Christian M. Gruenther [RG5430.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG5430.AM:  Christian M. Gruenther, 1871-1923



Papers:  1902-1917

Platte Center, Platte County and Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

Size:  0.5 cu.ft.; 1 box



BACKGROUND NOTE



Christian M. Gruenther, son of Henry and Agnes (Greisen) Gruenther, was born October 6, 1871, in Springfield, Wisconsin.  He came to Platte County with his parents in 1872.  After eight years in Columbus, the family moved to St. Bernard Township, where his mother died the following year. In 1890 his father moved to Oregon, where he died four years later.  Christian had one sister, Mrs. Max Bruckner, of Platte Center.  As a boy, “Chris” Gruenther worked on farms until he was fifteen, at which time he went to Minnesota and worked with a construction gang for the Great Northern Railroad, clearing the roadway and ballasting track for its extension to Winnipeg.  When he was twenty-two, he entered the Western Normal School, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and completed the three year teachers’ course in nineteen months.  Following this he returned to Platte County and established his home in Platte Center, where he became an editor.  He bought the Platte Center Signal, which he published as a democratic newspaper for many years.



On July 18, 1898 he married Mary Shea in Platte Center.  They had six children.  In 1898 Christian Gruenther was put in charge of the old Farmers & Merchants Bank, at Platte Center.  He reorganized it into the Platte County Bank and served as its cashier for two years, placing it on a sound financial basis.  After leaving the bank in 1899 he was elected clerk of the District Court of Platte County.  Gruenther was reelected several times.  He resigned this position in 1919 when he became the secretary of the Federal Farm Loan Bank, in Omaha, Nebraska.



While serving as clerk of the District Court in Platte County, Mr. Gruenther operated extensively as referee and trustee in the public sale of land belonging to estates and became recognized as an authority on land and land values in Nebraska, a qualification that made him especially valuable to the Farm Loan Bank.  He moved his family to Omaha from Platte Center shortly thereafter, and had been a resident of the city of Omaha for little more than a year when he was made a member of the Metropolitan Utilities District Board.  He had been a stockholder and an officer of the Columbus Land, Loan and Builders’ Association, and the Guaranty Loan and Trust Company, of Columbus.  He resigned as treasurer of both companies when he went to Omaha.



Perhaps Christian Gruenther’s greatest service to his country was rendered during World War I, when he originated the “school house meeting plan” for promoting the sale of “baby bonds.”  He first applied it in Platte County, and Platte at once went to the top of all the counties in the United States in the percentage by which it exceeded its quota in the purchase of war savings stamps.  His plan was grasped by the state committee, and it sent Nebraska to the top among all states of the union.  The national committee asked that the plan be forwarded to Washington. From Washington, it went to nearly every city, village and hamlet in the entire United States, putting the sale of “baby bonds” over with such success that many millions of dollars of over-subscriptions had to be rejected by the government.



In 1908 Mr. Gruenther organized the Bryan Volunteers and later served as secretary of the State Democratic Central Committee and president of the Nebraska State Democratic Club, in which he was the active director of the state campaigns.  He personally directed the campaigns for election of former Senator Gilbert Hitchcock.  Chris Gruenther was a member of the Catholic Church and held membership in the Knights of Columbus, the A.O.U.W., and the Sons of Herman.  During his long residence in Platte Center, he gave generously of his time to village affairs, serving that community as a member of the village board for many years.  Christian M. Gruenther died in Omaha in March of 1923.  He is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska.



Note:  The bulk of this background note is taken from The History of Platte County, Nebraska.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



The collection consists of one box of papers mostly relating to the land dealings and ranching operations of Christian M. Gruenther, particularly in and around Wheatland, Wyoming.  The collection includes correspondence, receipts, contracts, deeds, etc.  Also included are materials relating to his involvement in the Nebraska Association of District Court Clerks.  The items in the collection date from 1902 to 1917 and are arrange chronologically.



INVENTORY



Box 1

Folder




    1. 1902

    1. 1903

    1. 1904

    1. 1905 (see also oversize)

    1. 1906

    1. 1907-1909

    1. 1910-1917, n.d.

    1. Bank book & notebook



 



Subject headings:



Cattle industry

Gruenther, Christian M., 1871-1923

Land — Wyoming

Nebraska Association of District Court Clerks

Ranching — Wyoming



 



TMM     11-19-2018

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

The Birth of the South Omaha Stockyards

The Birth of the South Omaha Stockyards

The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

The 1918 Flu Pandemic in Nebraska

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

On This Day: Armistice Celebrated Early

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.