most of the Meat Markets in the Republican Valley.

Note: An idea of difficult conditions a businessman was forced to deal with can be grasped in this description of an 1883 Butcher Shop. The Meat Market is one of the essential, as well as one of the more conspicuous institutions of our community. The butcher sells us ice as well as meat. In fact, if it were not for the butcher we would not have ice. The butcher must have refrigeration to preserve his products in warm weather. He puts up ice in the winter for his own use, and in the summer, as long as he can, supplies those who desire it from his store house.

In warm weather the butcher slaughters only against his daily needs, but in winter he usually has a large quantity of dressed meat on hand. The interior of his shop is equipped with a heavy framework, from which carcasses of cattle, hogs, and sheep are hung. The floor is covered with sawdust. On the sidewalk in front of his place of business he hangs from large hooks, in cold weather, quarters of beef and often the entire carcasses of hogs. During the holiday season his out door's display is varied with dressed poultry -- chicken, turkeys, ducks, and occasionally even with wild game, such as prairie chicken and quail. Bologna sausage is also festooned among the other meats. This is hung high enough to be beyond the reach of small boys, who believes it is their prerogative to snatch a link or two of the sausages, whenever they can do so without danger of apprehension.

In winter the windows of the Butcher Shop are heavily frosted, as the interior, except for a back room, is unheated. The butcher and his assistant are heavily clothed as a protection against the frigid atmosphere, and when not waiting on their trade, hold their hands beneath their white aprons for warmth. In a back room lard is manufactured. The odor of the sizzling grease permeates the air of the entire neighborhood. The local butcher cures the hams, shoulders, and side meat of the hogs he kills -- first in barrels of brine, and finally in a smoke house built on a part of the lot on which his shop is situated. The scent of the burning wood neutralizes smells that eminate from the butcher shop.

Note: In a related story on December 5, 1883

The American hog must go -- from our streets. If was a sad deprivation, but one we believe we would cheerfully forage --that of hearing the comfortable grunt of the myriad of fat swine that daily meander through our thoroughfares. McCook has been a pig sty for too long. Our village dads -- we opine -- are preparing a poll for discussion of the topic. It is disconcerting, to say the least, to hear and feel a healthy porker scratching his back on the floor joists just beneath our feet.

Another matter that should receive the attention of the authorities is the disposition of paper and packing cases. It seems to be the custom with most of the businessmen to open their back doors and sweep everything of no value out, carried hither and thither by the winds -- result, a disordered appearance in our streets that does not commend itself to the aesthetic sense.

Note: In early December the eagerly awaited Republican Bridge was still in the news.

Quite a delegation of our prominent business men went down this afternoon to witness the completion of the bridge across the Republican River, about ½ mile south of McCook. They found a large force of workmen rapidly putting on the finishing touches, and about a half hour after their arrival, the first wagon crossed! The structure is solid and substantial. It has nine spans, each 32 feet long, so that its total length is 308 feet. It rests on piling driven 15 feet into the sand. It cost $1,400.00. A good road has been cut through the bluff on the north side of the river, and it is approached from the south over a good grade, thrown up over the low lands.

The completion of this bridge is the most important event up to this time in the history of McCook. The first settlement in this part of the country -- in fact the only settlement prior to 1880 -- was south of the river. W.S. Fitch, John Whittaker, H.H. Pickens, John Stone, Charles Jacobs, and others settled in the Republican Valley and along the Driftwood Creek as long ago as 1873. John Kelley and W.A. Fitch established stores and the Valley Grange Post Office, which supplied mail to the settlers in this vicinity long before Fairview -- the forerunner of McCook -- was thought of. A considerable population at McCook's back door has experienced difficulty, until now, in reaching our town. Our businessmen have lost trade, which has heretofore gone to Indianola and elsewhere at times when, because of flood conditions in summer and ice in the winter. At these times the Republican River could not be forded.