Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 27: Nebraska Street Walking Tour

The 3rd walking tour is on Nebraska Street if you are doing these as I am from west to east.

This one starts at 3rd & Pierce, looking east on 3rd, then north up Nebraska St. to 7th St. The buildings date back as far as 1908.

Here is the Walking Tour Guide with map:
Nebraska Street Walking Tour

I am going to start with number 1 in the guide & as before I will post photo's of what the area looks like now. Of the 16 buildings/views of buildings listed in the guide only 5 are still here today.

#1. The first location on the map starts at 3rd & Pierce. From the link you'll have to scroll down to or look on page one.
Here is a photo of what it looks like today:



#2. The photo on the guide shows what Nebraska looked like, looking north in 1931. Here is what it looks like today:


#3. On the Northeast corner of 3rd & Nebraska used to be the Howard (Mayfair) Hotel. The building there now is the Terra Center. What you see in the photo is Wells Fargo Bank, which occupy's much of the ground floor of the building. The art work mural on the outside of the building is something I will post about later. Meanwhile here is the photo of the building:

#4. The Northwest corner of 3rd & Nebraska used to have the West Hotel on it. Now there is the parking lot for an accounting firm & Central Bank. Current photo:


#5. One block north at 4th & Nebraska on the Southwest corner of that intersection used to be Toy National Bank. The building there now is the Central Bank Building. Photo:

#6. On the Southeast corner of 4th & Nebraska used to have the Brown Block (Moore Clothing Co.). This is the other side of the Terra Center Building. Photo:

#7 #8. The Northwest corner of 4th & Nebraska used to have the Security National Bank building there. When that building was torn down a building that used to house Grand Jewlers was built in it's place, that building is still there. It now houses Little Chicago Deli. Current photo:

#9 The Northeast corner of 4th & Nebraska used to have the T. S. Martin Department Store. It was razed in 1970. Sometime after that 4th St from ebraska to Jasckson was closed off & a courtyard was built between the JCPenny Dept. store & the Terra Center buildings. Now the courtyard is being torn out & 4th will go from Nebraska to Jackson again. Penny's moved to another location & that building is being used for something else now. I'll post more about it later. Current photo:


#10 & #11. On the East side of Nebraska between 4th & 5th Streets used to be the Capitol Theater. Now the building is the old JC Penney's Building. Penney's moved out to the mall & NWA occupy's the top floor of the building & the new Sioux CIty Museum will occupy the ground floor. Photo:


#12. On the Northeast corner of 5th & Nebraska is the building that housed Ryal Miller Chevrolet Company. Even though the guide says the building is still there it is not. Here is a current photo:


#13. On the Southeast corner of 6th & Nebraska is the Bennett’s Motor Mart, otherwise known as the Commerce Building. The building is still there today & still in use. Current photo:

#14. On the Northwest corner of 6th & Nebraska is the Warrior Hotel Building. The building has sat empty since 1972. It has fallen in to serious disrepair. Recent efforts are being made to restore the building to it's original beauty turn it into some sort of aptartments homes. Either retirement living for seniors or something of the like. Current photo:

#15. At the Northeast corner of 6th & Nebraska is the First Presbyterian Church. This is not the original church. The first one was built in 1875, then razed. The current building was built in 1907. Photo:


#16. The final corner on the Nebraska Street Walking Tour is at the Southwest corner of 7th & Nebraska. This was the First Methodist Episcopal Church. The original building was razed after the church moved to 19th & Nebraska. This church had a famous minister, Rev. George C. Haddock. He preached at the church in 1885. Because of his beliefes in prohibition he was shoot & killed near 4th & Water Streets. A marker in the road marks where he was killed. I posted about this earlier. Now it is nothing but an empty lot. Here is a current photo:


That is it for the Nebraska Street Walking Tour. I hope you enjoy it. They way I did it was part with out my bike on my lunch hour & part with my bike. I just walked the bike along with me, stopped, parked the bike so I could take the photo's. For this type of walking tour there is no need to use a motor vehicle.
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Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 29: 4th Street Walking Tour (Virginia Street to Pierce Street

The 4th in the series of downtown street walking Tours os the 4th Street Walking Tour (Virginia Street to Pierce Street. Of the 15 buildings listed in the walking tour only 4 are still standing today. In the tour guide it says another is still standing, but that one has been torn down since the guide was created. This is the longest in distance of the walkng tours. There is one final one I will post about later.

Enjoy:

Here is the link to the walking tour guide:
Take a Step Back in Time Walking Tour of Fourth Street (Virginia STreet to Pierce Street

#1. On the Northwest corner of 4th & Virginia was Casady Hall. This was one of the first brick buildings constructed in SIoux City. Over the years the building served many purposes. From a hospital to an illegal gambling establishment. Now this corner is a parking lot for the SIoux City Convention Center. Photo:


#2. On the North side of 4th St, between Jennings & Jones was the Lexington Block. The former building had the Richardsonian Romanesque architectureal style. The building housed many businesses & tenants. The last was the Gospel Mission. It was razed in 1987 to make way for the Sioux City Convention Center. The land the convention center uses goes from Virginia to Jones. Current photo:


#3. Even though this walking tour is on 4th St, part of it does extend down to 3rd. On the Northwest corner of 3rd & Jennings is the Warfield, Pratt and Howell Warehouse. It is not a William Steele building, but the architectural firm who designed it did incorporate the Prarie School Style Architecture into it's design. It is currently being renovated into high end condo's for purchase. Photo:


#4. On the Northeast corner of 4th & Jones used to be the Chicago House Hotel. The old building was an example of Beaux Style architecture. It was built to compete with the influx of downtown hotels. On the corner now is the Sioux City Convention Center. Photo:


#5. On the Northwest corner of 4th & Jones was the Peavey Grand Opera House. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1931. On this corner now is the back corner of the Clarion Hotel. Photo:


#6. The Northeast corner of 4th & Jackson was the Metropolitan Block. Built in 1889, this was Sioux City's first "skyscraper". It had the towns first passenger elevator. The building was was torn down in 1970 & the Hilton Hotel was built in it's place. The Hilton is now the Clarion Hotel. Photo:


#7. & #8. On the Southwest corner was the Massachusetts Block. A fire in 1904 which destroyed the buildings along 2.5 blocks along 4th St between Pierce & Jones claimed this building. The Badgerow Building, which is still there today was built betwen 1929 & 1930. Photo:


#9. On the Southeast corner of 4th & Nebraska was the Bolton/Commercial Block. On that corner now is the one side of the Terra Center Building. I have posted about this in previous walking tour posts. Photo:


#10. This shows the North side of 4th St l;ooking west between Nebraska & Pierce Streets. The building Kartons is in is still there as is the Martin building. Photo:


#11 & #12. This shows the South side of 4th St between Nebraska & Pierce Streets. This was the Gilman Block & the H&H Building/Schulein Building/Purslow Block at one time. Now the entire side is used by Central Bank as their building & parking lot. Photo's:



#13. This shows the Southeast corner of 4th & Pierce Streets. I did post about this in the Pierce Street Walking Tour. This corner now has the parking lot of the Central Bank Building. It used to be the Katz Drug Store Building. Photo:


#14. & #15. The Northeast corner of 4th & Pierce used to have the Mondamin Hotel. It burned down in 1912. The Martin Hotel was quickly built in it's place & still stands today, but is not used as a hotel. It has the Martin Tower Apts. in it & the ground floor houses Thorpe & Company Jewlers. Photo:


That is it for the 4th Street Walking Tour from Virginia to Pierce. I hope you enjoy it.

The next 2 in the series of Sioux City Hostory & Culture by Bicycle is the Roth Fountain & the Art's Alive display.

There is one final walking tour. It will be of Historic 4th St. As soon as I have photo's of it I will post it in the blog.