Elsasser Bakery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elsasser Bakery
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William L. Elsasser Bakery Building
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1802-1804 Vinton Street, Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Built | 1923 |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000608 |
| Added to NRHP | July 11, 2006 |
The Elsasser Bakery is a historic building located at 1802 and 1804 Vinton Street in South Omaha, Nebraska. It was built in 1923 for the William L. Elsasser Bakery. You can still see the Elsasser name carved into a stone panel at the top of the red brick building. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Today, the main business in the building is the River City Saloon.
Contents
The Bakery's Story
A Family of Bakers
The Elsasser family were bakers from a town called Vaihingen in Germany. They came to Omaha in the early 1880s. The family's first baker, Christian G. Elsasser, opened a bakery at 709 Leavenworth Street. It was called The Leavenworth Street Bakery.
In 1887, Christian's son, William Ludwig Elsasser, started his own bakery, the W. L. Elsasser Bakery. It was first located at 2014 South 19th Street. Later, around the late 1890s, William moved the bakery to 2416 South 19th Street.
Moving to Vinton Street
In 1904, the bakery moved to its final spot at 1802 Vinton Street. At first, the building there was made of wood and had been a bakery before. William Elsasser's family lived in a two-story house right behind the bakery. This made it very convenient for them!
When William L. Elsasser passed away in 1914, his wife, Susanna, kept the bakery running. Other family members helped her. It was under Susanna's guidance that the current brick building was built in 1923. A family relative, Frederick W. Rice, was the builder.
The Bakery Changes Hands
After Susanna Elsasser died in 1926, her sons, William J. and Carl L. Elsasser, took over the bakery. They ran it for a few years. The last time the bakery was listed in the city directories was 1931. By 1940, the building had changed from a bakery to a bar. Today, the River City Saloon is the main business there.
What the Building Looks Like
The Elsasser Bakery building is a two-story building made of red brick. Besides the Elsasser name carved in stone at the top, it has other cool decorations. These include a stone-capped roof edge called a parapet, brick patterns, and stone sills under the windows. The middle window on the second floor is now bricked in. When the bakery was open, it had a big front awning that said "1802 Elsasser's Bakery".
Delicious Bread and Family Fun
Neighborhood Favorites
The Elsasser Bakery was a local bakery that served the people living nearby. They were especially known for their Vienna and German rye bread. In 1917, the bakery reported selling $2,140 worth of bread in December. A loaf of bread cost 9 cents back then! The bakery's equipment was worth about $2,500.
Family Gatherings
The Elsasser family was also famous in Omaha for their big yearly family reunions. The very first reunion was held on November 1, 1913. It took place across the street from the bakery at Miller's Hall.
The Elsasser family also put a beautiful stained glass window in Cross Lutheran Church. It's on the south wall of the church and is a memorial to William L. Elsasser.
Gallery
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Elsasser Bakery, 2416 South 19th Street
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Baking Bread in the Basement of the Elsasser Bakery
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William Elsasser Inside His 1802 Vinton Street Bakery
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Elsasser Bakery Truck
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Elsasser Bakery Awning
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Elsasser Family Home, 2706 South 18th Street
