History
History of the St. James Marketplace
In the year 2000, the Omaha Diocese decided to close the Catholic church at St. James, Nebraska. Following an auction of the contents of the church, the remaining building was burned to the ground.
St. James, established in 1856 and located northeast of Hartington and north of Highway 12, is not so many stone’s throws from the Missouri River separating South Dakota and Nebraska and not that much further from Iowa. It’s a beautiful area of Nebraska, with hillsides and lush valleys and breathtaking views suddenly showing themselves at bends in the road.
It’s an old part of the state, as well. Near here in August of 1804 Lewis and Clark passed as they navigated upstream the Missouri River, exploring the Louisiana Purchase under special commission of new President Thomas Jefferson. Private George Shannon from the expedition was lost four miles north of St. James at Goat Island on August 27, 1804. He found the main party 15 days later after existing on berries and one rabbit. This happened to him on more than one occasion during the expedition. A display about Shannon will be at St. James Marketplace.
It’s also a remote area where three Catholic schools consolidated 35 years ago and small towns get smaller each decade. The closing of the Catholic Church -- which served as a corner post of the area -- was another hit to this agricultural area already experiencing the market woes felt throughout the United States.
But then five women stepped forward. Their determination to take an adversity and create something fresh and positive succeeded almost immediately, for by May of 2001 the first St. James Marketplace opened in the historical 1918 Parochial elementary school.
A farmer’s market, craft room, tea room, and a historical room feature information and a book on the Wiseman Massacre by local author and spouse of descendant Louis Guy. (Five of Wiseman’s children were killed by Santee Sioux Indians while their father was in the Army and mother was away at Yankton for supplies.) It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from May first through the end of September. Plans now call for restoration of the chapel area in the school for use as a community gathering place and performing arts area.
Along the way the St. James Marketplace women depended on each other and on information and guidance assistance from the Resource Conservation and Development, the Center for Rural Affairs, the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, Project Hope and local support. They received a USDA Value Added Development Grant for planning. St. James Marketplace now will use the funds to complete a business plan, feasibility study, and to pay for legal expenses associated with forming the market.
They also received the contribution of time from many volunteers, especially from former St. James parishioners.
New business relationships have grown out of the friendships of these five women. They say they have learned to work together in new ways and this, together with buying the building and committing to renovating it, have been their biggest challenge to date. The cost of putting heating and cooling upstairs, fixing three porch roofs, painting and repairing the building’s interior, and installing a state-inspected kitchen were all commitments made by the group who had little financial assistance.
St. James Marketplace started with 16 vendors and the five core members in 2001. Approximately 60 customers came on a typical weekend that year. In 2002, 28 vendors served the needs of 90 to 100 customers on an average weekend. The women expect 40 vendors in 2003. They serve cookies, cheese cake, kolaches, coffee, and raspberry tea in their tea room.
Included are a farmer’s market of local art, crafts, baked goods, garden produce, meat, and St. James history. They will also have speakers, quilt shows and host plays in the old chapel area which will be a community room.
The members take turns working and this labor goes towards their vending fees. Some of the vendors pay for part of their fee by working, as well. Plans for 2003 include continuing the history room development as well as finding a source of revenue for upkeep of the building, advertising, promotion, become handicapped accessible, and for St. James to show up on state maps and signs.
All of this towards what goal? According to these energetic women, it is to provide community because of the loss of their church community, and to promote a value added market for local agricultural producers. A Heritage Fest held in early September 2002 featured candle making, horse and wagon rides, square dancing, homemade ice cream, a two-man cross cut saw contest, churning butter, tatting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, and “ much more.”
Local residents are encouraged to come to St. James Marketplace to browse. People from further afield are invited to St. James for something different, something adventurous, something historically significant, and for fun.
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St. James Marketplace sign tells travelers in northeast Nebraska that they have reached a site rich in the roots of Nebraska. The former Catholic elementary school houses a tea room, an historical room, craft room and farmer’s market, plus frozen beef and pork from the Main Bow Meats cooperative.
The five founders of St. James Marketplace are (l. to r.) Mary Rose Pinkelman,
Vicky Koch, Jeanette Pinkelman, Violet Pinkelman and Louise Guy. The women
are shown working on their brochure.
St. James Marketplace is a testament to more than survival. The women who
established the market place in 2001 want to provide a community gathering
place, bring value added profits for their community and to preserve the abundant
history of the area. While the Catholic Church was closed, auctioned off,
and burned to the ground a few years ago, this elementary school -- which
closed 35 years ago -- continues to serve the community where only a cemetery
and a bar/eating establishment and several homes remain.
History of St. James Area
The village of St. James has a long and rich history due to the strength
and persistence of its forefathers, from the establishment of the town in
1856 to the present. The reason for settlement was the great artery of commerce
from the Missouri River. It was the first town and county seat in Cedar County
and so established itself as innovative and strong from the beginning. It
was moved twice, once from the Missouri River site to the Bow Creek site.
Then, when the train didn’t go through as expected, the center of St.
James moved to the top of the hill to the church site. One of the first permanent
settlers was Henson Wiseman from West Virginia but many others soon followed
from Iowa, Ohio and beyond. Buying land and government grant land started
the farming and the small town began with it.
In 1863, with Henson Wiseman gone to the Dakota's with the Army and Mrs. Wiseman
gone to Yankton to get supplies, the Yankton and Santee Souix Indians attacked
and killed 5 of their children. The bodies of the children were buried at
old St. James but later were moved to the present cemetery site south of Wynot.
A monument in their honor was erected in 1926 by the Home Culture Club. They
were assisted with funds collected from all over the county and the monument
still stands today as a reminder in the area, now known as Brookey Bottom.
Even though the Wiseman family massacre frightened the community, they persisted.
The scourges of grasshoppers, droughts and floods came, but they couldn’t
stop these strong people and the land quickly became homesteaded. Businessmen
established the St. James Mill, St. James Hotel, banks, churches, stores,
schools, a saloon and dance hall and blacksmith, and more, as well as the
addition of more farmers.
Without the train the township slowly diminished in size and population
till all of the businesses were gone except a restaurant / bar, an old parochial
schoolhouse and a few houses, but the spirit of the pioneers has not left.
Through the passage of time this farm community has taken steps to preserve
part of its heritage. The old school house has been newly established in 2001,
as the St. James Marketplace, open weekends during summer. A spirited group
of farm women put their heads together to start a small business that would
work to keep the small community alive. It features a farmers market of local
artists, crafters, baked goods, garden produce and a bit of old St. James
history. They have dreams of expanding the craft area and tea room to be accompanied
by a history-school room, meeting room and a food establishment.
Some of the places to visit are the Wiseman Monument. It is a memorial to
the five children of the Wiseman Family located off of Scenic Byway 12 just
5 miles east of St. James. A small replica cabin and information are at the
site and books about this and other local history are located at the Marketplace.
Other things to see are the Wiseman Burial Site at Wynot, the 31 Civil War
Veterans in the Cemetary located south of Wynot, Brookey Bottom Park, Bow
Creek, the Missouri River and Rattlesnake Road all within a few miles.
We are looking not only for local folks to browse around, but also adventurous people looking for something different. We have it all here, COME AND TAKE HOME SOME OF THE GOOD LIFE!!!
The history room depicts the old fashioned way the classrooms
were set up many years ago.
The Far West River Boat is also displayed. The exact replica built by Chris
Eckhart is incased for all to see.
Plus many old news stories about the river boat days in and around the area.
While at the St. James Marketplace, don't forget to check out our History Room. See what an old time classroom looks like and re-live what it is like to be there.
