Research &
Collection
Research
The Library and Archives of the Stuhr Museum are located in the Edgar and Frances Reynolds Research Center. The Reynolds Center was made possible by generous grants from the Edgar and Frances Reynolds Foundation, Inc. and the Peter Kiewit Foundation.
The Research Department is open by appointment to all individuals interested in historical research and study. The department also offers seminars, workshops, and programs in genealogical and historical research; using local history in the classroom; preservation of family heirlooms; and interpreting family heirlooms, including photographs, textiles, and many other objects.
Hours:
Please contact the Research Department to make an appointment at least 72 hours prior to your visit.
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: By appointment only
Sunday: CLOSED
Contact us: research@stuhrmuseum.org
More about the Research Department
When personal or historical items are left at a museum or when staff discover materials in the collection without clear documentation, it creates a unique challenge. Museums cannot legally exhibit or fully steward items they do not own, and caring for undocumented property requires time and resources. Addressing these situations responsibly is an important part of preserving history for the public.
Like many museums and cultural institutions, Stuhr Museum occasionally becomes home to objects or archival materials for which ownership cannot be confirmed. Nebraska law provides a process that allows museums to establish legal title to such property so it can be properly cared for, interpreted, and shared.
The Nebraska Museum Property Act (Nebraska Revised Statutes § 51-701 to 51-712) requires that institutions give notice of their intent to assert legal title. This is done by 1) publishing a statement in a newspaper that circulates in the county where the museum is located for one week, and 2) posting a list of the materials online for a minimum of three consecutive weeks. Per the Museum Property Act, Stuhr Museum will periodically assert legal title to undocumented property. These are items for which Stuhr Museum cannot determine the owner through existing records and have been in the possession of Stuhr Museum for at least 7 years. Simultaneously to the required publication in a newspaper, a list of items will be posted on this page for three consecutive weeks.
When a notice is active, a button will appear below linking to a downloadable list of the items. Anyone who believes they have a claim to an item must contact Stuhr Museum within one year of the newspaper publication date.
Advertised March 2026; contact Stuhr Museum by March 2027.
FAnny Deffenbaugh
This postcard image from the Deffenbaugh family collection shows Fanny dressed in a mid-1890s ladies’ suit (1895–96), featuring a dark lapel and collar, very large buttons, and a peplum jacket. She wears a brooch at her neck, her hair styled up in a bun at the back of her head, and holds a paintbrush in one hand and a paint palette in the other. She stands at an easel displaying a landscape painting. Beneath the easel is a potted palm, possibly accompanied by a geranium. On the back of the card, beneath her name, the word “artist” is written in pencil.
Fanny, sometimes spelled Fannie, was born on November 1, 1885, in or near Cairo in Hall County. She grew up, was educated, and lived in the Cairo area until early July 1910, when she, her mother, and her brothers—George, Wayne, and Ethan—traveled to the Pueblo, Colorado area in hopes of improving Fanny’s health. Their journey was delayed in Denver for some time due to her condition, and Mrs. Deffenbaugh eventually returned to Cairo. Unfortunately, Fanny’s health did not improve. By April 1911, she was seriously ill, and her father, Sylvester Deffenbaugh, who was serving as postmaster at Cairo, was called to Colorado in late May due to her rapid decline. Her death was announced in the Independent on June 21, 1911.
Mother & Son
Anna Julia (Scheel) Stuhr is pictured holding her infant son, Leo Byron Stuhr, who was born March 17, 1878, in Davenport, Iowa. Anna was the second wife of Peter Stuhr; his first wife, Catharina (Scheel) Stuhr—Anna’s sister—had passed away in March 1866. Following Catharina’s death, Anna came to America and married Peter Stuhr in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 31, 1867.
Anna was the mother of three children: Arthur, born in 1868, who died in April 1875; a daughter, Arthalie, born in March 1875, who lived until June 1946; and Leo Byron Stuhr. Peter Stuhr died in March 1889, not long after the family had moved into a new house on First Street. At that time, Arthalie was 14 and Leo was 11, leaving Anna to raise the children on her own.
Arthalie was married to Leo Benninghoven, but they divorced with no children. She was very active in Grand Island’s City Improvement Association, contributing to the development of several city parks, including Pioneer, Memorial, and Broadwell Parks, and helping manage the annual flower shows.
Leo, who graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1897, was the first member inducted into the school’s Hall of Honor. Anna Stuhr continued to live in Grand Island until her death in August 1916. Her son, Leo Stuhr, later served as the first chairman of the newly formed County Museum Board, but died shortly thereafter on May 18, 1961. Today, his legacy continues at Stuhr Museum, where his parents’ home is part of Railroad Town and the main building is named the Leo B. Stuhr Building in his honor.
Northeast corner of 2nd & Locust Street
This photograph shows the businesses on the west side of the 200 block of North Locust in Grand Island. The building at the far left, located on the corner of 2nd Street and North Locust, is the Capital Billiard Parlor on the ground floor, with the Wm. P. Mullen and A.L. Joseph Law Offices on the second floor. H.A. Modesitt was proprietor of Capital Billiards.
The Palace Cafe is to the right of Capital Billiards, proprietor Saburo Shindo. Next to the Palace was Locke Studio, business of Henry W. Locke. The Grand Island Business College is at the far right, A.L. Dunn president. The Caredis Cafe occupies the ground floor of the business college with Nick Caredis as proprietor.
Six cars are parked diagonally in front of the businesses. An unidentified gentleman stands at the entrance to Capital Billiards. While the buildings that once housed Capital Billiards, the Palace Café and Locke Studio still stand, the four-story Grand Island Business College building, built in 1885, was torn down in June 1962 to make way for a parking lot.
Grand Island Graduates 1891
The Grand Island Independent of Wednesday, June 17, 1891, announced the graduating exercises for the graduates of 1891 on page 4 as follows:
“The ninth annual graduating exercises of the Grand Island high school will be held at the Bartenbach opera house, Friday, June 19th, 1891, 8 p.m. sharp. No presents will be permitted on said occasion, and flowers, if any, will have to be sent to the stage entrance.”
The article went on to outline the program, including the overture, essays, orations, music, a class prophecy, and concluding with the valedictory oration by James W. Searson, the presentation of diplomas by Nathan Platt, president of the Board of Education, and a musical performance by the Episcopal Church Choir.
The class of 1891 consisted of eight students seen here in this photograph: (Back Row, left to right) Chancey V. Nusz, Lulu Hetzel, Fred J. Bentley, (Front Row) Grace N. Bentley, Christine N. Towne, Dora Kolls, James “Will” Searson and Maud Rollins.
Memorial Park
This photograph, likely taken in the 1930s, was previously published in the Grand Island Independent on Monday, September 27, 1937, in an article titled: “The “Then” and “NOW” of Memorial Park — Our Other Park.”
The land that would become Memorial Park in Grand Island was originally owned by several individuals, including Ira and Bayard Paine, George Bell, and Andrew Hargis. The area had been used as sand pits, and once it was no longer needed for that purpose, it became a dumping ground for garbage and manure. Reports of dumping in the pits appear in newspapers as early as 1907. Fires were a frequent problem, including a notable blaze on July 4, 1913, started by a passing Union Pacific engine. Despite posted signs and repeated warnings, dumping continued until the formation of the City Improvement Association in 1921, which began working to clean up such sites across the city.
City Attorney Harold A. Prince worked to locate the landowners along West Third Street and obtain quitclaim deeds. Judge Bayard H. Paine was the first contacted and the first to transfer his land, with the condition that it “must be forever devoted to community purposes or revert to the grantors, or their heirs.” Other landowners soon followed, deeding their property with the understanding that it would “forever be dedicated to public park, playground or camping purposes.”
Throughout the remainder of 1921 and into early 1922, work crews removed refuse, filled in the pits, and added topsoil. By April 1922, plans were in place to begin planting trees. A joint committee of the City Improvement Association requested that the first trees be planted on Arbor Day and asked the mayor to name the site “Memorial Park.” The American Legion proposed planting one memorial tree for each of the 28 fallen soldiers from Hall County, either within or in front of the park, and contracted with Tilley Nurseries to care for the trees during their first year. Hackberry trees were selected. Additional trees were donated by the Elks, Rotarians, Spanish-American War Veterans, the Eagles, the Woman’s Club, and the Kiwanians. The mayor and city council officially approved the name Memorial Park at their meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 1922.
The Independent announced on April 18 that the park’s dedication would take place on Memorial Day, Tuesday, May 30, 1922, with some tree planting to occur in advance. Special invitations were extended to the Spanish-American War Veterans, Disabled War Veterans, and the Grand Army of the Republic to participate in the ceremonies.
Work on Memorial Park did not end with dedication. The American Legion, the City Improvement Association and the City of Grand Island continued to acquire land to expand the park. Grant and Clay streets were closed to add space to the park. The American Legion commissioned a Memorial Tablet listing the 28 fallen soldiers from Hall County in WWI. It arrived on the May 14, 1925, and was displayed in the window of Wolbach’s store. The Legion continued to advocate for improvements and contributed funds toward development.
The city solicited plans and bids for the park, and the proposal from Marshall Nursery in Arlington, Nebraska, was approved on March 17, 1927. The plan outlined the full layout of the park, with a central memorial area and fountain. It also specified the placement of each tree honoring the fallen soldiers along a sidewalk to be installed along Third Street. Planting began on April 16.
In September 1929, the Union Pacific allowed for their right of way to become a part of the park so that the area between the park and the tracks could be cleaned up and seeded. Some of the proposed features, such as acquiring war cannons from France for display in the park, were never realized. The Memorial Tablet and shrine area, which included a small circular fountain, were finally installed in the summer of 1931. The city would go on to install lighting in the park to highlight the plantings and shrine area. For many years, the park served as a place to gather on Memorial Day and as a regular meeting place for community events.
The Memorial Tablet that once stood central at Memorial Park was relocated to the Veteran’s Memorial Park near the Veteran’s Club in the spring of 2013. Originally mounted on concrete in Memorial Park, it was cleaned and mounted on granite at the new location donated by Jim Schiffler, then owner of Desch Paine Memorials. The WWI Memorial Tablet was rededicated on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013.
Memorial Park is located at 2000 W 3rd St. and is bound on the west by Garfield St., the east by Tilden St. and the north by the Union Pacific tracks.
Collection
Stuhr Museum houses over 140,000 2D and 3D objects in our collection. With over 200 acres of property and over 100 structures on the museum grounds, Stuhr Museum exhibits numerous artifacts at any one time. Each of the objects on exhibit illustrates a unique component of the history of the Hall County and Central Nebraska region from the 1840s until 1930 and the individuals who called this region of the country their home. The famous Stuhr building, named for the founder of the museum Leo Stuhr, was created by renowned architect Edward Durell Stone. His son, Edward Durell Stone Jr., worked with his father to design the iconic landscape which surrounds the museum on all sides with water. The building is home to 15 permanent exhibits made up of historic Hall County artifacts, as well as 10 yearly rotating exhibits that highlight a variety of topics in either history or local artists and artwork.
Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda
Many other buildings on Stuhr Museum grounds exhibit artifacts from different aspects of Hall County life and history. The Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda houses the immense historical artifact collection of former Stuhr Museum benefactor Gus Fonner. The architecture of this building offers a clue to the contents exhibited inside, as the Rotunda was designed in the shape of a spoked, pioneer wagon wheel. The Fonner collection consists of 19th and early 20th century artifacts from the Western United States and is truly a sight to behold. The collection is comprised of military and civilian weapons, Southwestern United States Native American clothing, pottery and artwork, and accessories from the American home at the turn of the 20th century.
Farm Machinery & Antique Auto Collection
The Farm Machinery & Antique Auto Collection is located in its own building on the Stuhr Museum grounds as a salute to agriculture in the history of Nebraska. This collection of antique tractors, large farm equipment, and automobiles dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is well known throughout the state and country as the home of several highly rare agricultural artifacts of this region and era. Each of the vehicles exhibited in this collection is in excellent condition and was driven into place in the building that they are currently displayed in.
Photography Collection
The photography collection at Stuhr Museum is comprised of some 50,000 photographs of the Hall County and Central Nebraska region. Over 28,000 of these photos originate from the work of long time Grand Island Nebraska photographer Julius Leschinsky, as Stuhr Museum houses the original glass plate negatives from his career. There are also sizeable collections of photographs from Hall County photographers Michael Murphy, Henry Locke, and Jack Bailey. These photographs capture diverse scenes from everyday life in Nebraska during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The photos document scenes from rural and urban settings; portrait photographs of men, women, and children from all walks of life; historic buildings and the businesses once housed within them; countless social and fraternal organizations; and all manner of heartfelt moments between friends and loved ones. The Stuhr Museum photography collection is a priceless treasure that all residents of central Nebraska are lucky to have available to them.
Object Donation Procedures
If you are interested in donating an item to the Stuhr Museum, please read the policy and procedures outlined below.
Policy & Procedures
- If you would like to donate an object to the Stuhr Museum collections, please make sure that you first have the legal possession of that object and have the legal authority to offer the donation.
- Please contact a member of the curatorial staff at Stuhr Museum by either email or phone with any information you may have about the object(s) you would like to donate including photographs, family history, or other relevant details. The information that you provide about your object will be a huge benefit to our curatorial staff and will be a help during the donation process.
- The Stuhr Museum Collections Committee meets at the beginning of each month and votes on every object offered for donation to Stuhr Museum during the previous month. The objects offered for donation will be accepted or denied based on several factors including but not limited to, the amount of collection storage space, relevance to the museum mission, the necessity of the object to the collection and the avoidance of redundancies, the condition of the object(s) being offered, etc.
- Once the Collections Committee has made their decision, our curatorial staff will reach back out to you with the decision of this committee and will either set up an appointment with you to donate your object(s), or if the donation has been denied, our staff will offer you recommendations for other institutions to consider donating your objects to.
Contact Information
Please submit all inquiries to :
Megan Sharp – Curator
msharp@stuhrmuseum.org
(308) 385-5316 ext. 244