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This is Main Street looking west from near what is Third Street today.

Starting with the top left which is west of Fourth street, The  Nemaha County Mercantile Company building had a different tower or copula before the  1896 tornado. See the add which shows the building 1n 1896. This was a furniture store at one time and the Knights of Columbus some arrangement with the County and City. Need more facts on this building. - More info may be added

Below that on the left to the east of Fourth street was   the Seneca Courier Democrat news paper building, which became the Courier Tribune, and moved a block and a half west in time to where it is today. This  building was shortened and a service station was put in by Van Valkenburg brothers in the 1920s. Exact date unknown  at this time.  Today it is a service shop for small engines and U-Hall rental shop.- More info may be added

The building on the top right to west of Fourth street is the D. J. Firstenberger store with ads listed it as as Golden Eagle. See Ad of 1896. Need more information as this building was the businesses it housed from that to the time it was Cooksey's Auto Parts which was managed by Ray Downing. This building collapsed in 1958. Ace Hardware occupies part of this space today. More information on this building on another page on this site. More info may be added

To east across Fourth street was  the Simons Fair Groceries and Dry Goods Store. which later became Strathman's Variety, and now is  the Pony Express Museum of today in 2004. More on this on a different page in this web site. More info may be added in time. 

Next is two  buildings that were the Winkler and Wempe Hardware and Farm Machinery store. Later in the 40s the west one which is still in use today  was a Ice-cream shop and then Dr. Hash's office. The third building in the block may have been replaced some time in the  past.  More info may be added

The one which is marked as the Buser Auto Company  no doubt had a earlier business, however as this day I am not  certain of that fact. It was the Buser Auto Company in 1910 however this would be an earlier date before there were no autos on the street. That would mean this picture was taken before 1910.  I have no information at this time as to what this buildings early use might have been. In my day it was Ushers Auto Sales, then Ray Downing Auto Parts and today it Haug Brothers Auto Store.

This picture is after 1896 as the copula  on the Mercantile building has been replaced and before 1910,  however  how much after after 1896 and before 1910,  I do not know.

Perhaps more on this later. I can see that many of these items will never be finished with this history for I will be finished much sooner than this happens.  I have thought of giving this up several times however then what? 

Should any one have any information the buildings on the near left, I would appreciate those facts. E-mail me