VILLAGE OF MULLEN

by Wanda Smith

Entry T20 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

The Village of Mullen office is the corner building, 1965

Village of Mullen office - 1988.

The Village of Mullen was organized on or
about January 8, 1907. The land upon which
Mullen is situated was originally designated
as being part of Section 17 and 20, in
Township 24 North, Range 32, West of the
6th P.M., in Hooker County, Nebraska. As
redesignated by the W.W. Alt re-survey of
1896. Mullen is now located in a part of lots
1, 2, & 3 in Section 17, Township 24 North,
Range 32, West of the 6th P.M. and in part
of Claim No. 50, Claim No. 51 & Claim No.
52, in Section 20, Township North, Range 32,
West of the 6th P.M.

The lands included within the incorpora-
ted Village of Mullen involves eight Town
plats, plus certain lands annexed by virtue of
Ordinance No. 88 passed and adopted Febru-
ary 5, 1958.

The Original Town of Mullen, Blocks 1 to
32 inclusive was platted by Amos W. Gandy
and Mary E. Gandy and George W. Trefern
and Mary F. Trefern on May 7, 1888.

The Cleavenger Addition, Blocks 5 to 8
inclusive, 10 to 13 inclusive and 21 to 24
inclusive was platted by George M.Cleaven-
ger and Arminda L. Cleavenger on March 10,
1902. Further, the area platted as Blocks 4,
13 & 20, while not originally within the
corporate limits, were annexed by virtue of
Ordinance No. 88.

(Excerpt from the Hooker County Tribune
December 13, 1907) "The laying of the water
mains for private protection from fire by the
Commercial Co. and H.J. Lowe was complet-
ed and tested with satisfactory results as far
as it could be ascertained, without the hose,
which has been delayed in shipping. It is
certainly a sad state of affairs that enterprise
on the part of our citizens is lacking to an
extent that the expense of the project must
be borne by two private parties, even al-
though their risk is greater than others who
hold property interests. It is hoped that in the
near future, arrangements will be made to
bear the expense of conveying the water to
other parts of the city, which will not only
afford protection from fire, but cheapen
insurance as well."

The Lowe Addition, Lots 1 to 12 inclusive,
Lots 41 , 42, and 43 and the East 90 feet of
Lots 13 and 40, platted by Mary Lowe and
Henry J. Lowe on July 19, 1913. Further all
of Lots 14, 15, 16, 37 and 38 along with a part
of Lots 17 and 36 was apparently annexed by
Virtue of Ordinance No. 88.

Mullen in 1913 had the appearance of some
authentic Movie and TV settings depicting
Wyoming or Western Texas towns except for
the green grassy hills that served as a
background on the north. There were two
livery barns east across from the present Co-
Op and a railroad stockyards on ground now
partly occupied by the Farmers Elevator
warehouse. There were five or six hitching
rails in the streets and the sand was almost
ankle deep, stirred up by countless hooves
and iron rimmed wheels of buggies and
wagons. Most of the buildings, stores and
houses were pretty drab, weathered, wooden
structures even though they weren't very old.
There were stand-out exceptions; some neat-
ly painted houses, the new Brick Court House
and Roseberry's Store, a massive (for the
time and place) solid concrete two-story
building. (The cement had been mixed by
hand with hoes and mortar boxes. The upper
story was an opera house, complete with
footlighted stage, colorful settings and two or
three backdrops; one an outdoor woodland
scene and the other the interior of a log cabin.
There were two small but complete dressing
rooms, one at either corner of the passageway
back of the stage.) Houses were not hidden
nor shaded by tall Cottonwoods or Elms; the
only tall things were the windmills scattered
throughout the town. A few places had Cedar
trees and there were a few small hand-
watered shade trees struggling against the
wind, sun and winter cold.

In March 1914 the Village Board held their
meetings in the Court House on the second
Friday of the month; F.T. Morrison was
Chairman of the Board at this time and W.B.
Adams was the Village Clerk.
In May 1915 a Franchise was given to the
Mullen Telephone Co. to operate and con-
duct a telephone system in Mullen.
In Feb. 1916 an election was held to issue
$10,000 in bonds for the purpose of erecting,
constructing, locating and supply water
works and water supply and for the purchas-
ing of Fire extinguishing apparatus for
Mullen.

In 1917 a Franchise was given to R.C.
Franke for setting poles for an electric system
and managing a light plant system. Mr.
Franke put a one cylinder, one station engine
in the basement of the old Mecure building
and here he operated the light plant.

In July 1919 an Ordinance was made to
vacate part of Lincoln Avenue next to the
railroad for the purpose of building a Munici-
pal water plant, public watering place, Hose
cart house and an Electric Light Plant. This
building has been added onto several times
but still houses the Electric Plant, which is
only used as stand by at the present time. It
was also used as the Village Clerks office until
the new brick Municipal Building with two
offices and a large meeting room was built in
1972. In 1973 Mullen entered into a contract
with Custer Public Power Dist. to buy all of
the power from them except for peak power
in the summer.

The Humphrey Addition, Lots 7 and 8 in
Block 2 was platted by Arthur G. Humphrey
and Clara C. Humphrey on May 18, 1920.
Lots 1 to 6 inclusive and 9 to 14 in Block 2,
and Lots 8 to 12 inclusive as well as the West
40 feet of Lot 7, in Block 3 were annexed to
Mullen by Ordinance No. 88.

Lillie C. Lowe Addition, Lots 1 to 8
inclusive, together with Blocks 1 to 6 inclu-
sive were platted by Lillie C. Lowe and Louis
W. Lowe on December 10, 1948. Blocks 7 to
11 inclusive were annexed by virtue of
Ordinance No. 88.

Clyde D. Sexton Addition, Blocks 1 and 2
were platted by Clyde D. Sexton and Patricia
L. Sexton on August 6, 1975.

Kraye-Coble Addition, Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4
inclusive was platted by Harry C. Coble and
Doris E. Coble, John F. Kraye and Violet M.
Kraye, Gerald S. Long and Sandra J. Long
and Jack L. Kemp and Bonnetta C. Kemp on
January 7, 1976.

McIntosh Addition, Blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4
inclusive was platted by Josephine McIntosh
August 16, 1978.

Probably the biggest surprise to the town
of Mullen was May 30, 1968 when it rained
more than six and a half inches and had three
inches of marble sized hail in about a two
hour period. What streets weren't paved
looked like canyons and many basements
were full of water. Some one rescued Bill
Shears with a small boat, he was on his table
in his house. It was quite uncanny to see a
boat being paddled on Highway 2. On First
Street the water was running even across the
curbs and sidewalks. It seeped in under a few
store doors.

At the present time the once sandy streets
are nearly all paved and what aren't are
graveled or graded. The population by the
1980 census was 720. Mullen is a quiet town
and a great place to raise children. We have
a good School System, four churches and very
friendly people.