Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-31
BURGESS-NASH TO
DOUBLE ITS STORE
Historic Boyd Theater to Be
Torn Down to Make Place
for Modern Structure.
ADDITION SIX STORIES HIGH

The Burgess Nash company an
nounced yesterday that it will
build a six-story addition right west
Of its present big store, on the
ground. where the Boyd theatcr now
stands, with lightweight feet front
on Harvey and l52 feet on Seven
tcenth street.
Work of tearing down the theater
will start within sixty days and the
new structure will be rushed to com
pletion. 1t is expected to have it
ready by December |, 1917.
The plans for the addition are be
ing made by George B. Prinz, archi-
tect. They specify that the new
structure shall be built of concrete
and brick, to conform as nearly as
possible to the present building, with
which it will be directly connected.
The entire building, new and old
will be equipped with the very latest
and most practical appliances for the
the shopping public.
The new structure will almost
double the size of the store. 1t will
give it a total floor space of nearly
100000 square feet, or about five and
a half acres. This would make a
store twenty feet wide and two and a
half miles long; that is, store reach
ing from Tenth street to Forty-third
street.
Show Wonderful Growth.
The Burgess-Nash stores nave had
a tremendous growth in the three
years of their history. Sales have
made the phenomenal increase of l5C
per cent. The store has been con
tinually getting more and more
cramped for room for increasing
stocks of goods and greater crowds
OF customers.
1--WE feel that the Omaha public de,
mands store like Burgess-Nash,'
said Louis c. Nash, vice president Of
the company. THE wonderful growth
Of our business during the three
short years of our existence, the con.
slant and increasing expressions ,oi
public confidence as evidenced by oul
sales records, which show an increase
of better than $50 per cent, have
demonstrated to us that there is room
for store like ours, and it also
further demonstrated that our bust.
ness principles of merchandising-ot
meeting the public more than hall
way-are right
1--WE have just completed our mos
successful year and in rounding it out
we realize that if we are to be able tc
live up to our motto, The greatest
service to the greatest number, we
must increase our store facilities, anC
this can only be done BY erecting ar
addition to our present store, where
the Boyd theater building now
stands"
Theater Landmark.
The Boyd theater, which will be
torn down to make room for the new
structure, is an Omaha landmark.
There is much sentiment con.
nected with the Boyd" said Mr.. Nash
we may arrange some sort of {
farewell performance in the old the
alter before it is dismantled."
Governor James E. Boyd purchased
the site in 1890 from General w. w
Lowe and erected the theater. 1t is
five stories high, built of stone, iror
and pressed brick and has a seating
capacity of 1000.
1t was opened September 3, 1891
by Thomas Boyd, the lessee An
gustus Thomas American play, "Ala
bama," was presented on this occa,
sion by A. M. Palmer's company. A
large and fashionable audience was
present Governor Boyd was calico
before the curtain and made a short
address on the progress of Omaha
and the work of erecting the theater
Hon. John NJ. Thurston also spoke
The estimated cost at the outse,
was $l50,000, but nearly 100000 ad
ditional was spent on the building
to carry out Governor Boyd's desire
to make it the equal of any theater il
the country.
In the years that have elapsed since
that time the Boyd has been the
scene of countless theatrical produc
tons, and there the wealth anc
beauty" of Omaha have enjoyed thu
beauties and wonders of the stage
Most of the great actors and &C
tresses of the land during these year:
have trodden the boards at the Boyd