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 building is a cool old building located at 1802 and 1804 Vinton Street in South Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It was built in 1923 for a bakery owned by William L. Elsasser. You can still see the "Elsasser" name carved into a stone panel at the top of the red brick building. This building became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, which means it's an important historical place. Today, the main business inside is the River City Saloon.
Contents
A Sweet History: The Elsasser Bakery Story
Starting a Family Business
The Elsasser family were bakers from a town called Vaihingen in Germany. They came to Omaha in the early 1880s. The family's father, Christian G. Elsasser, opened the first family bakery. It was called The Leavenworth Street Bakery.
Later, in 1887, Christian's son, William Ludwig Elsasser, started his own bakery. It was called the W. L. Elsasser Bakery. William moved his bakery a few times. In 1904, the bakery moved to its final spot at 1802 Vinton Street. At that time, the building was made of wood. William Elsasser's family lived in a two-story house right behind the bakery.
Building a New Bakery
William L. Elsasser sadly passed away in 1914. His wife, Susanna, took over running the bakery. Other family members helped her. Under Susanna's leadership, the current brick building was built in 1923. A family relative, Frederick W. Rice, was the builder.
The Bakery Changes Hands
Susanna Elsasser passed away in 1926. Her sons, William J. and Carl L. Elsasser, then took over the bakery. They ran it for a few years. The bakery stopped being listed in city guides by 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 Bakery Building Looks Like
The Elsasser Bakery building is a two-story building made of red brick. It has a simple, practical design. 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. It also has brick patterns and stone sills around the windows. The middle window on the second floor is now filled in with bricks. When the bakery was open, there was a big awning over the front. It had "1802 Elsasser's Bakery" printed on it.
Life at the Bakery
The Elsasser Bakery was a local bakery. It served all the people living in the neighborhood around it. The bakery was famous for its special Vienna and German rye bread. In 1917, the bakery reported selling about $2,140 worth of goods in December. A loaf of bread cost 9 cents back then. The bakery's equipment was worth about $2,500.
The Elsasser family was also well-known in Omaha for their big family reunions. The first one happened in 1913. It was held across the street from the bakery at Miller's Hall. The family also placed a beautiful stained glass window. It was a memorial to William L. Elsasser at Cross Lutheran Church.
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
See also
- History of Omaha
- Vinton Street Commercial Historic District
- Arthur G. Rocheford Building
