The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-12-06

was agent In the winter OF 1865 he
made his last visit to his Wisconsin
home.
Herman Gcrccke arrived at the birth
of Norfolk. He came to work on the
mill that determined the location OF
the town, the old Mathewson mill. II
was houselcss Norfolk when he ar.
rived and the morning after his arrival
ne went to work on the mill store that
was to replace an early store In n log
building with dirt roof. He worked
m the mill and about Norfolk until
May, 1870. For Charles Mcclure he
quilt one of the first frame houses In
Norfolk a house that now stands the
first building west of the Norfolk
creamery.
Working for about a year in Water
loo, Neb, Mr.. Gerecke helped build a
mill and placed the machinery In
June, 1871, he returned to Norfolk and
on July %, 1871 he married the daugh.
ter of the mill owner at Waterloo, Miss
Sarah Il. Brickley. He was married
in Omaha and drove overland to Nor.
folk with his bride. His home has
ever since been in Norfolk.
Mr. Gereckes first home in Norfolk
was near the Junction, but in 1879 he
built the frame house just south OF
the postoffice. In 1888 he bought the
splendid Norfolk residence property
known then as the c. p. Mathewson
and later as the Gerecke property.
Here he raised his family and made
his own home until the present sum-
mer
In 1874 the firm of Gerecke & Hardy,
furniture dealers, was formed by Fred
Hardy and Herman Gerecke. Business
was conducted in a building just east
of the Wetzel gun shop. The first
stock was hauled overland from Oma-
ha, Hardy and Gerecke driving two
teams to Omaha to haul their first
stock to Norfolk.
When the railroad came in 1879 &C.
recke went into the lumber business
with A. =. Pilger under the firm name
of Pilger & Gerecke, Mr.. Gerecke man
aging the business. Three years later
| he bought 1llStl . liItltoJ anu SOh'
tinued the business until 1887
The year that he sold his lumber
business he took charge of the Nor.
folk brick works and went in as one
of the three owners of the Norfolk
Brick and Tile company, A. p. Pilger
and DR. Verges being the other propri-
etors. John Flynn, now chief of police
in Norfolk had developed the brick
yards under the name of Pilger &
Flynn. After a time Gerecke pur.
chased his partners interests and has
since run the business as the Norfolk
brick works.
First of the list of Norfolk mayors
stands the name of Herman Gerecke
Norfolk's first executive. In 1886 he
became the first mayor of Norfolk
In 1889 and in 1890 he was elected to
two more terms. And the initial or
ganization of the village in 1881 under
village government Gerecke was large
ly instrumental in bringing about thai
first village government.
, Mr.. Gerecke served on the Norfolf
school board when the Grant and Lin
, coin buildings were erected. In coun
| ty elections he was twice the candidate
of the democrats, being defeated once
: for the legislature by c. F. Eiseley ant
| once for district clerk by Chris Schav
) land. 1t is recalled that Gerecke wal
r loped Schavland five to one in Nor
} folk but that Schavland swept county
> Elected in the early seventies as peac'
: Justice he held the Office for fourteen
: years.
l Herman Gerecke is a true democra
r of the real democracy. A northern
S man living in the midst of republican
t ism. a veteran of the union side OF tn
: civil war he has stood with demot
4 racy because he thought it the part
y of the fair deal and the plain peopl
and the party farthest away from col
l. ruption and manipulation, which h
e bitterly opposes. He has always bee
a prominent in the affairs Of the minor
: ity party.
d OF Norfolk organizations Mr.. Gt
r recle was a charter member and afte'
. WdTuS CDIlIldlutl VI AluIll'N Soii po'
X of the G. A. r. He was member
n the first fire department and wit
d julius Degner fashioned the frs
k "hook" of the department, Norfolk
first piece of fire apparatus. He Is
It member of Mosaic lodge, No. So, A.
n & A. M.
t The first big land deal in Norfol
d was when he sold a twenty-five foe
s Norfolk avenue frontage for $1,0O
& At one time Mr.. Gerecke's holding
e near Norfolk avenue were quite extel
s. sive. He also held 400 acres of Ian
near the Junction.
O. He was one of the incorporators
o the street car company and was or
10 of the first stockholders in the No
IS folk Electric Light & Power compan
e In 1871 Mr.. Gerecke was a memb'
of u,bot woe prpha blV the first graz