View source for Seeley, Son & Company, Contractors and Architects

<div style="white-space:nowrap;font-size:125%">'''Fremont, Nebraska, c. 1884-1907'''</div style="white-space:nowrap;font-size:125%">

'''Principals:'''

Marquis (or Marcus) Franklin Seeley, Fremont, Nebraska, c. 1875-1903; Chicago, Illinois, 1905-1909

Joseph S. Seeley, Fremont, Nebraska, 1880-1900, 1905; Sheyboygan, Wisconsin, 1903, 1906

'''Partner:'''

[[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''Charles R. DeLaMatyr''']], Fremont, Nebraska 

'''Seeley, Son & Company''' of Fremont was comprised of '''Marquis''' (or Marcus) '''Franklin Seeley''' (1828-1909), his son '''Joseph S. Seeley''' (1854-1923) and [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''Charles R. DeLaMatyr''']], all in Fremont.[[#References|[7][8]]] The Seeleys were involved in elevator building in Nebraska by the mid-1870s and were carpenters in Fremont before 1880. By 1885, "Seeley, Son & Co." were listed in the Fremont city directory.  A Fremont newspaper reported in 1889 that they were "Fremont's leading contracting firm" with 110 men employed on a half dozen projects.[[#References|[13]]] The company built such major structures as the Dodge County Courthouse (1889-1890), Nuckolls County Courthouse (1890) and the U.S. Post Office in Fremont in 1892, and advertised as "architects and contractors" in 1891-1892. But elevator building throughout the region apparently remained a key focus. The company was no longer listed among architects in Fremont from 1903 on. [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''DeLaMatyr''']] was still employed by the Seeleys in 1906-1907, then he was listed as an elevator builder (without mention of the Seeleys) in the 1908 Fremont directory and as an architect and civil engineer in 1910-1911.

This page is a contribution to the publication, '''[[Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects]]'''. See the [[Format and contents of Nebraska architect entries|format and contents]] page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

==Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings==
Fremont, Nebraska, 1885-1892, 1903, 1905, 1910-1911.

==Educational & Professional Associations==
c. 1885-1907: elevator builders, Fremont, Nebraska.

1891-1892: architects and contractors, Fremont, Nebraska.

==Other Associations==
1885: Everett E. Hanks  (1850-1912), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[10][11]]][[#Notes|[d]]]

c. 1885-1907: employed [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|Charles R. DeLaMatyr]], architect and civil engineer.

1893, 1896: employed [[Albert Henry Dyer (1854-1926), Architect|A. H. Dyer]], for at least two projects.[[#References|[3][16]]]

==Buildings & Projects==
Construction of Dodge County Courthouse (1889-1890), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[1][13]]][[#Notes|[a]]]

German American bank (1889), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[13]]]

Fremont pump house (1889), Tenth Street, Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[13]]]

Postmaster Wolcott house (1889), I Street, Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[13]]]

Watson house (1889), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[13]]]

Construction of Nuckolls County courthouse (1890), Nelson, Nebraska.[[#References|[14]]][[#Notes|[a]]]

"[T]wo fine ones [houses] (1890) Sixth Street near I, Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[15]]]

Superintended construction of U. S. Post Office (1892), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[2]]][[#Notes|[b]]]

Construction of Blumenthal Clothing Store Building (1893), Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[3]]][[#Notes|[c]]]

Seeley, Son & Company bid on new Fillmore County court house (1893), Geneva, Nebraska.[[#References|[19]]][[#Notes|[g]]]

A "large grain elevator" (1893), Indian Territory.[[#References|[4]]]

Elevator (1895), Omaha, Nebraska.[[#References|[18]]]

Elevator and drying kilns (1896), "five-acre tract of land immediately south of the Fremont Brewing Company's plant, Fremont, Nebraska.[[#References|[16]]][[#Notes|[e]]]

"100,000 bushel elevator" by "the Seeley company" (1897), Coffeyville, Kansas.[[#References|[5]]]

300,000 bushel elevator (1902), at Germantown, near Philadelphia.[[#References|[17]]]

==Notes==
a. When the Dodge County Courthouse burned in December 1915, a sidebar to the main newspaper story noted "The ruined building was erected in 1889 and 1890 by Seeley, Son & Co., of Fremont" and added "[[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''Charles R. DeLaMatyr''']], who was connected with the company, was in active charge of the construction. Mr. DeLaMatyr is now clerk of Fremont." The designer of the Dodge County Courthouse of 1889-1890 was '''[[George E. McDonald (1861-1942), Architect|George E. McDonald]]''' of Fremont.[[#References|[1]]] '''[[George E. McDonald (1861-1942), Architect|McDonald]]''' also designed the Nuckolls County Courthouse, built by the Seeleys in 1890.

b. [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''DeLaMatyr''']] was identified as the superintendent, on behalf of Seeley, Son & Company.[[#References|[3]]]

c. Attributed to [[Albert Henry Dyer (1854-1926), Architect|A. H. Dyer]], in association with Seeley & Son.

d. Hanks was listed among the Seeley, Son and Company employees and as a resident of Fremont in the 1885 Fremont city directory.  He was a carpenter in Hooper, Nebraska in 1880 and a carpenter in Fremont in 1900.[[#References|[10][11][12]]]

e. A Fremont newspaper reported on development of a chicory processing facility in Fremont in 1896, noting "The plans for the buildings have been drawn by Seeley, Son & Co and [[A. H. Dyer & Company, Architects|'''A. H. Dyer''']]..."[[#References|[16]]]

f. [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''C. R. DeLaMatyr''']] traveled to Omaha to "look after" this elevator-building contract.[[#References|[18]]]

g. [[Charles R. DeLaMatyr (1853-1918), Architect & Civil Engineer|'''C. R. DeLaMatyr''']] went to Geneva, Nebraska to present the Seeley company bid to build the Fillmore County courthouse.[[#References|[19]]]

==References==
1. "Dodge County Court House Burns--Raging Flames Almost Entirely Ruin Fine $75,000 Building," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune'' (December 6, 1915), 1 (illustrated with photo of building ablaze).

2. "Superintendent Appointed," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (May 26, 1892), 4.

3. ''Fremont Tribune'' (May 20, 1893), 4:2.

4. "Personals...Charles R. DeLa Martyr returned yesterday from Indian Territory...," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (July 4, 1893), 4.

5. "Personals...Charles DeLaMatyr went to Coffeeville [sic], Kan...," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (June 15, 1897), 3.

6. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ''1880 United States Federal Census,'' s.v. "Marcus Seeley," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 

7. Ancestry.com. ''Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Deaths Index, 1878-1922,'' s.v. "Marquis F. Seeley," [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 

8. Ancestry.com. ''U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current,'' s.v. "Joseph Sterling Seeley," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 

9. Ancestry.com. ''1910 United States Federal Census,'' s.v. "Joseph S. Seeley" (in Brazoria County, Texas), [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. 

10. Ancestry.com. ''U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current,'' s.v. "Everett E. Hanks," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. 

11. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ''1880 United States Federal Census,'' s.v. "E. E. Hanks," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 

12. Ancestry.com. ''1900 United States Federal Census,'' s.v. "Everett E. Hanks," [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 

13. "A Small Army.--Something About the Laborers in Our City," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (October 24, 1889), 5.

14. "Personal....Ben Bolt...went down to Nelson to look after...work on the new Nuckkoll's county court house which  Seeley, Son & Co., are building." ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune'' (April 21, 1890), 4.

15. "A Few Improvements," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune'' (April 28, 1890), 4.

16. "The German Chicory Co.--It will build large dry kilns at Fremont," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (August 1, 1896), 5.

17. "Local Brevities...."Seeley, Son & Co. have just been awarded a big contract for an elevator at Germantown, near Philadelphia...capacity of 300,000 bushels and...cost a little more than $90,000." ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (December 13, 1902), 1.

18. "C. R. DeLaMatyr went to Omaha to look after an elevator contract Seely, Son & Co., have secured there," ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-Weekly Tribune'' (August 10, 1895), 4.

19. "C R. DeLaMatyr was at Geneva...where he submitted...the bid...on the erection of a new court house,' ''Fremont (Nebraska) Tri-County Tribune'' (January 12, 1893), 4

==Page Citation== 

[[E. F. Zimmer]] & [[D. Murphy]], “{{PAGENAME}},” {{Template:ArchtPageCitation}} December 21, 2023.  {{Template:ArchtPageCitation2}} {{LOCALMONTHNAME}} {{LOCALDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}.

{{Template:ArchtContribute}}