Neil Building History

Neil Building in Lusk Soon to Be Torn Down

The Neil building, one of the oldest buildings in Lusk will be torn down as soon as the weather permits, owners of the property, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Delgarno, have stated.

Walter Schnorenberg, Lusk trucker, has contracted to do the job. The lots will be leveled but will stand vacant for the immediate future.

The exact time when the building was erected has not been determined, but it is believed by old timers here that it was during the warm months of 1886. A search of the early Lusk Herald files has failed to reveal the exact date of erection.

The building was commonly referred to as the Schwartz building during the early days. Later it was commonly known as the Neil building. It was evidently Fred Schwartz who constructed it and he operated a butcher shop there for several years. Ed Arnold and Frank Knittle recall that a lean-to ice house was build on the south wall and it was in this ice house that the meat was kept. The ice was gathered in the winter from the Niobrara River near where the Highway 85 bridge now crosses the channel. 

The land on which the building is located passed down through a long line of ownership. The first registered owner was Fred S. Morris and later it came into the hands of Frank S. Lusk, after whom the town of Lusk was named. At different times the property was owned by Lewis Millburn, J.H. Slater, and M.H. Neil. The present owners, Mr. and Mrs. Delgarno purchased the property from the Neil estate in September 1954.

Numerous businesses have occupied the building in its 69 year history. The latest businesses to occupy it were: in the north section, Bud's Hamburger Shop, center section, Osborne Shoe Repair Shop; and south section, The K.C. Barber Shop. 

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