Northwestern Hotel, 1909
The Northwestern Hotel, located at the intersection of
Main and First Streets across the street from the railroad, was originally
known as the Collins House. Later it was sold to Harry Herring.
Lusk, Intersection of First Street and
Main, approx. 1920.
The Hotel was razed in 1930.
Lusk Sales, 1940's
Notwithstanding oil and mining booms and busts,
livestock, as indicated by the above photo has always remained important.
Main Street, 1930.
Note Snyder & Co. on left. Beyond is the Niobrara Motor Company. See Photo toward
bottom of page. Across steet note Rogers Drugstore. Compare with next photo.
Lusk, approx. 1940. Photo by William P. Sanborn
Spencer Hospital, on the left in the photo, operated by Dr. Walter E. Reckling, Sr., was the last privately owned hospital in the
state.
Lusk, 1940's
Snyder's been replaced with Midwest Furniture Company and beyond the Midwest Hardware. Rogers has been replaced with the Palace Drugstore.
In the Lusk Herald Judy Lucas wrote a regular column,
"Down Memory Lane," in which she reminisced as to the past. Columns have included
a description of a visit to the Silver Cliff Hotel, and the tendency of each of us
to remember things as they were and to give directions by landmarks that may no
longer exist. Thus, she noted that Conoco Station depicted below has changed but
we tend to picture it in the mind's eye as it was. In one column she described the
doors that exist in downtown areas which do not lead to the shops, but, instead,
lead to stairs that may go up to now long abandoned offices or apartments, or
down to the basement. One door held, however, particular significance to those who
grew up in Lusk, a door, known to all of the children of the town, that led down to a basement which was painted in a light color, with
lamps, a table, a book with a pencil in which the children, perhaps, might draw. Thus,
there was a place, tended by an elderly lady crocheting or reading, in which the children
of Lusk could safely play while their parents tended to business in town.
Lusk, approx. 1960
Compare with next photo taken approximately 10 years
later. The Ranger Hotel, constructed about 1920, was owned at one time by
Roy Chamberlain and has now been converted to Apartments. During its original construction building
stopped for a period of time when the first owner ran out of money.
Lusk, approx. 1970
In 2002, the intersection has been reconstructed yet another
time.
Lusk, 2005. Photo by Geoff Dobson
Lusk and Niobrara County continued on next page.
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