Hall County NEGenWeb
1889 Grand Island City Directory
INTRODUCTION

A big
Thank You!!
To Carol Granville and Connie Ludwig for tackling the "fine print" of this directory.

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INTRODUCTION
City of Grand Island

The Indianapolis of Nebraska, in a "modern instance" of a kind quite peculiar enough to commend itself to the thinking public as an extremely interesting subject. The history of any city is always a subject of interest to those who by their efforts have contributed to its growth. I would be a great pleasure to paint the progress of this city from its infancy to its present proportions, but time and space forbid what would require a volume. The story of Grand Island's growth and development is well worth telling. The sudden springing of unknown towns and hamlets into prominece is nothing new. There have been booms upon booms, and with them there have been magic cities, and muchroom towns without number. A great many of such gourd-vine municipalities are now either dead or their lives depend upon the inconstant, uncertain, fluctuating riches through and on which such cities were built. The special interest to the reader in the brief history of this city will be, that, although the city has attained a front place in the picture of Nebraska, its achievements are all on the line of legitimate progress. Just as one speaks of a self-made man, so it is historically correct to say that Grand Island is a self-made city. It was not the discovery of gold or iron mines that gave its land fictitious and almost fabulous prices. There was nothing of this in the making of this city. But the factors of freedom, fertility of soil, salubrity of climate, facilities of commerce and manufactures, and the ease of railroad transportation - the material advantages which invite the capitalist, the tradesman, and the manufacturer of every clime and nationality to a home in our midst, to co-operate in the development of its measureless resources, and to an enriching participation in its prosperity - built Grand Island.

The city possesses as many men of enterprise and business ability, proportionately to her population, as any city in the Great West, and they deserve a greater mead of credit, for they have attained the position they held by sheer pluck and determination, in face of obstacles and calamities which would have paralyzed the phenomenal growth in commercial prosperity of the many famous western cities before they emerged from thier swaddling clothes. The accomplishments of the Grand Island merchants, in reality, evince more steadfast purpose and enterprising ability when comparison is made.

Men of capital, experience and good judgment have selected this as one of the most favorable points from which to distribute, and their judgment has been amply verified by unusual success.

Grand Island is the centre of Nebraska's population, and is on the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad, 153 miles west of Omah and 95 miles northwest of Lincoln, the State's capital. the city is well equipped wiht competing lines, there being five railroads running into the city, viz: The Union Pcific, the St. Joseph and Grand Island, the Grand Island and Wyoming Central, the Omaha and Republican Valley, and the Burlington and Missouri River.

The managements have not only sought to make the roads popular with those dealing directly with them, but by pursuing a broad-minded and liberal policy they have endeavored to merit and win the good opinion and kindly desposition of the general public.

The car shops of the Union Pacific Railroad, having a capacity of 600 men, and costing over $350,000, are located here. The valuation of all the railroad property in this city will exceed $2,000,000. Of the various projected roads it is not requisite here to speak. That they will be built, we have not the shadow of a doubt.

Although Grand Island is remarkably favored in many, in no way is she more fortunate than in the extent and importance of her agricultural resources, which giver her a front place, as one of the best wholesale and retail center of Nebraska. The finacial prosperity, enterprise and solidity of a city are, in a large measure, indicated by the character and extent of her business houses. Thrift, honesty and enterprise are as sure of their reward in Grand Island as in the rest of the world, and when to these characteristics are joined with keen intelligence and a perception of the needs of he public, you have the model merchant and the representative citizen.

Many of our firms have become familiar names in Nebraska - their business being energetically pushed and their trade carried into the neighboring counties. As for quality and variety of good, it is equal to any city in Nebraska, and the market will always be found adequate to the demand, extending all the inducements which can be offered by any other city in the State.

As a central point, Grand Island commands a positon that essentially calls for first-class hotel accommodations. In this regard the city will be found in all respects capable in maintaining a reputation equal to any other leading city of the West. Of the hotels, the Palmer, the Pacific, the Estes, and the Commercial take the lead. The Palmer, situated on the south-east corner of East Third and Sycamore streets, is one of the finest in the State, having every modern convenience, as elevator, steam heat, etc.

The financial interests are represented by fine banks:

Both officers and directors of the above-named institutions represent in their personnel the business ability, financial skill and knowledge and high-toned characteristics to be found in any othe city of the west.

GRAND ISLAND OPERA HOUSE

The opera house, owned by Mr. Geo. Bartenbach, was built in 1882. It has recently been remodeled, and is now one of the finest buildings of the kind in the West. Numerous gas and incandescent electric lights, set off the beautiful and spacious interior, and the colors of the stage scenry and of the walls and ceiling are of such delicate and subdued tints as to relieve rather than dazzle the eye.

We have a public library containing 1,200 volumes, and a rading room, where may be found on file the daily and weekly papers, monthy periodicals, etc., for the benefit of either resident or stranger. The librarian is always at her post, and always happy to assist those in search of books.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

Our churches are, without exception, handsome and commodious structures. The following enominations are represented here: Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, Congregational, Presbyterian.

Education in all communities is a subject of the most momentous importance. How can the diamond reveal its beauty beneath incumbent rock and earthy strata? How can the margle speak and stand forth in the divine symmetry of the human form until taken from the quarry and fashioned by the hand of the artist? How can we be intelligent, happy and useful without the culture and discipline of education? teh educational facilities of this city are unsurpassed by any city of its size in the State. Our school buildings are among the finest in the State.

The Soldiers' Home located in or midst stands as an enduring and lofty monument to Nebraska's magnanimity and princely liberality. The legislature has provided for the necessary enlargement to make this Home a credit to the State. The grounds will undergo great improvements this and next year, in the way of landscape gardening, tree planting, etc.

One of the most praiseworthy of the benevolent institutions of this city is the St. Francis Hospital, located in the south-western part of the city.

One of he most prominent institutions in this progressive community, is the Nebraska State Medical and Surgical Institute, located in the Williams & Kerr block, at the corner of Third and Spruce streets. Although young as compared with some of the leading medical institutions of this country, it has attained already an enviable reputation.

GRAND ISLAND CANNING COMPANY

The Grand Island canning factory is one of our leading industries, and an enterprise in which our citizens justly feel proud. It is a $60,000 plant, built of brick, and when in full operation furnishes employment for four hundred hands.

The State Central Brewery, located in the south-western part of the city, does an immense business. Seven thousand barrels of beer were made last year, and this year the capacity has been doubled.

Another of the leading industries in the city is the creamery, owned by a company of our citizens.

The city is lighted by gas and electricity, there being two gas companies and one electric light plant, all doing a profitable business.

The system of water works is one in which the people take just pride. Supplied by thirty-six wells, it furnishes an abundance of excellent water.

There are numerous enterprises that make our city of steady growth the envy of many boomed sisters, which space forbids mentioning, but taking everything into consideration no city in central Nebraska offers better inducements than Grand Island. With such a spendid commercial and industrial exhibit, with her magnificent location, fine climate, perfect health, powerful and intelligent press, sound financial institutions, splendid schools and churches, there is no height in the social, industrial and commercial world to which her hopeful, thrifty and energetic people may not elevate the Pearl of Nebraska.

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