Oshkosh in Garden County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Nebraska State Bank

— Old Town Historical Plaque —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2023

1. Nebraska State Bank Marker

Inscription.
In 1894, the Oshkosh Land and Cattle Company sold 80 acres of the NW 1/4 of 36-17-44 to August Sudman on which the site of Oshkosh was laid out.

Nebraska State Bank is located on Lots 1, 2, 3 & 4 of Block 6, Original Town, Oshkosh. The following summary of each lot is an explanation of previous owners, buildings and finally the Bank.

Lot #1: In 1917, a new bank, Oshkosh State Bank, was chartered by Peter Olson and Reuben Lisco, along with construction of the two-story bank building. E.R. Ferrell and Floyd Ferrell became stockholders in 1922. The directors met in 1924 to discuss the merger of Nebraska State Bank with Oshkosh State Bank. It was decided that it would be more economical to run both banks in one building and Oshkosh State Bank ceased to exist. It continued as a bank facility until 1970 when it was deeded to Dr. Willard Seng who moved his medical practice from the second floor to the first. Then it was bought back in 1990 by Nebraska State Bank and remodeled to accommodate the Bank's expansion.

Lot #2: In 1898, the Woodman Hall was built and served as a society hall, dance hall, church and gatherings of any size

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used the Hall. In 1905, it was sold to Anson L. Birchard and then to Samuel Van Newkirk in 1906 who started a “line of hardware goods.” This business continued until 1912 when new operators moved the “hardware business” to another location. From 1922 to 1926 it was a “pool hall” operated by Charley Miller. Samuel Van Newkirk sold the building to Richard H. “Bert” Smith in 1945. After remodeling, it had two insurance offices occupied by Smith and Jack Van Newkirk. It continued as an insurance office until 1960 when the building was sold to Floyd L. Ferrell. In 1970, the building was deeded to the new bank owners, Donald Fecht and William S. Olson, who replaced it with a new bank building on Lots #2 and #3, which is the central part of the bank.

Lot #3: Several owners from 1905 to 1915 were Simon Spry, Elmer Soder, Albert Baguet and Hodge Sanders when a two-story frame building was built as a café and bought by John W. and Vina Smith who continued the cafe operation, living on the second floor, until 1928. Owners were then John Kiley, for one year, followed by Dewey and Lenis Jensen and finally it was deeded to Ed McNulty in 1942. McNulty's

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2023

2. Nebraska State Bank Marker

The marker is mounted on the brick pilaster at the left/south edge of the original 1917 Oshkosh State Bank facade.

had the café business until 1946 when they sold it to William B. Van Newkirk, when the café was called Jack, Jessie, Merlyn and Mylan. Floyd L. Ferrell bought the building in 1967 and sold it to the new bank owners in 1970. It then became the south portion of the new bank building completed in 1971.

Lot #4: Records indicate that Lot #4 had the same owners as Lot #3 until 1928 when it was finally deeded from John Kiley to Dewey Jensen, who built a new grocery store. It was first run by Lawrence and Gertrude Aufdengarten, and then followed by Bob Hehnke and wife as their first Oshkosh grocery store. It was then leased to Mike Shaheen, enabling his son Toy Shaheen and wife, Edith, to start their first Oshkosh mercantile business. Next, Charley Miller moved his “beer and pool hall” to this location. Esther Jensen, widow of Dewey Jensen, sold the building to David McCarville in 1974 when it was remodeled as Oshkosh's first Laundromat. The building and business was sold to Darrell Zorn in 1988 who then sold it to Kevin Tophoj in 1993. Nebraska State Bank finally acquired most of Lot #4 in 1994 as it expanded the bank adding offices and a

Nebraska State Bank (<i>northeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2023

3. Nebraska State Bank (northeast elevation)

The original name “Oshkosh State Bank” is carved in stone above the pediment.

new boardroom.

Erected 2014 by Old Town Project and 2010 Garden County Centennial Planning Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1917.

Location. 41° 24.281′ N, 102° 20.673′ W. Marker is in Oshkosh, Nebraska, in Garden County. It is at the intersection of Main Street and West Avenue C (Robinson Avenue), on the left when traveling north on Main Street. The marker is mounted directly on the 1917 bank building, on the left side of the original front entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 218 Main Street, Oshkosh NE 69154, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Nebraska Panhandle.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

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

Nebraska State Bank (<i>east/front elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2023

4. Nebraska State Bank (east/front elevation)

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bar and Pool Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Morris Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Williams Hotel and Original Garden County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Original Campbell Drug (within shouting distance of this marker); Consumers Public Power Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Chase Hardware (within shouting distance of this marker); Garden County News (within shouting distance of this marker); Oshkosh Land and Cattle Co. “Company Store” (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oshkosh.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 26, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.