THE WAUPACA POST

September 24, 1992

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

            An article that appeared in the Waupaca Post for July 4, 1901, it gave the provisions of a contract that was made on February 4, 1894, when the City Council voted to vacate Sessions Street east from Main Street.

            By doing so, the City of Waupaca received a quit-claim deed for the property, and in return Mrs. L. P. Earle received a nine-foot platform on the north side of her property.  This is presently the site of the Miller Insurance Agency, and N. P. Peterson received $873 for the use of the south wall of the stone building that he had erected.

            This is the former Nelson Pain Store at 200 N. Main Street.  It is interesting to learn that Sessions Street crossed Main Street at this point prior to 1894.

            Looking over the railing at the drop-off between these two buildings, it is hard to realize that East Sessions Street started at this point, and one must wonder just what North Main Street looked like at that time.

            For several years prior to 1908, N. P. Peterson operated his blacksmith shop at what is now 200 N. Main Street, where he also sold cutters, bob sleighs, buggies, wagons and other farm equipment.  IN 1908 F. L. Hoaglin leased the building from Mr. Peterson, and operated it as a garage and machine shop.

            It was on January 12, 1912, that N. P. Peterson and his wife, Julia, sold out to F. L. Hoaglin for $3,300, “the south 28 feet of Lot 3, Out Lot Block 28, and as much of Sessions Street on which was located the south wall of the brick building situated on the above described premise subject to the Party Wall Agreement” as recorded in deeds volume 95, page 321.

            The Waupaca Record for January 18 1912, gave the following plans as to how Mr. Hoaglin was going to renovate the building after the purchase.

            “Mr. Hoaglin now uses only the first floor of the building as a store room, having his machine shop on the second floor, but will remodel it in such a way, that it will give him four floors.

            “He will install an elevator, operated by power, large enough to carry an automobile to the second floor above street level, or to either of the floors below street level. The building will be constructed so that there will be ample room for two stories between the street level and the ground level.”

            On January 6, 1913, after renting for four years and owning for one year, F. L. Hoaglin and his wife, Marie, sold the building to Van Nelson.  Mr. Nelson sold Overland automobiles at this location.

            It was on December 14, 1918, that John W. Osborn bought the building from Nelson, but in addition to the original legal description of the property, there was added the following, “The deed now states, ‘including all machinery, furniture, fixtures, tools, stock and contents of every description now contained in the building.’”

            Once again the building changed hands.  It was on April 19, 1920, that Thorvold and Albert Nelson bought out John W. Osborn, and this was the beginning of the Nelson Paint Store at 200 N. Main Street, that existed at this location until January 3, 1972, when Verna Nelson, widow of the former Emil Nelson, disposed of the property to Barry Maxson.