JOHN MORRISON'S BUSINESSES, SANDHILLS COMMERICAL CO.

by Elmer C. Gruenig

Entry B15 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

L to R. Bank of Mullen. Sandhills Commerical Co. 1915

In 1904, my grandfather, John Morrison,
bought property in Mullen, Nebr. and started
what became known as the Sand Hills
Commercial Company, located at First Street
and Washington Avenue. With the help of his
two sons, Francis and Charlie Morrison, he
developed the business. The family moved
from Omaha, Nebr. to Mullen in 1906.

At that time, my father, Charles "Todd"
Gruenig was with the U.S. National Bank in
Omaha. The "Bank of Mullen", which was
next door to the Sand Hills Commercial
Company, came up for sale. My grandfather
got in touch with my dad and told him he
would buy the bank if he would come to
Mullen and run it.

This decision to purchase the bank was
made and my father took over the manage-
ment with his brother, W.W. "Bill" Gruenig
as cashier. Eventually, he bought the bank
from my grandfather and retained ownership
until he sold it to Jack Bristow of the Citizens
State Bank at Mullen in 1926.

John Morrison died in 1918 and the
business and building were sold in 1920.