Jim McKee: Woods Brothers started it all

When the regents of the College of Nebraska bought the 320-acre Moses Culver Farm in 1874 to relocate the primary agriculture campus from what grew to become the Nebraska State Fairgrounds and at present’s Innovation campus, the realm was nicely northeast of town of Lincoln.

The college’s farm was on the north aspect of Holdrege Avenue from thirty third to forty eighth Avenue whereas throughout Holdrege on the south aspect have been two homes, one far to the east practically to forty eighth. At about at present’s thirty sixth or thirty seventh Avenue was the Sullivan farm and residential, behind which was the barn of the Lincoln Horse Importing Co. (typically the Importing Draft Horse Co.) of which Mr. Sullivan was the president/supervisor.

Horses, imported from Europe, arrived on the Missouri Pacific Railroad’s Peck’s Grove siding on the west aspect of thirty third Avenue south of Apple Avenue. Dozens of individuals then routinely arrived to look at the present because the horses have been led east on at present’s Dudley Avenue to the barns. About 1880 Fred Woods, who lived within the mansion on the northwest nook of twenty sixth and J streets in Lincoln, integrated the Watson, Woods Bros. & Kelly Firm which owned the farm/horse tract on the south aspect of Holdrege, bounded by thirty third, thirty eighth and Apple streets. The barns have been on the south portion of the farm with workplaces on the southeast nook of thirty fifth and Holdrege.

Simply exterior the above picture to the suitable is the southwest nook of thirty fifth and Holdrege the place, about 1915, F. H. Brown opened a confectionery.

On the lot simply south of the nook was Brown’s dwelling and, by 1922, his bookstore. The confectionary grew to become a restaurant about 1925, which was also known as Hamburger Brown’s.

By the 1935 Lincoln Metropolis Listing the enterprise was known as the Campus Fruit Stand and Carpenter’s Restaurant. Round 1955 Val and Zena Weiler moved into the home to the south and adjusted the nook operation’s title to Val’s Sno Crème & Market whereas east throughout thirty fifth Avenue from their dwelling, the tiny constructing simply seen on the suitable aspect of the picture was Winne’s Café and months later grew to become Killham’s Restaurant.

1957 noticed the delivery of a significant Lincoln and Nebraskawide restaurant chain because the Weiler’s determined to promote refrigerated pizzas to Ag Faculty College students utilizing Zena’s mom’s recipe. This morphed, nearly immediately, into Valentino’s Pizza, which was bought to Tony and Ron Messineo in 1971.

Then, in 2014, the much-altered and enlarged iconic Valentino’s was razed with a brand new multistoried, trendy constructing housing the brand new Valentino’s.

Winne’s Restaurant to the east had meantime turn into the Piano Manufacturing unit, then the Nebraska Crop Enchancment Affiliation till it was additionally torn down.

The southeast nook of the intersection, proven right here as Larry & Gary’s Barber Store, first opened about 1925 because the Swift Gasoline Firm filling station, which had an ever-changing possession till it grew to become a bookstore, then barber store. The 2-story, extra industrial showing constructing, on the left aspect of the picture has, in its personal approach, probably the most fascinating story. When Cotner Faculty in Bethany closed in 1932-33, its educational life ended although it was stored “formally alive.”

The 3513 Holdrege constructing first appeared in directories across the finish of World Warfare I when the higher flooring was C. V. Tillman’s dwelling with the primary flooring listed as his Scholar Provide & Restaurant.

The Nebraska Christian Missionary Society bought the constructing in 1945 and reopened Cotner Faculty there the next yr “to provide scholar ministers for small congregations in Nebraska, and to coach ministers educated in agriculture.”

Preparations have been then made permitting as much as 12 credit score hours at Cotner Faculty to be transferred to the College of Nebraska. The brand new faculty was successful, but it surely quickly grew to become obvious that college students didn’t want the agricultural schooling portion of their enrollment. A constructing at 1237 R Avenue, throughout the road from Love Library was bought in 1950 as Cotner Home, a dormitory, classroom and library permitting simpler entry to the College of Nebraska’s foremost campus.

Cotner Home was razed in 1954 and changed with a three-story brick constructing for Cotner Faculty, and the Holdrege Avenue constructing was razed.

All the pictured buildings and the previous Valentino’s Restaurant have been changed with the present multistoried constructing that includes Cultiva Espresso, Valentino’s and different retail retailers on the bottom flooring with residences on the higher flooring.

Cotner Faculty later moved from R Avenue to South twentieth, joined with the United Church of Christ as a part of ELM, Training for Lay Ministry, which continues to be a registered nonprofit school, officing on South 69th Avenue however now with no bodily campus.

Completely no remnants of the previous draft horse importing firm are extant, with homes and two fraternities now protecting all however the Holdrege Avenue boundary.