Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03
COOPERATIVE HOME BUILDING
Some Facts About the Origin of the Move
ment in Nebraska.
FIRST ASSOCIATION AT NORTH PLATTE
Railroad Men the Pioneers of Mutual
Home Building Organizations-
How They SDread-Stntistfcal
Review of Their business.

The United States Commission to the
Paris exposition of next year is attempting
for the first time to secure an adequate rep
Iesentation of the United States in the sec
tion of social economy. The purpose of this
section is to bring together, through ex-
hibit. document, plans, etc, material illus
trating social institutions in all countries so
that a comparative study Of the different
countries can be made The organization
and work OF building and loan associations
will occupy a prominent place in this ex-
hibit, and the several state leagues and the
United States League are collecting, at the
request of the commission, all documents,
statistics and historical matter showing the
origin, growth and evolution of cooperative
home building in the United States.
The Nebraska State League of Building
and Loan Association has compiled for the
exhibit an instructive review Of the origin,
growth and present condition of associations
in this state. The document is a valuable con-
tribution to the history of western develop
ment, presenting many facts respecting the
inception of the movement west OF the
Missouri river that will interest association
men.
The Parent Association.
When and how building and loan associa-
tions took root in Nebraska has been fire.
quently asked at league meetings but never
satisfactorily answered. Labor Commissioner
Wright in his report on building and loan
associations In 1898, gave the honor of the
first association to Grand Island, organized
in 1881. That applied to an association or
ganized at that date and In existence at the
date of the publication. 1t meant that Grand
Island had the oldest association in the state.
But long before Grand Island entered the
n pia4f
ganized and fiourished at North Platte, and
that city, according to facts at hand, was the
parent of the movement in Nebraska.
Nebraska associations trace their origin
direct 10 the fountain head of the movement
Philadelphia. In the early '70's North
Platte ranked second TO Omaha as a
rendezvous OF railroad men. There was a
great demand for practical railroad men at
that point. and large numbers flocked there
from the east Among them was Adam Fer
guson. a Pennsylvanian, direct from Phil
adelphia, where he had learned the less )ns
Of thrift taught by building and loan as
sociations. Being wCll versed in the prin-
ciplts OF mutual home building he preached
the doctrine in round house and cab. in
shop and store, and soon had the virgin
soil ready for the seeding. After many pre-
liminary meetings. a permanent organiza-
tion was effected, and business commenced
ON March 4, 1875 II was known as the
North Platte Building and Loan association.
Four hundred shares were subscribed. The
guiding spirit OF the organization was Mr..
I'erguscn. who was elected secretary and
continued .n that position until December
E. 1882. when the shares were matured and
peid. and the society ceased to exist, Many
raol now nrcminent in business life were
officers or directors of this, the parent as
sociation Cf Nebraska, Its first president
was j. II, Mcconnell, now superintendent
OF ro.lve power and machinery of the Union
paclnc railroad. one OF the directors was