Roseland
Although the town of Roseland did not exist until 1887, a post office by that name had been established in August, 1875, when Benjamin F. Evans was appointed postmaster. The post office was located in Mr. Evans' home on the northeast quarter of section 22, Roseland Township. Mr. Evans chose the name Roseland because of the many wild roses which grew in the vicinity.
Walter P. Davis had purchased the east quarter of section 21 in 1873 and Thomas Carter had homesteaded the southeast quarter of section 22 about the same time. In 1886 when it appeared certain that the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad would be built through this area, plans for a townsite were begun. E.G Groff surveyed the village, located in the southwest quarter of section 21, in April, 1887. The town was incorporated on May, 1889, to include portions of sections 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29. This large area was necessary to include enough voters to sign a petition for a saloon license.
The first birth in the Roseland vicinity was that of Frances Boyd, born February 18, 1875. The first death was that of William Dieter on July 4, 1873.
The first general store in Roseland was opened in 1887 by J. S. Richards. He had operated a store in Ayr and moved a building from there to Roseland. J. H. Schmitz established the second business in town when he built a new building and stocked it with hardware. Also during 1887 a grain elevator was erected by W.F. Duncan and J.P. Duncan. A second elevator was erected in 1888 by Schwab and Pope. Mr. Pope sold the elevator in 1902 to a corporation of farmers which included Erick Johnson, Erick Larsen, B. F Evans, Charles Johnson, Gottlieb Fischer and A.W. Evans. U. Engleman erected a new saloon building in 1888. A. H. Brooke opened the first drug store in Roseland in 1891. The first hotel, located south of the railroad depot, was built in 1890 by Thomas Carter who was also the postmaster and Justice of peace. In 1895 Sol Davidson operated a hotel and livery stable north of the railroad tracks.
J.S. Richards, who opened the first store, sold his merchandise to E.F. Miller and F.A. Miller about 1893. This business later became known as Miller and Martin, the largest general merchandise store in town. Frank Waugh erected a building and engaged in the confectionery business in 1893.
School District #42, later known as the Roseland School, was organized January 30, 1874. The first school house was located in section 22, on land leased from Thomas Carter. At this location, one mile east of the present village, stood a one room frame schoolhouse. In 1888 after Roseland was platted a two-story frame school building, with two rooms on each floor, was erected in the new village of Roseland. Past and Present of Adams County, 1916 stated "School opened for the first time in the Village of Roseland December 24, 1888. The completion of the school building had delayed the opening so late in the year that it opened at the first opportunity, regardless of the fact that the next day would be Christmas." The district originally had only eight grades, later ninth and tenth grades were added. In 1917 after the eleventh and twelfth grades were added, more room was needed so a new brick building was constructed. It did not have rest rooms or central heat. Basketball was played outside. Will and Matt Trausch razed the old frame building in 1918. In 1919 District 77, Martin School, merged with Roseland to become the first consolidated district in Adams County. At that time state law required all consolidated schools to offer bus service, so the first school bus, drawn by four mules, was added. A gymnasium, a new primary room, assembnly room, water system and restrooms were added in 1929. the largest enrollment--130--was in 1933. A shop building was added in 1956 and in 1958 the first football team was fielded. A larger gymnasium and kitchen were added in 1964. In 1986 Roseland district consolidated with Bladen in Webster County forming Silver Lake School District 123. The last class of Roseland Cardinals graduated in 1986 with fourteen members. The Silver Lake elementary school is located in Bladen and a new high school building opened in Roseland in 1995.
A newspaper which advertised the wares of the local merchants and encouraged people to settle in the area was an important asset to a small town which hoped to grow. Roseland had several newspapers over the years. The first newspaper, publication dates unknown, was operated by Will Maupin for about six months. No copies are known to have survived. The Roseland Reporter appeared in March, 1890. with Fred Evans as editor. The Roseland Gazette was first published in January, 1893, with A. W. Evans as editor. The paper discontinued after Evan's death in 1905. Microfilm copies are available for July 1901 through Jan 1903. The Roseland Progress was printed from December 1907 until July, 1908, with M. J. Stoetzel as local editor and Russell W. Shields as publisher. The entire run of this paper is available on microfilm.
Several banks have operated in Roseland. The Bank of Roseland with Mary Estes as president and Benjamin Estes as cashier operated during the 1890s and closed in 1897. The Citizens Bank was organized in 1917 and its assets were taken over by the Citizens State Bank in 1925. Citizens State Bank had been organized in 1919 and erected a new brick building in 1925. Roseland State Bank was chartered in 1904 by the Edward Hall family, with a capital of $5,000. The bank was located in a frame building until 1920 when a brick building was erected. The present building was erected in 1969. In May, 1986, due to the problems in the agricultural economy, the bank was closed by the FDIC. It reopened as a branch of the Hastings State Bank.
Roseland Co-operative Grain and Supply was organized in 1906. Mart Stoetzel served as manager for over 25 years. A 75 foot high elevator with a capacity of 15,000 bushels was built in 1912. In 1960 a concrete elevator was built, bringing the storage capacity to 800,000 bushels. The Roseland, Bladen and Blue Hill co-ops merged in 1980. Their combined capacity is 3.3 million bushels. The great productivity of Nebraska's farmers is illustrated in the growth of this elevator from 15,000 to 3.3 million bushel capacity.
Roseland Brickyard, also known as Trausch Brothers Brickyard, was begun in 1909 by brothers John H. Trausch, George Trausch, Peter Trausch, and William Trausch. The yard operated during the late spring, summer, and early fall months of each year. About 10,000 bricks could be molded and cut in a good day's run in the plant which was powered by a steam engine. The usual employees during the years Trausch Brothers operated the brickyard included: John H. Trausch, plant superintendent; George and Peter Trausch operated the steam engine; Joseph Jurgens operated the mixer machine; Peter Goedert, night fireman; Sol Driebelbis and Charley Kramer, brick setters; Martin and Jake Wengler, Calvin Cline, A.G. Bourg, and Jake Zubrod as well as numerous Trausch sons and nephews.
One of the first buildings in the area constructed with Roseland brick was the home of Thomas Trausch, built in Roseland in 1912. Thomas was the father of a large family, including the brothers who owned the brick yard. Trausch Brothers sold the brickyard to C. Carpenter in 1919. He sold it to J.E. Heuertz and Ed Hall. In June, 1929 the brickyard, then owned by Ed Hall and Dr. J. L. Mace, was sold and the plant dismantled.
Roseland, like most small towns suffered several disastrous fires. The most destructive was the fire of August 25, 1913. The fire began in the restaurant of R. O. Kerr and quickly spread to the Miller and Martin General Store. Only one wagon load of goods was saved from the store which was a complete loss. Other buildings destroyed were Roth Brothers old store, filled with harness and furniture and the office of Dr. Mace. Williams Livery Barn, the drug store and Roth Brothers new hardware store were soaked with water and hung with wet blankets to keep them from burning. At this time Roseland's only fire fighting equipment was a hand pumper fire engine. The quick action of the citizens and lack of wind were credited with saving many buildings.
Trausch's store was established in 1925 by George and Lucy Trausch. The store added a locker plant in 1947. In 1953 Mike and Virginia Trausch purchased the business from his parents. Trausch's Cafe opened in 1960 in the north side of the store building. Steve Trausch, son of Mike, purchased the store and cafe in 1984 becoming the third generation of the family to operate the store. The grocery store closed in 2002.
The Dry Ridge United Brethren Church was organized in 1878. They and the Methodists of the Roseland vicinity jointly built a church in 1883 on Solomon Favinger's farm, 1 1/2 miles southwest of Roseland where the cemetery is located. The building was moved to Lincoln Street in Roseland in 1890. In 1893 the Methodists purchased the former Campbellite Church building and moved it into town. The United Brethren disbanded and their building was torn down about 1915. In 1969 the Roseland United Methodist Church merged with the Holstein United Methodist Church. The Methodist Church building was razed in 1974.
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church was constructed in 1920 and dedicated in 1921. The rectory was built in 1922. Father J. L. O'Donnell, the first priest, served until 1926. Prior to 1920 Roseland Catholics had attended the Assumption Catholic Church north of town.
The Roseland railroad depot was a classic example of a single story, frame Kansas City and Omaha Railroad station. In 1902 the Burlington Railroad took over the line. The Roseland station was consolidated with Holstein in 1963 and closed in 1972. In May 1978 the depot building was moved to Alma in Harlan County where it became an antique shop and later a lounge.
ADAMS COUNTY DIRECTORY 1925-26
Published by Wolfe and Pickering, Kenesaw, Nebraska
Alphabetical List of Roseland Residents
Bourg, Flory, Blacksmith, wife Lucy, Cervation 14, Lilburn 12, LaMoyna 10, Jurren 8, Dorothy 6, Margie 2, Richard 1
Bourg, Floyd, radio slaesman, wife Mildred, Hubert 4
Bourg, Frank, mechanic
Bourg, George, garage proprietor
Bourg, Gus, well man, wife Mrs. L.
Bourg, John, well man
Breault, Arthur, proprietor pool hall
Carter, Thomas, veteran GAR, wife Mrs. J.
Cline, Cal, state employee, wife Cora, Ramona 12, Barbara 10
Davis, Frank, drayman, wife Sadie, Archie 7, Patrick 3
Dieter, Milt, retired farmer, wife Mrs. S.
Dreibelbis, Solomon, brick setter
Dreibelbis, Mrs. S., widow
Duncan, Miss Fanny, telephone operator
Duncan, Mrs. John, widow
Essinger, Otto, garage & repair shop, wife Mrs Otto, Vern 5, Robert 2
Fernow, J.B., rural mail carrier, wife Mrs. J.B.
Fiske, Roy, depot agent, wife Mrs. G, Gardner 12, LaVone 11, Douglass 4
Frantz, Milton, retired farmer, wife Mrs. Milton
Geiger, Rev S.T., pastor ME church, wife Mrs. S.T., Joy 7, Fairy 5, Hope 3
Hall, Edward, President Roseland State Bank, wife Mrs. Edward, Edward Jr 18
Hall, Leland, cashier in bank, wife Mrs. H, Richard 3
Harves, Michael, retired farmer
Hemberger, Mrs. M., widow
Henigan, Frank, retired section foreman, wife Mrs. Frank
Heuertz, John, retired farmer, wife Lucy, Regina 16
Hogg, Frank, retired business man, wife Mrs. Frank
Jones, T.W., elevator manager, wife Mrs.T.W., Mary Helen 6
Jurgens, Joe, retired farmer, wife Barbara, Lawrence, laborer
Kramer, Albert, laborer, wife Ella, Florence 10, Leslie 8, Dorothy 6, Iola 4, Earl 3
Kramer, Charles, section laborer
Kramer, Mrs. S., widow
Loskill, Chris, retired farmer, wife Mrs. K.
Lynch, Robert, drug store, wife Mrs. D., Eileen 4
McCartney, W.C., insurance agent
McCue, Ernest, grocer, wife Mrs. Ernest, Max and Virginia 4
Markin, Jesse W., school professor, wife Mrs. R.O., Agnes 10, Eilene 4, Emma 2, Wyman 1
Martin, E., storekeeper
Martin, Mrs. Mary, widow
Means, Fred, elevator man, wife Mrs. I., Virgil, Harry 16
Merrel, J.F., GAR veteran, wife Rebecca, Oliver Meachen, son in law, May Meachen, dau. Beth Meachen 8
Moore, George, barber
Nisson, Chris, retired farmer
O'Donnell, Rev., Priest, Sacred Heart Church. Miss C. Buehler, housekeeper
Petersen, Ed, retired, wife Mrs. H., Harriett 9, Fayette 7
Price, E.E., banker, wife, Mrs. E.E.
Price, Ross, bank cashier
Roth, Ed, carpenter, wife Mary, Clifford Schrubby 17, Joseph Schrubby 13, Norbert Roth, 12, Raymond Roth 10, John Roth 7
Roth, Frank, hardware store, wife Mary, Donald 13, mary Ellen 9, Alice and Aileen 3
Sass, Jennie, widow, Verne 14, John 12, Lloyd 7, Leonard 2
Schlichman, Ed, wife Mrs. Ed., Shirley 1
Seyler, Mrs. Frank, widow
Seyler, Tony
Smith, Dr. A.E., physician, wife Mrs. L., Gail, drug clerk, Wilda 16, Burdette 3
Snyder, D.E., thresherman
Snyder, Rebecca, widow, Alice R. nurse
Staufer, Abraham, retired farmer, wife Mrs. Abraham
Stoetzel, Mrs. Vera, Phyllis 15, Gerald 12, Katharyn 10, Minard 9
Tolksdorf, Mrs. John, widow, Regina
Tracy, Roy, paperhanger, wife Mabel, Gladys 15, Woodrow 12, Yvonne 9, Delores 7, Gordon 3
Trausch, George, merchant, wife lucy, Eva 8, Darrell 6, Lawrence 4, Richard 1
Trausch, Joe, farmer, wife Regina, James 6 mos
Trausch, Sylvester, mechanic
Trausch, Tom, retired farmer
Weber, George, telephone lineman, wife Regina, Ralph 4
Weber, Henry, rural mail carrier, wife Tillie, Gerald 1
Weigant, Peter, retired farmer, wife Rosa
Wengler, John, retired carpenter, wife Mrs. R.
Whelan, Bert, retired farmer, mother, Mrs. Whelan
Williams, Horace, hardware clerk
Winters, Mrs. M.E., widow
Wormerskirche, Pete, laborer, wife Mary, John laborer, Pete section hand, Emma, Margaret 17, Albert 16, Anna 11, Edith 9, Alice 2
Zubrod, Carl, mechanic
Zubrod, Peter, retired farmer, wife Mrs. Peter