Lushton Lore

The Bullers have long been associated with Lushton, even before Grandpa and Grandma began farming a mile south of town (on which, see here and here). Grandpa’s father, Peter P Buller, was the first of our line to settle near Lushton, when, after his marriage to Margaretha Epp in 1890, he assumed responsibility for the Epp family farm two miles north of Lushton (the southeast quarter of section 11 in the map below).

Our family’s direct association with Lushton continued for over seventy-five years, with Grandpa and Grandma and several of their grown children living in and around Lushton at various times. Because Lushton is the setting for so much of the Buller family history, it seems worthwhile to spend a few minutes exploring Lushton’s own history, as told by T. E. Sedgwick in York County Nebraska and Its People (Chicago: Clarke, 1921), 475–76:

“Lushton is built on section 25, township 9, range 4, in Henderson Township and was surveyed and built in the spring of 1888 [thus, only two years before Peter P took over the Epp farm], when the railroad came through to McCool Junction from Sutton. The board or village trustees were A. Holmes, chairman; M. W. Straiter, A. Cookus, M. D. Calkins, T. C. Williams, with Ed Allison as clerk and Homer Hager as treasurer. The Kansas City & Omaha was put through here in the spring of 1887. The first general store was built in Lushton by Dorsey Brothers, who came down from Arborville. They operated this store but one year, when they sold to Dailey & Farber, who carried on the business for about ten years. In the summer of 1887 Mr. Albert Holmes built a general store building and in connection with his store took charge of the post office, which he conducted until a little more than three years ago [i.e., 1918], when on account of ill health he sold to Howard Dearing, who, in partnership with his mother, Mrs. E. T. Dearing, operated the store for a short while, when they sold out to Jacob Epp & Son. Mr. Holmes had always been identified with the business interests of the village and was greatly missed by the people of the community when he passed away after a short illness. Mr. William Babcock was also in the mercantile business for several years. In the fall of 1887 the farmers were highly elated over having a grain market at their very doors, the first grain being brought in at that time. In October, 1887, J. J. Burras and C. N. Kincaid of Lincoln organized the first lumber company and were soon ready for business. That business was soon purchased by Mr. M. B. Thompson, who had helped to shovel the first load of grain in Lushton, and it was successfully operated by him for a number of years, and was finally taken over by the Yost Lumber Company. The first hardware store in Lushton was built and operated by C. B. Walters; Edward Moore ran the first drug store. William Cookus put in the first blacksmith shop, but at present has relinquished the pounding of iron for more convenient work. The first hotel was a two-story frame building on the east side of the main store, and was built and operated by Mr. William Walters. The State Bank of Lushton was the first and only bank in Lushton, and was organized in the spring of 1887 by George and Tom Clawson. Although a small town, the ladies knew the magnetism establishment, so Mrs. Susan Daily started a shop and sold millinery for a good many years. In 1888 the first elevator was built and operated by Will R. Vanderburg.
“The United Brethren Church was the first church to grace the village of Lushton, and it was moved in from the country.

“The store operated by Daily & Farber was later bought by M. W. Strater, who was a successful merchant, full of ambition; he was one of the liveliest merchants of his time. In February, 1913, he retired from business, having sold out to Franz Bros., who have also been very successful. Early on the morning of March 5, 1913, the people of Lushton were awakened from peaceful slumber by a call of fire. The entire town was in danger, but luckily through the change of wind only one block of the business section was burned to the ground. The buildings demolished were a restaurant, hardware store, cream station, and millinery store. Several other buildings were damaged. However, the citizens were not to be discouraged. On the corner lot a large brick building was erected in 1915 by the firm of Jacob Epp & Son, who are operating a successful mercantile establishment. The population of Lushton is about two hundred; it is in the midst of a thriving farming district. Besides its two general mercantile stores it now has two hardware stores, two cream stations, a drug store, a furniture and undertaking establishment, a meat market, a barber shop, central office, confectionery, garage and livery, lumber yard, school house, large, neatly kept hotel, which has just been opened again, a new blacksmith shop, recently erected by Mr. McNutt. Lushton has had two churches, but for the past year services were held only in the United Brethren Church. These churches are kept up by the Needlecraft Society, Ladies Aid and Missionary Society. Just at present the ladies are very enthusiastic workers in the Red Cross, and this little chapter has done some very good work. The men also have their amusement in the commercial rooms, where they may play checkers, dominoes and chess, and there is also a library in connection with it. The Modern Woodmen also were well represented by many good times. The band gives concerts every Saturday evening during the summer months from the band stand in the center of town. Through the winter the community has usually had a lecture course held in the United Brethren Church.
“The business men of Lushton are a live bunch. Mr. E. Le Bar, the druggist, came to Nebraska from eastern Iowa about forty years ago. Jacob Epp & Son started in business in Lushton in 1915 and have built a fine brick building, 70x30, with modern front.

Lincoln & Tharp have a thoroughly up-to-date hardware and harness establishment. Emmitt Lincoln is the son of the veteran merchant of McCool. Clifford Tharp came to Lushton from Chicago. Franz Brothers have been in Lushton for five years. J. M. Sigrist came in 1901. Six years ago he went up to Theadford, Thomas County, and homesteaded, but returned to Lushton and bought the furniture and undertaking establishment of Y. R. Miles, the Lushton representative of Metz & Hitchcock of York.
“P. K. Moore, who has lived in Nebraska forty-four years, helped organize the Bank of Lushton, with G. W. Post, E. G. Wightman, C. A. McCloud, now president; T. L. Robinson, cashier. J. H. Yost Lumber Company owned the only yard in Lushton. Hynes Grain Company have Bud Smith as their resident manager. W. P. Cookus can really claim to be the pioneer of Lushton; he built the first frame house, opened a blacksmith shop on April 18, 1887, and can remember all of the country from Grafton to Lushton as a corn field when he came.

“Lushton’s business roster in 1920 showed:

Bank of Lushton	Lincoln Tharp Hardware Co.
Dearing, H. P., restaurant	Prest, Dr. J. E.
Franz Bros., general merchandise	Smith, Glenn, Implement Co.
Haynes Grain Co.	Van Wickle Grain Co.
High School	Walters, Wm., meat market
Le Bar, C. R., drug store	Yost Lumber Co.”

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This account begins to sketch Lushton’s history, but there is much more to be told. Future posts will provide a fuller picture, including accounts of a bank robbery in broad daylight, a murder-suicide not far from town, Lushton’s winning baseball team, and the town’s ongoing battle with fires in the business district.