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Maud Marston Burrows was many things, an editor, journalist, lawyer, philanthropist, and most importantly an advocate for the unheard voices of Kearney. Maud was well known as the editor and journalist in Kearney who was granted a private interview with Nellie Bly and her record breaking travels around the world in under 80 days. Maud was the only journalist who was granted a one on one interview while Nellie was traveling through Nebraska on a train. However, Maud was also an advocate for Women's suffrage, Women in the workforce; as well as, women in children who were involved in labor forces in Kearney. This included the women and children working at the Cotton Mill and other industrial sites. Maud was also one of the first female attorneys in the state of Nebraska. She used this position to leverage her positions on Women's voices in politics and the workforce.

Buffalo County Historical Society on Maud Marston Burrows

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Buffalo County Historical Society on "The Founding Mothers of Kearney"

Maud Marston Burrows was a journalist and one of the first female attorneys in the state of Nebraska. Maud's biggest scoop was when she was granted the only one on one interview with Nellie Bly, for her record breaking travels around the world in 72 days. However, Maud was also a suffragist and an advocate for women's votes in the state even after universal suffrage was granted. She attended several conferences and caucuses in regards to women's votes; as well as, advocating for women's role in the workplace, especially as attorneys. Maud continued to speak for those who were voiceless, including the ill, young female industrial workers, and even attempted to run for state legislature. 

The Home of Maud Marston Burrows 

A tour that explores how women in Kearney, Nebraska have shaped the history of the community through their involvement in business, politics, the military, and reform organizations.

Good Samaritan Hospital (known locally as Good Sam) was originally farmland. The construction cost $100,000 (due to inflation because of WWI the adjusted cost was approx $250k-$300k). Many of the Hospitals were overcrowded which was causing the spread of germs. Good Sam was built to help with the influenza outbreak. Good Sam was to be modeled after the larger medical institutions in the east in both technology and in style. Good Samaritan was to have fifty rooms, wards for men, women &amp; children, as well as maternity, modern technology, lights, and xray. The community came together for a hospital drive on February 15th of 1919. Some who could, donated canned goods and other money. Nathan Campell bought land and used it as a home for the Sisters of Saint Francis to live in. Nathan wanted to give the Sisters a place away from the people who were sick and a place to relax. Some just donated large sums of money; this would include F.G Keen.  The Sisters of Saint Francis came to Kearney Nebraska to educate women and men to be employed at Good Samaritan Hospital. The Sisters also helped manage the establishment. Based on faith and wanting to lend a helping hand to those in need the slogan “Made for all people and all doctors” came about. The hospital was made for all people as patients and employees. The first two Sisters to come to Kearney were Sister Lilosa and Sister Colette in 1921. With the Influenza outbreak the call for nurses was big. Originally there were more Sisters than nurses but by 1964 there were 300 employees and 7 Sisters.  Good Samaritan Hospital is still running today and is a major health care organization. Many people today still go to Good Sam when a medical crisis comes about. Not only is there a Hospital here in Kearney Nebraska but also in St. Joseph, Omaha NE; St. Elizabeth, Lincoln NE; St. Mary, Columbus NE; and St. Francis, Grand Island NE. These hospitals are associated with Good Samaritan and the Sisters of Saint Francis. Based on faith the hospitals listed here were made to help those in need because that is what Catholic faith teaches.

Good Samaritan Hospital is one of the five hospitals in Nebraska run by the Sisters of Saint Francis. The first two sisters, Sister Liliosa and Sister Colett, arrived in Kearney in 1921, roughly three years before the first patient was admitted in July of 1924. Today, Good Samaritan Hospital continues to provide important health services for rural Nebraskans.

Good Samaritan Hospital

Maud Marston Burrows was many things, an editor, journalist, lawyer, philanthropist, and most importantly an advocate for the unheard voices of Kearney. Maud was well known as the editor and journalist in Kearney who was granted a private interview with Nellie Bly and her record breaking travels around the world in under 80 days. Maud was the only journalist who was granted a one on one interview while Nellie was traveling through Nebraska on a train. However, Maud was also an advocate for Women's suffrage, Women in the workforce; as well as, women in children who were involved in labor forces in Kearney. This included the women and children working at the Cotton Mill and other industrial sites. Maud was also one of the first female attorneys in the state of Nebraska. She used this position to leverage her positions on Women's voices in politics and the workforce.

The name Eliza Galloway, while perhaps not commonly known in the area today, was a name that all of Kearney was familiar with during the early 1900s. Eliza worked in the homes of many Kearney residents during her life, cooking meals for their families and caring for their children. Eliza was born into slavery in Maryland, where she recalls the emancipation of enslaved peoples; as well as President Lincoln. She then moved to Kearney, Nebraska where she met her husband James. Eliza became well known as a domestic in Kearney, as she worked in the homes of prominent Kearney patrons. Eliza was the first African American resident of Kearney. This home is where Eliza and her husband, James Galloway, resided together. Eliza and James were married in 1893 in Kearney. However, in 1903 James was arrested for carrying a gun down Central Avenue and was brought before the Insanity Commission, where it was then determined that James was criminally insane. After this James was sent to the Hastings Asylum where he fatally contracted Tuberculosis and died in 1905. Eliza herself lived until 1936, until she fell fill and died that year. The Kearney Hub "fondly" remembered Eliza, recalling her as having changing the diapers of every prominent man in Kearney.

This is the home of Eliza Galloway, who was the first African American Resident of Kearney, a former enslaved woman who was born in Maryland. Eliza was well known as a domestic who worked in many different homes in Kearney.The homes of Kearney's elite were very familiar with Eliza and her work, as she was a domestic in many of their homes; including the home of George and Phoebe Frank. 

Eliza Galloway's Home

Pauline Frank lived in this house with her husband Augustus Frank after they were married in 1891. Before she married Augustus she was married to Jacob Stein. She had two children during that marriage. When her child Herold Stein was eight years old, Pauline had to rush him to the hospital because he accidently shot his foot with a gun during a hunting trip. Jacob and Pauline later divorced and Pauline married Augustus. Augustus and Pauline had two children: Agnes McNair and Augustus II. Pauline and Augustus were married for nine years. When Augustus died, Pauline continued to live in this house for another four years afterwards before relocating to another home. Three years later she became the new Kearney city librarian. She held that position for 13 years (1907-1920). She catalogued all the books in the library and introduced a “library hour” for children on Saturday afternoons. Just in her first two years at the library 32,337 books had been loaned out. This caused some chaos because the library only had a working capital of less than 8,000 books, making it inadequate in equipment to meet the demands put on it. She made the library more efficient by using public schools and other buildings in the vicinity as sub-stations for people to pick up books, especially for those on the edge of city limits. Pauline was all about giving back to her community. During World War I, while working for the library, she started a local drive where members of the community donated knitted clothing to the nearby hospital. She also served on St. Luke's committee on food conservation during the war. Pauline was also a member of the literary Shakespeare club in Kearney during the late 1800s, around the time she got married to Augustus. The Shakespeare club was a women's reading group that also became involved in community affairs. Pauline lived in Kearney for 33 years before moving to Kenilworth, Illinois. She died in 1954.

This was the home of Pauline and Augustus Frank from 1891-1904. Pauline continued to live in the home after the passing of Augustus until 1904, when she relocated and began working for the city library. The house is still standing today despite there being some changes to the property itself. 

Pauline Frank's Home

It’s called "the Woman’s Club" as a tribute to the strong-willed women who made a difference in Nebraska’s future from the Bohemian Alps to the windy prairies of Fort Kearny, where pioneers heading to Buffalo County stopped for food, comfort and homesteading information on their way to a new life. The Kearney Woman's Club (never Kearney Women's Club) was formed in 1887 at the home of Nora Jones, where they would discuss women's suffrage and equal rights in public affairs. During the Women's Suffrage Movement, the club would gain not only local notoriety, but also a national backing, so to speak, when Elizabeth Saxon, Vice President of the National Women's Suffrage Association, toured Nebraska. The late 1880s and early 1900s were known as the club era, with many social and political clubs forming nation wide. Kearney was no exception. With visits from such famous women's rights leaders as Nellie Bly and Susan B. Anthony, the local suffrage movement gained more and more steam. According to her interview in the Kearney Hub in 2019, Marcia Trimble, honorary club historian, stated "it is reported that Susan B. Anthony stayed in the Kearney area for a few months." Focusing their effort on securing national voting rights for women, the Nebraska clubs missed the opportunity to allow women to vote until the nation voted for the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Although the nation granted women the right to vote, the work of the club didn't cease. It was at that time that the members recognized the necessity for a centralized permanent location. Their current club house, built in 1882 and still standing to this day (although some modification have been made), was originally built as a private home by C.E. Hanson, who was sparred no expense. It is a classic Victorian home and contains charming details similar to German homes. Mr. Hanson even included a large, church like steeple. Although the home was built for the Hanson family, it was quickly sold to the Downing family, and remained their residence until 1930, when Maren Downing Morrison legally donated the house to the club in honor of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wallace A. Downing. The only condition was that it had to remain the Woman’s Club, and continue its commitment to helping the poor and needy of the community After establishing a home, the Kearney Woman's Club continued its volunteerism. They have been involved in advocating for many positive changes for the Kearney community. Just some of their civic projects include: the Ronald McDonald House, the Trails and Rails Christmas Walk, Alzheimer’s patient support, benevolence funds, the Family Advocate Network, the S.A.F.E. Center, providing shots, dental care and clothing for needy children, and continuing the never-ending job of restoration for the future.

When we see the Victorian home and well kept yard, many think tea parties. While that may have been a function, the Kearney Woman's Club has been on the forefront of social and political thought since its inception. The local organization was formed in 1887 and first titled "The Clio Club," not merging with the larger, national organization and calling themselves the "Kearney Woman's Club" until the mid 1900s. The club's gathering spot, ironically a house, was built in 1886 and remains standing and in use to this day. 

Kearney Woman's Club 

"We will think of her as philanthropist, but she was more like Kearney's matriarch," wrote the Kearney Hub on the life of Carol Cope. This passage, almost perfectly, explains how Carol (and her husband Ron) not only treated their fellow Kearneyites, but also their fellow Nebraskans. Carol (born Ida Ernestine Schrepel), grew up in rural Pawnee County, Nebraska, leaving her home town to pursue a fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1934. Carol would later go on to teach in North Platte for a time, before she and Ron moved to the greater Los Angles area, where Carol earned a Master's degree in music from UCLA When they returned to Nebraska in the 1930s, Ron and Carol moved to Kearney where Ron became the manager for Claussen's Shoe Store in 1938. Ron would later become the store's owner with the passing of his boss, Ruben Claussen, in 1955. Ron and Carol would go on to manage the store until their retirement in the 1970s. Ron and Carol saw a need to invest in themselves as well as the larger Kearney community. The would often invest their profits from Claussen's in farmland surrounding the Kearney area, and in a relatively new (for the time) company called Berkshire Hathaway. Some may be familiar with Berkshire Hathaway and CEO Warren Buffett. Ron and Carol becoming early investors, proved to be a savvy business investment, as the dividends from those dealings funded the Cope's generosity in giving. The Copes also invested in something grander than stock in Berkshire Hathaway: people. Ron and Carol would continue to invest in people even after Ron's death in 1992 and Carol's in 2012. To date, the Ron and Carol Cope Foundation has donated in excess of 20 million dollars to various organizations through out the state. Some of which include: Kearney family YMCA, Kearney Area Couminty foundation, St. James Catholic Church, both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and nameless educational scholarships, through out the state. The physical space that once was Claussen's is still being used to this day, currently the home to Kearney business "Fanci That". From a humble store front in downtown Kearney, Ron and Carol Cope showed the people it was more than just shoes.

"The Good Life." You see it on signs, you may hear Nebraskans recite it like some ancient ethos. Fewer people truly made "The Good Life" accessible to everyone than Carol Cope. From her humble childhood in rural Pawnee County, teaching in North Platte, earning a Master's degree from UCLA, to being the co-owner of Claussen's Shoe Store in Kearney, Carol's life was extraordinary, and one could argue it was her life's work to make everyone's life as extraordinary as hers.

Claussen's Shoe Store (Carol Cope)

The Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton in 1881 in Washington D.C. In 1900 the Red Cross received their first congressional charter where they were tasked by the federal government to provide services to members of the American armed forces and their families, while also providing disaster relief not only in the United States but around the world. Local first aid and swim classes were first introduced in the early 1900s through the Red Cross. However, by the 1950s Kearney's chapter was at the risk of losing those programs because there wasn’t enough funding. The Red Cross helped in both world wars. During World War I they held many benefits to help raise money. On May 9th, 1917, the Buffalo County Chapter of the Red Cross held a benefit program with the Music Department of nearby Kearney State Normal School. The Red Cross also paired with members of the community to collect knitted clothing that would be donated to hospitals. Another local fundraiser was held on July 13, 1918. The Mid-Way Motor Company had an automatic air device for inflating tires that cost a nickel and all the money that was collected was donated to the Red Cross. During the 1930s the Red Cross was called upon to serve those suffering from drought and famine on a large-scale for the first time. The Red Cross chapters in smaller communities carried on extensive programs of relief and social service, working in close cooperation with public and other private agencies. By the late 1930s 116,390 families had been assisted by chapter workers in connection with their civilian relief activities. After World War II, the Red Cross developed the first nationwide civilian blood program that is still in place today. The Red Cross was also about helping the families of those who were serving in the wars. In Kearney, the local chapter helped a solider in the Korean War come home on leave to see his sick mother for thirty days. The most recent event where the Red Cross helped the local community was in the summer of 2019, when Kearney and neighboring communities suffered through a devastating flood. Two Red Cross disaster assessment teams did prep work for helping in Buffalo and Dawson County. That year the Red Cross reported that 98 homes were destroyed or had suffered major damage, 55 homes had minor damage, and there were 72 cases that were opened serving around 150 people.

The Kearney chapter of the Red Cross had its first headquarters at City Hall. The Red Cross is an international organization that has been helping local communities since 1881, when it was first founded. Women have been the running force behind the Red Cross for decades and their work can still be seen in different communities today. 

Kearney's Red Cross 

Mother Hull Home was founded in 1880 as the first nursing home in Kearney. Throughout its history, it has remained steadfast as a pillar of the community. The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) has overseen the nursing home since it began. Hull Home is named for Nancy Hull, the wife of a local physician in early Kearney and an outspoken member of the WCTU. In addition to helping to found the nursing home, she also helped to serve the needy and the poor, and founded the first library in the community. Mother Hull Home served as the first hospital in Kearney, until St. Luke’s was established and later Good Samaritan Hospital. When those were established, Mother Hull converted to a nursing and care facility. As Mrs. Eleanor Munn, Nancy Hull's granddaughter, stated in 1929, "banks have gone one by one, corporations have crashed and business failures have been in our community but Mother Hull Home stands as a monument to the faith, hope and love supplemented by the sound business judgment of the noble band of the WCTU who is still carrying on with unabated zeal and indomitable courage." The WCTU has done many things within Kearney throughout it's history. They sought clothing and food for the poor, took care of the sick and invalid, and helped the poor. They did a number of fundraising activities to help fund their efforts, such as ice cream socials, plays, and musical entertainment. Hull was truly one of the patron women of Kearney's founding.

For the last 130 years, Mother Hull Home has been an active member of the Kearney community, serving the needs of the elderly and the poor. It has been owned continuously since 1889 by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Its namesake, Nancy Hull, was both the wife of a local physician and the treasurer of the WCTU at the time. The building started in the original Kearney Courthouse, then moved later to the site where it exists in today. The Home was the first hospital in Kearney, though it is now a skilled nursing facility. 

Mother Hull Home

Central Café was owned by George Peterson, a Greek immigrant who had come to the United States in 1912. By 1923, George had opened his restaurant, the Central Café, at 2021 Central Avenue in Kearney, which is the current location of Fanatics Sports Bar. This café became a well-known restaurant within the region, being described as one of the “best equipped and most comfortable restaurant between Denver and Omaha” by the Kearney Hub on July 2nd of 1924. The restaurant operated until 1959, when George and Venetia retired and settled down in Kearney. Although George was the owner of the restaurant, his wife Venetia likely served as the head waitress, helping him run the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. Unfortunately, however, there is little information about Venetia Peterson herself. Many of the newspaper articles of the time period focused on George Peterson, as he was the man who owned the business. Around the same time, from 1942-1947, a restaurant down the road was owned and being run by a pair of sisters. Sophie Moon and her sister-in-law Mildred (Millie) Moon opened up the M&amp;M Café (Moon &amp; Moon Café) in 1942, which was located at 1917 Central Ave, just down the street from the Central Café. Sophie Moon was the owner of the restaurant as well as the head cook. Sophie had been working in restaurants throughout her life, after graduating from high school. She had worked in Jack Chapman’s café as their cook as well as being a server in a handful of other cafés at the time. Millie also worked at Jack Chapman’s café as a server, where these two women became good friends with one another. Millie met her husband while working in Jack Chapman’s Café, who was drafted in 1942. With the drafting of Millie’s husband, both Millie and Sophie decided to start up their own café as a means to earn money for their families during the war. Together Sophie and Millie ran their restaurant only for a few years. While the café was up and running, both Sophie and Millie were there six days a week from open to close, making sure the restaurant was running smoothly and the place was clean. Sophie was the head cook while Millie was the head waitress, along with Sophie’s son as the dishwasher for the restaurant. Unfortunately, the café did not last very long. Millie’s husband came back from the war in 1945, after which she quit the café and went to live with her husband. Sophie ran the restaurant with her son and a few other individuals throughout the years. The M&amp;M Café closed in 1947, when Sophie decided to sell the restaurant and began to cook at another café in Kearney, the Streamline Café.

During the mid-1900s it was relatively uncommon for women to own restaurants. Instead, they were the head waitress for the men who ran the business. One example of this would be the former Central Café, located in downtown Kearney. Contrary to this, within the same time period, was the M&M Café which was owned and run by Sophie Moon and her sister-in-law Mildred (Millie) Moon. Together, Sophie Moon was the head cook and Millie was the head waitress, running their restaurant from open to close six days a week. 

Women in Business

Stories of outlaws and crime surrounding the American push westward, Kearney's Red Light District stands as a landmark for women's history of the law and crime in 19th century Great Plains. Surrounding a woman as the ring leader for those who had partaken in vice and encountered it daily, her name surfaces multiple times in what was known as The Kearney Daily Hub. As written in the Hub many times, many occurrences of criminal activity occur near or on the Gebhart property as found in a few particular clippings from 1894. After further findings and explicit detail in these stories we find further criminal activity and community disgust surrounding the house as Maude was well known for continuing a legacy of gambling, prostitution, and many being three sheets to the wind when picked up by local police. However, for Maude and those boarded at her residency, this was there way of life. In order to survive the cruel frontier with danger lurking every corner, their only means to break through the ceiling of patriarchy was to embezzle in actions erroneous to the community. 	 When considering the magnitude of Kearney and the many trials and tribulations women in our community have endured through its history, our old red light district encompasses the full potential of the hard work and underlying tones to free themselves of the lower class comes to light in this specific fragment of Kearney women’s history.  With the tales of a mayor being thrown out at a solicited site and the women who made their living on these streets we now call “The Bricks”. Still imperative we tell the stories of what women had to do in the shadows while avoiding the law for wages to survive and to break through the barrier which set men and women apart in the occupational realm.  Therefore, we will engage with stories regarding the Madame of the local brothel that we regard as an entrepreneur and head of the lowly deeds which women had to go through for an income and to make a living. In poverty and the ambition to become what we see as an equal, these women set the criteria for what would become our beloved city and bond to the glorious story of women’s economic upbringing.         	 With stories from the underground our main focus comes with the tales of a specific resident of late 19thcentury Kearney.  Maude Gebhart, an flamboyant occupier within the south side of Kearney remains to be a prominent name during this time period for her constant relevancy for crime and issues for the community.  Mostly known for constant reviews from the Kearney Daily Hub. Gebhart would be the central story for multiple headline stories for criminality and the latest profile-raising news this side of the Rockies.  The stories from these newspaper headlines detail that of gambling, prostitution, and multiple arrests of citizens who were contributing to the depravity as well as how these forms of vice allowed those who were boarded under the Madame came to relevancy.              To begin our story of the Gebhart residency, we will start with the deceit of our local city diplomat, Mayor Brady.  After coming back to the city from a train visit to Omaha of June 4, 1894, article reports detail of Mr. Brady being under the influence and ready for a night out in the underground as he was customarily dealt in those corruptions. Constantly receiving backlash for his participation and disregard for common decency, many newspaper reports as well as resident voices disregarded him as a low-life for wanting to decrease police incarceration of those in the area.  However, during this particular night after being in an altercation with a Mr. Ed. Cutting in what used to be Bock’s Saloon, Mr. Brady would soon find himself being escorted out of the notorious Gebhart residency after another altercation with the same gentleman from before as well as those boarded at the resort and having to deal with constant violence and what seemed to be ceaseless demeaning of their drudgery.  The mayor would face criminal charges as well as deplete the last amount of trust the city had in him for his affairs within the Kearney “Burnt District”. So the next time you're visiting, don't forget to check the local telephone subscription and dial 70 for the Gebhart Residency.

When considering the magnitude of Kearney and the many trials and tribulations women in our community have endured through its history, our old red-light district encompasses the full potential of the hard work and underlying tones to free themselves of the lower class comes to light in this specific fragment of Kearney women’s history. Though it may be seen as unorthodox and explicit to the masses of yesterday and today, it is still imperative we tell the stories of what women had to do in the shadows while avoiding the law for wages to survive and to break through the barrier which set men and women apart in the occupational realm. Therefore, we will engage with stories regarding the Madame of the local brothel that we regard as an entrepreneur and head of the lowly deeds which women had to go through for an income and to make a living. Through indecency and the will to risk that of which locals and as well as the government deems wrong and unjust, these stories halt the true evil within the greater story being that these women were more than capable and willing to do the same things any other person within city limits were measured to be unworthy of specific rights. In poverty and the ambition to become what we see as an equal, these women set the criteria for what would become our beloved city and bond to the glorious story of women’s economic upbringing.

Kearney's Red Light District

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the world was thrown into turmoil and the United States was forced into yet another conflict. Many Americans wanted to do their part in helping see democracy prevail over fascism. Many in Nebraska had enlisted and would be processed at the city of Kearney. In Kearney, a new airbase and processing hub was opened by the military to determine which front Americans would be fighting on. Most would see combat in Europe, some in Asia. The impact the airbase had on the city was tremendous. New clubs and housing had to be established for troops staying in the city. Most didn’t have room to spare in hotels due to the influx of troops. As the troops rolled in from across the United States, the citizens of Kearney handled the extra problems and concerns well. The WASPS (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) and WAC (Women’s Army Corps) were a key part of the airbase’s functions not only in their contribution to the war but in general. Various clubs and buildings were founded to keep morale and troops in check and reserve for themselves some rest and recovery. The Hostess Club was a club that had women and men meet in a controlled environment. Men had to be 18, single, and have an excellent moral standing to gain entry. Women also worked in repairing bombers and in electrical, Blacksmithing, and repair stations for equipment damaged in test flights and even in combat.   Many young American women had enlisted in the WAC or WASPS to contribute their effort to the war. One such was a Mrs. Marian Brown, who was the secretary in the Quartermaster's office. She was responsible for the organization of the deployed or soon to be deployed troops during the war and was in charge of rationing and water distribution amongst the troops. The Kearney Air Force Base closed in 1949 and still holds resonance with the past, as many brave souls marched onto the tarmac and beyond the call of duty to serve their country. Only one original piece of the airfield remains - a metal hanger on the airfield itself. This hangar was one of several that housed many aircraft during the war. It stands today as a testament to the valiance, bravery, and courage many had then.

Kearney’s contribution to World War II was absolutely staggering. Kearney became a processing hub for soldiers in between training and the frontlines. Many Kearney women also joined into the service either under the WASPS (Women Airforce Service Pilots) or the WAC (Women’s Army Corps). These women would go on to be vital assets to the home front during and even after the war. Some would go on to be deployed in postwar Germany and other nations around the world. After the airbase closed in 1949, it was refitted for civilian use and is today used as Kearney's regional airport.

Women in Business, Politics, and Reform

The Home of Maud Marston Burrows

Introduction

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information