Negonce Block and Bank Block

Negonce Block and Bank Block. Where The Rivers Meet. , Looking across Main Street: Negonce Block, The block across the street was the location of the first frame house. It was built in 1846 by Cyprian Hooker. The house was later moved to make way for a business block. In 1905, fire fueled by an explosion of dynamite and/or gasoline in the rear of Boylan's Hardware store, destroyed the western five buildings of the block and the first building on the Bridge. The Village President, Chris Bergin campaigned for owners to rebuild. He rebuilt the first store, now Flat River Grill. When the four-store building was completed, John Hooker, son of Cyprian, was asked to christen it. He named it "Negonce" in honor of his childhood Odawa friend who had been born near this location. , Looking at the South side of the street: Bank Block, The Bank Block housed a bank (Lowell National Bank, then Lowell State Bank) at the far eastern end for 100 years (1868-1968). As a result of a fire in 1927, changes were made in the appearance of the first floor architecture. The second floor was once home to the Lowell Library. , Timeline , 1844 , Daniel Marsac platted the Village of Dansville, east of Flat River , 1846 , Cyprian Hooker built the first frame house (north side) , July 4, 1848 , Hooker's Grist Mill ground its first flour (south side) , 1857 , Dansville and Lowell voted to unite , 1868 , Bank was built (south side) , 1869 , Robert Graham built easternmost building (north side) , 1873 , Remainder of Bank Block (south side) was built , 1873-1895 , Kopf Furniture (south side) sold goods manufactured in his factory , 1873-1907 , Howk's Shoe Store (south side); see Howk's huge shoe at Museum cl875 Hooker house was moved away, remainder of north side built , 1905 , Fire in Negonce Block. Bergin and Negonce buildings built , 1905-1950s , The Lowell Ledger office was in the Bank Block , 1912-2014 , MOOSE Lodge met in Bank Block , The Bergin and Negonce buildings were built in 1905 after the fire. Notice the car on the left is parked where the Riverwalk entrance is today. It was Lafayette Street then. (1920’s), Three businesses shared the building at 219 East Main Street (1893-1930’s). R.D. Stocking sold sewing machines, pianos, victrolas, sporting good, bicycles, and Black Crow automobiles; Mrs. Stocking and her mother sold hats; H.A. Sherman sold and repaired watches, clocks and jewelry. Hazel Hoag, who worked for Mrs. Stocking since a teenager, purchased the business in 1937 and opened Hazel’s Hat Shop., Negonce Block and Bank Block , This area east of the Flat River was platted by Daniel Marsac as the village of Dansville. Cyprian Hooker purchased 8 acres of that land. In 1850, Marsac sold the remainder to Abel Avery who sold the parcels to settlers. Dansville (east of Flat River) and Lowell (west) voted to unite as the Village of Lowell in 1857., Townspeople used rowboats during the Flood of 1904. Notice Boylan's Hardware on left before the 1905 fire destroyed it. The building was rebuilt as the Bergin building., Fire broke out in the wooden oil room of Boylan’s Hardware on April 11, 1905, and was quickly followed by a terrific explosion of gasoline or dynamite or both. Nine businesses were destroyed. “So swift was the destruction of these buildings that the occupants could only escape with their lives.” The Lowell Ledger, The Bank Block was built in two stages, the bank in 1868 and the remainder in 1873. The speaker’s platform, shown in this photo, was placed in front of Lowell State Bank to be used for a July 4th celebration during the 1890s.