My Genealogy Hound

E. P. REICHARDT, senior member of the firm of Reichardt & Nissen, of Oxford, Furnas county, is a native of the city of Flenburg, Schleswig Holstein, Germany, and was born November 16, 1852. He was reared in his native country and lived there to the age of nineteen, coming to the United States in 1873. He came direct to Nebraska at that date, spent a short time at Fremont and Omaha, and then went to Wyoming. He secured a position with the Union Pacific Railroad Company in the car service at Green Brier, Wyo., where he learned the business and followed the trade there for five years. He was then transferred to Rock Springs and put in charge of the shops there as foreman, which position he held for a period of six years, making his term of service with the Union Pacific eleven years. As evidence of the faithfulness with which he discharged his duties during this time it maybe mentioned that he never, during the entire eleven years, missed a pay day, was never suspended, reprimanded nor criticized, and resigned his position, bearing with him the gratitude and best wishes of his employers and the respect and good will of all of those with whom he had had business relations or with whom he had come in contact. Although young in years and laboring under the disadvantage of having to master a foreign language as well as begin life anew among strangers, and as a common laborer, he, nevertheless, became one of the best known men along the line of the Union Pacific railroad, and was universally popular, not only with the trainmen and traveling public, but with shippers, ranchmen, and the general citizens of the territory. He was on the frontier, and saw the border towns in their palmy days; he knew the boomers and learned of the ups and downs of the “flush times” of “the far West.” Quitting the Union Pacific in 1884, he formed a partnership with William Holcomb and entered into the mercantile business, dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, in Rock Springs, continuing at it some time. He came to Nebraska in 1885, stopping at Oxford, July 10, that year. Soon afterwards he opened a general mercantile establishment, which he conducted alone till July, 1887, at which time his brother-in-law, J. H. Nissen, joined him, the firm becoming Reichardt & Nissen. This is one of the largest and most successful houses in the Republican valley. They have a large two-story brick building with a basement, and it is lined from bottom to top with goods of every kind in demand in a country town. They carry a large stock and do an immense business. Messrs. Reichardt & Nissen are both young men full of energy and ambition, and possess a special aptitude for their calling. Their store is crowded the live-long day the year round. They are live, wide-awake men, thoroughly posted, and each an accomplished salesman. They employ no help, but with the aid of Mrs. Reichardt, who is in charge of the millinery and dry-goods department, they conduct the entire business of the firm, giving to every detail their own personal attention.

Mr. Reichardt married in November, 1878, the lady whom he selected to share his life’s fortunes being Miss Annie Nissen, who was also born and reared in Flensburg, Germany, and a lady whom he had known from early childhood. This union has been blessed with three bright little fellows, two boys and a girl, Charles, Elfry and Annie.