MORRISON, JOHN AND EMMA (NOVOTNY)

by Sandra Lloyd

Entry F299 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

John Morrison was born in Denmark in
1843, and his wife Emma Novotny was born
in Michigan in 1852. Wyoming was their
home for nearly twenty years starting in the
early 1870's. They spent much of that time
in Cheyenne where John was a member of the
Old Saddlery manufacturing firm of J.S.
Collins and Co. of which John was the
managing partner. They had branches in
Miles City and Billings, Montana, and in
later years the same firm under the name of
Collins and Morrison in Omaha.

John and his family spent time in all these
places. The Morrisons had three children,
two sons, Charles and Francis and one
daughter Nelsie. In 1877 J.B. Collins sent
John and family to Fort Laramie, Wyoming
to run the Suttler store. Elmer Gruenig,
grandson, recalls hearing many stories of the
summer rendezvous of white trapper and
buyers and Indians, of the Old Parade ground
and Jim Bridger, "Old Bedlam" was said to
be the oldest frame house west of the
Missouri.

Daughter Nelsie was born while they were
living at the fort in 1880. Emma took the
Cheyenne Deadwood Stagecoach to
Cheyenne where she boarded a train for
Omaha, Nebraska arriving in time to give
birth to Nelsie. The fort did not have
adequate medical facilities to care for Emma
and a new baby. However, as soon as Emma
was able she and the baby returned to the fort
where they remained until 1882. Their next
move was back to Cheyenne. Collins and
Morrison were business associates for over 30
years, many of which were the years the
cattlemen and the rangeworkers were moving
cattle on foot from the great Texas ranges to
the ranges of Western Nebraska, Wyoming,
South Dakota and Montana. The firm of
Collins and Morrison and Co. enjoyed a very
active and profitable saddle trade with the
Texas cattlemen and cowboys who came with
the large herds over the long summer trails.
Among their customers was the colorful
character known as Buffalo Bill Cody. They
made his saddles and he was a good friend of
John Morrisons.

In 1890 they moved to Omaha where they
had the same firm under the name of Collins
and Morrison. In 1900 daughter Nelsie was
married to Charles "Tod" Gruenig, and they
had one son Elmer Charles Gruenig, born in
1902.

In 1904 John Morrison bought property in
Mullen and started what became known as
the Sandhills Commercial Co. With the help
of his two sons, Charlie and Francis, they
developed the business that was located a
block east and across the street from the H.J.
Lowe Lumber Co. The store sold groceries,
lumber, coal and Hardware.

After a decade of business in Omaha, John
transferred his part of the Saddle Co. to
Alfred Cornish and moved his family to
Mullen in 1906. At that time, the bank of
Mullen came up for sale and John Morrison
got in touch with his son-in-law Charles
Gruenig and told him he would buy the bank
if he would come to Mullen and run it. The
bank was located next door to the Sandhills

Commercial Co. The decision to purchase the
bank was made and Charles took over the
management along with his brother W.W.
Gruenig as cashier. Eventually Charles
bought the bank from John and retained
ownership until he sold it to Jack Brestow of
the Citizens Bank at Mullen in 1926. John
Morrison also owned a ranch called the BJH
which was located 1 1/2 miles south and a little
west of the Dismal River. It was operated by
John's eldest son Charlie and wife Blanche
Nelson Morrison. Charlie and Blanche had
four sons, Happy, Russell and twins Tom and
George.

John Morrison also owned a store in
Brownlee, Nebraska and his son Francis
operated that. Francis was married to Carrie
Dewey Morrison. They had a son John and
a daughter Frances.

Charles and Nelsie Gruenig were also part
owners in the Tucker ranch south of Mullen.
He was a member of the Mullen Bank 1907-
19122. Charles, Nelsie and Elmer lived next
door to John and Emma, and Charlie and
Blanche and their boys also lived in town
close to the cemetery on the top of the hill.

Around 1916 the Morrisons wanted to sell
out and go back to Omaha. At that time, the
Campbells from Mullen bought out their
grocery store. The Morrisons continued to
operate the lumber yard and a hardware store
for several more years.

John Morrison died in 1918 and the
business closed around 1920. Emma, Nelsie
and Charles moved back to Omaha in 1918.
In 1932 Charlie Campbell sold the business
to W.W. Gruenig. He in turn sold it to Ed
Wadlow in 1935. Nelsie Gruenig still owned
the lumber yard at the time of her mothers
death. Emma died in 1933 at the age of 81.
The Gruenigs owned the lumber yard for
many more years before selling it.