Fendrick takes over after Nichols’ bankruptcy

Hannah Gross 
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
“Through Howard O Wilson, representative of the Omaha Live Stock National Bank, one of the largest real estate deals in the history of Newcastle was closed yesterday,” says the June 5, 1924, edition of The News Letter. 
As historian Leonard Cash wraps up his “History on Main” series on the former A.M. Nichols building (now Perkins Tavern), he begins this week’s installment with his records from The News Letter that announce a new owner of the property after it had been in the A.M. Nichols family for many years. 
According to the June 5, 1924, edition of the paper, Newcastle Building Co. bought lots 1 through 6 on Block 10 and lots 1 through 6 on Block 20 for $25,000, including the A.M. Nichols holdings: the supply company, storehouses and lumber yard. The article said that three years earlier, the property couldn’t have been secured for $100,000. Cash said the reason it was sold was that Nichols went bankrupt. 
“It said in the paper that he (A.M. Nichols) had too much money in the books for the times,” Cash said.
Everet Graham was opening a new meat market in the building on July 1, reported the June 28, 1924, paper. However, a month later he decided to move across the street into the present-day Modern Cleaners building, which at the time was being remodeled into a meat market. 
The records are a little scarce in the 1920s and 1930s, so the next article in Cash’s records comes from Sept. 22, 1927, where we find the American Bentonite Corp. remodeling the warehouse on the Burlington right of way. The article also mentioned that a mill and drying plant was being installed. 
On July 30, 1931, the paper reported that C.J. Fendrick, who bought the Nichols’ building (now called “Fendrick” building), and other carpenters were making “extensive repairs” on the building, including fixing the loose molding, resetting the windows, repairing doors and locks, painting trim and installing concrete doorsteps. 
The April 20, 1933, issue of the paper announced that Basketeria Grocery, an IGA store, had its grand opening in the Fendrick building. An IGA store is an association where the grocer has part ownership of the store, Cash said.
A year later, another grand opening was held in the building when the Golden Rule Store opened on Saturday, Oct. 20, 1934, according to the Oct. 18, 1934, paper. 
An article from Nov. 16, 1935, reported that Red Owl Stores Inc. was opening a chain store in Newcastle, according to District Supervisor Merrill Coursey. Joe Cummings, formerly of Upton, was to be the manager, and he had already been working with Red Owl chains in Custer and Rapid City. A full line of fresh fruits, vegetables and complete stock in groceries were to be
supplied. Cummings and his wife were to stay in Fendrick apartments. 
“Red Owl was probably one of the first stores to have a lady manager,” Cash said. 
On Nov. 22, 1935, Red Owl officially opened at 7:30 a.m. Howard Wham and Lester Loose were helping, while carpenters and painters were busy getting it ready. Vapor spray and cooling equipment were installed to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh. 
“Special representatives direct from the Loose Wiles Biscuit Co. factory will attend demonstrations and explain in detail the manufacturing of their products,” the article says. 
A year later, the Dec. 3, 1936, paper announced that Cummings was moving on to a new chapter in life, so district supervisor W.M. Peterson reported that Gordon Heacox of North Dakota was appointed to Cummings’ position. Orville Worman was to serve as assistant. 
“Mr. Cummings has associated himself with E.Z. Crum, proprietor of the Newcastle Golden Rule store and will have charge of a similar dry goods business at Custer in the near future,” the article says.
Around 1941, Red Owl moved out of the Fendrick building across the street into the new McAvoy building, which is where the modern-day Something Healthy store is located, Cash said.  
According to the March 28, 1940, paper, Max Lamson, who owned the Peerless Bar (now Perkins’ Tavern) applied for a retail liquor license, and the article said the City Council was looking over his application and a few others at its next meeting.
A new fruit and vegetable store opened up in the Fendrick building, according to the
Oct. 16, 1941. 
A few years ago, Charles Grieves and H.A. “Boo” Grieves bought the Peerless Bar from Tom Graham, who had it for over two years, reported the Nov. 29, 1945, paper. 
According to the Jan. 24, 1946, paper, Weston County Drug Store moved into the old Red Owl building, which gave it much more room than the previous location. A Burlington bus depot was to be added to the back, as well as a beauty shop on the balcony.
Two months later, a new grocery store was opening in the old Golden Rule section of the building. C.F. “Bo” Whitman was opening City Grocery, with “groceries in every line” and a meat department, announced an article from March 7, 1946.  
An article from Sept. 16, 1946 (reprinted in the 1976 Sometime Ago section), reported that $105 was stolen from the cash register on
Sept. 13, at the Peerless Bar, when a man walked into the bar and demanded — at gun point — for Grieves to hand over money.
A later article from Oct. 3, 1946, said that the two young Minnesota bandits, Lyle Nowack and James Weaver, were arrested on Sept. 19, near Midland, South Dakota. In addition to the armed robbery at Peerless Bar, these criminals committed car thefts,
burglaries and other armed robberies across six states, including Wyoming.
The July 31, 1947, paper reported the death of Alvin M. Nichols on July 20, due to poor health at the age of 75. His final resting place is in Scio, Oregon. Nichols was born on Aug. 19, 1871, in Osage County, Iowa. His family moved to Douglas, Wyoming, in the 1880s. His life included serving as a councilman, mayor, county commissioner, special duty sheriff, lower House member of State Legislature, as well as being involved in many business industries, such as the newspaper, merchandising, banking, ranching and farming. After retiring from his full life, he and his wife moved to California and then settled down in Oregon. He was a lifetime member of the Newcastle Lodge No. 13, AF&AM, and died as a member of the Lake Grove Presbyterian church. 
Unfortunately, on June 20, 1948, Lloyd Nichols, Alvin’s son, passed away suddenly in Conta Paula, California from a heart attack at age 55. He was postmaster of the local masonic lodge. 
The following year, his mother, Orpha Nichols, died in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 13, according to her obituary in the Oct. 20, 1949, paper. At the age of 77, she died as an active member of the Episcopal church, the Order of the Eastern Star, the
woman’s club and other women’s organizations. 
“She was admired by friends and acquaintances as a true Christian wife, mother and friend,” the article says. 
Next week, Cash will backtrack to the ’30s to give more details on the various enterprises occupying the building at the time, including Newcastle Bakery.