Glenn Conklin (1884-1964), Builder-Architect
Glenn Conklin was born on March 29, 1884 in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was one of seven children born to Hester Hattie and Ephraim Detwiler Conklin.[2][3][6] His family, who had lived in the Pennsylvania Dutch region for many decades, moved to Iowa in 1876, and finally moved near Gordon, Nebraska in 1888. At first, they lived in a six-room sod house. In 1906, his family built a new house in the town of Gordon.[7:237] Conklin grew up in Gordon, and began working as a a builder around 1905. He was married to Roxie Swan on December 25, 1907, and in 1910 they had a son, Glenn Conklin Jr.[6][7:237] Conklin was one of two prominent builders in Sheridan County during the early 20th Century, and many of his craftsman style bungalows and commercial buildings are still visible in and around Gordon. He died on September 14, 1964.[4][7:237]
This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.
Contents
Educational & Professional Associations
1930: Contractor, Gordon, Nebraska.[5]
Buildings & Projects
Lee and Gottliebe Fritz house (1909), N. Oak St., Gordon, Nebraska. [1:50] [a] (SH05-011)
Craftsman Style Bungalow (n.d.), Gordon, Nebraska. [1:52][c] (SH05-039)
Dan Hill Residence (n.d.), Gordon, Nebraska. [1:89][c] (SH05-037)
Gordon Gospel Chapel (1949-1950), Gordon, Nebraska.[7][b]
Notes
a. This house was a cooperative effort by Carl Tuchenhagen and Conklin. These two men have been referred to as two of the most important builders in the city. [8]
b. Reference [7] names Glenn Conklin as the supervisor of building the church, while community members volunteered to help build it.
c. These homes are nearly identical, and only a block apart. [1:89]
References
1. Christina Slattery, et. al. Sheridan County: Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey (Madison, Wisconsin: Mead & Hunt, for the Nebraska State Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office, July 1998).
2. Ancestry.com. The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed March 7, 2018.
3. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Accessed March 7, 2018.
4. “Glenn Conklin” FindAGrave.com Accessed March 7, 2018 via https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154139107
5. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Accessed March 7, 2018.
6. “Glenn Conklin” AlexnMe Family Tree, Ancestry.com. Accessed March 9, 2018 via https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/59411290/person/30057570211/facts?ssrc=
7. “Conklin, Ephraim Family” Gordon, Nebraska: Our First Hundred Years, (Dallas, Texas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1984), 237-238.
8. Stavros Knapos, “Carl Tuchenhagen” Youtube.com (September 5, 2017). Accessed March 7, 2018 via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJHK4E1dlWk
9. Gordon, Nebraska: Our First Hundred Years (Dallas, Texas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1984).
Page Citation
Lydia Allen, “Glenn Conklin (1884-1964), Builder-Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, March 29, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, April 20, 2024.
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