Location?/date? Clues in the picture-businesses, but not able to find them.

Question

Looking for help identifying this family photo of found in the personal effects of Pehr Wagner Location: Possibly Stanton, Nebraska. Date: 1900+/-?.  There are several businesses in the photo, W.E Beutel Saloon, Person & Stocker Drug Store, First National Bank and "Cedar Creek School" none of which I have been able to identify.  Pretty certain the location is Nebraska, but other than that, not sure where.  Pehr Wagner is my wife's grandfather.  My wife's mother was also from Nebraska - Omaha - so there is a chance the picture ties in with her family - Ruth Emely Gustafson Wagner, 24 Dec 1922 - 19 Jan 2014.

Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (5027 x 3896).

Comments

One more thing, I think I even know now where the picture was taken.  In the background you see a post office, two doors down from the bank. The bank is situated on the corner.

I managed to find an 1899 plat map of Stanton, Nebraska.  While it was very hard to read, I found a bank, on a corner, two doors down from the Post office.  It had the initals P.O. so that had to be it.

The street names have changed but it appears to be taken at near corner of 10th and Ivy. (current street names).

If I am correct, none of the buildings in the picture are still standing.

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Craig, thank you so much for your analysis!  May I ask where you got the old plat of Stanton?  Is it available to view on line?  Thanks again.

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The plat that I found was at

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/153885/Stanton/Stanton+County+1899/Nebraska/

The town has changed a bit, the most notable is the removal of the train tracks that ran through town.  But you can still make out where they used to run. 

One feature that has remained is the location of the courthouse.    if you look at the plat map for 1899, look at Pacific Street that runs in front of it.  About a block down you will see two buildings marked in black.  The one right on the corner is marked, "Bank"  two doors down is one marked, P.O.  Which must be the post office.   That matches up with the background of the picture.  A bank right on the corner and the post office two doors down.

Now the street names have changed since 1899.  But you can still locate the same corner as the courthouse's location has not changed.   Unless I have made an error, the picture was taken on what is now the corner of 10th and Ivy. 

 If you want the exact location, the photographer was standing on a current map, look on google street view for that corner,  they were standing on the sidewalk, next to,  and not in front of, a  bar called "The Greenhorn"

As I said, none of the buildings in the original picture are still standing so it's hard to figure out.   To give you one last reference, in the original picture there is a saloon,  on that spot now, is a brick building marked, "1st National Bank"

I hope that helps.

 

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Craig, thanks again. Great info.

Answer 1

http://www.usa.com/cedar-creek-ne-school-district.htm    I researched the School District figured it would still be there...   Name was on sign held by person with flag.  I would contact their history department or a local history museum.

Adding this info:  https://www.cedarcreeknebraska.com/index.php/community/cedar-creek-history

Comments

Laura, thanks for your work on this.  The Cedar Creek you found is in the general vicinity of Omaha so I wonder if it is the same Cedar Creek as referenced in the photo, but it is the only one in NE I have been able to find.  Pehr Wagner and family were from the Stanton/Norfolk area.

Answer 2

I would not be a bit surprised if your wife's grandfather is one of the students in the photo. I would say it was taken somewhere from the late 1890s to 1910 or so.

Comments

Deb, thanks for looking at the photo.  I agree with your opinion as to the probably date.

Answer 3

There doesn't seem to be much left of Cedar Creek these days. It is on Google Maps and Street View, but the only business I see left is the Post Office. See Google Maps.

 

Comments

Yes, the Cedar Creek we have found seems to be part of Omaha now.  That confuses me since Pehr and family were from Stanton/Norfolk area.

Answer 4

From what I've gathered, It was almost certainly taken in Stanton, Nebraska.

In the 1900 census we find one M.H. Stocker, who is listed as a druggist.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M313-NWZ : accessed 6 September 2017), M H Stocker, Stanton Precinct Stanton city Ward 1-2, Stanton, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 178, sheet 7B, family 158, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,941.

In the same town is a W.H. Person, who in 1900 is listed as a physician

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M313-K1D : accessed 6 September 2017), W H Person, Stanton Precinct Stanton city Ward 1-2, Stanton, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 178, sheet 8B, family 177, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,941.

 

I can imagine a druggist and physician working together.  Not to mention that also in Stanton is W.M Beutel.  In 1900 he's listed as a painter, but it's possible he operated a saloon for a time.

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M313-2ZV : accessed 6 September 2017), Wm Beutel, Stanton Precinct Stanton city Ward 1-2, Stanton, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 178, sheet 4A, family 71, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,941.

 

if you look above the saloon, you can see in the window "earney, Lawyer"  While the first letter of the name cannot be seen, I took a wild guess and tried Kearney.  

Sure enough.   Living in 1900 in Stanton.  A.A. Kearney.  Lawyer"

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M31Q-SQB : accessed 6 September 2017), A A Kearney, Stanton Precinct Stanton city Ward 1-2, Stanton, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 178, sheet 2B, family 34, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,941.

So, all the names I can find in the picture, appear in the year 1900, living in Stanton Nebraska.  And all but one have the right profession.

I looked in the street view for Stanton and there's only one or two intersections that could have been taken.   But none of the buildings can be recognized.  But it's more than possible that all the buildings pictured, are no longer standing.

 

I hope this helps.

Comments

Craig, this is great stuff!  Can't wait to dig into it deeper.  Thanks so much!