Hastings in Adams County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Stein Building

Jasperdo via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), September 2, 2017

1. The Stein Building Marker

Inscription. For more than 30 years after the turn of the century, the Stein Brothers Store provided quality merchandise from all over the world to south central Nebraska shoppers. Stein's buyers made regular trips to Europe purchasing goods, like Belgian lace and Bohemian crystal, directly from manufacturers. The Steins — Herman and Edmund — were among the first advertisers in local newspapers to list goods in stock and state their prices. They were also known for their elaborate Christmas window displays.

Located at 620 West Second Street, the Stein building was easily identifiable by the unique lions' heads on the brick facade. It was built in 1906 by former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator Charles Dietrich after fire destroyed an earlier Stein's Store at the same site. In 1925 the Steins purchased the building from the Dietrich estate.

Stein's closed on November 17, 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression. From 1934 to 1968 Montgomery Ward's occupied the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places as an outstanding example of Prairie-stvle commercial architecture.

In Recognition of Hastings' 125th Anniversary
Adams County Historical Society- 1997

Erected 1997 by Adams County Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is November 17, 1933.

Location. 40° 35.119′ N, 98° 23.345′ W. Marker is in Hastings, Nebraska, in Adams County. It is on West 2nd Street (Business U.S. 6) east of North Hastings Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 620 W 2nd St, Hastings NE 68901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Smoky Hills

and in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bostwick Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); The Clarke Hotel (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Kool-Aid Factory (about 500 feet away); The Stitt Building (about 500 feet away); The Post Office (about 500 feet away); The Burlington Depot (about 500 feet away); The Alexander - Woolworth Building (about 500 feet away); The Victory Building (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hastings.

Regarding The Stein Building. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:

In 1902 Edmund and Herman Stein, natives of Harvard, Nebraska, purchased a dry goods business and an adjacent hardware store in Hastings. The building containing these stores burned three years later and the brothers were forced to relocate
Ammodramus via Wikipedia/Public domain, March 24, 2010

2. The Stein Building Marker
Marker is on the right edge of the building.
while Charles H. Dietrich, a prominent Hastings citizen and a former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator, had a new building constructed to house the Steins' business.… Dietrich's new building was completed in 1906 and the Steins rented the building for nineteen years, purchasing it from the Dietrich estate in 1925 for $72,500.

Also see . . . Stein Brothers Building. National Register nomination (PDF) and photographs (PDF) submitted for the building. (National Park service) (Submitted on December 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 660 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 8, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.