Jacob Ort (1846-1935), Architect
Jacob Ort was born July 7, 1846 in Chicago, Illinois to Asplanarius and Mary Orth, and served in the Civil War in an Illinois Regiment.[33][b] He moved to Valparaiso, Nebraska by 1880, and later lived in Wahoo and other Nebraska towns near Lincoln. He was granted patents related to doors and windows in the 1890s. Ort was identified as a carpenter in Wahoo in the U. S. Census of 1900, then in 1902 he opened an architectural office there.[5][8][18][18]. He also worked briefly in Lincoln as a partner of the architectural firm Warren & Ort.[7][c] He continued to reside in Wahoo and to be identified as an architect in subsequent censuses, practicing at least as late as 1925.[6][g] He was married to Christie in 1868; they had eleven children, eight of whom lived with the parents in Wahoo, Nebraska in 1900.[1][2][5] He died July 31, 1935 in Wahoo, Nebraska at the age of 89.[4]
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
Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1907
Wahoo, Nebraska, 1915-1917
Educational & Professional Associations
1863-1865: military enlistment, Union Army, First Illinois Light Artillery.[3][34][b]
1882-ca. 1900: multiple Saunders County & City of Wahoo offices, including deputy sheriff (1882), clerk of district court, deputy county clerk, police magistrate, and city treasurer (1898), Wahoo, Nebraska.[14][34]
1889: member of firm Scheel & Ort, furniture dealers and undertakers, Wahoo, Nebraska.[11][12][e]
1897-1898: proprietor of an undertaking establishment, Wahoo, Nebraska.[13]
1902-1925: architect & builder, Wahoo, Nebraska.
1904: accompanied Saunders County commissioners on tour of courthouses, prior to construction of Saunders County Courthouse in 1904-1905, designed by Fisher & Lawrie of Omaha.[19][f]
1906-1907: architect and partner, Warren & Ort, Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Buildings & Projects
Dated Projects
Reformed Presbyterian Church (1884), Wahoo, Nebraska.[10][d]
F. J. Kirchman house (1903), Wahoo, Nebraska. (SD16-085)
St. Vitus Catholic Church (1902-1903), Main St. north end of town, Touhy, Nebraska.[15] (SD14-002)
F. J. Kirchman residence (1903), Wahoo, Nebraska.[17]
Congregational Church (1909), corner of 8th & Linden Ave., Wahoo, Nebraska.[9][31]
Barn for county farm (1911), Saunders County, Nebraska.[20]
St. Wenceslaus School (1910-1911), Wahoo, Nebraska.[9][29][30]
Condition report on school houses at request of School Board (1913), Wahoo, Nebraska.[21]
Brick business block for David Yung (1913), Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska.[16]
Proposal for a new high school (1913), Wahoo, Nebraska.[22]
Plans and specifications for $20,000 school (1913), Fremont, Nebraska.[23]
Catholic school (1914), Fremont, Nebraska.[24]
Rad Cecho-Moravan Cis ZCBJ Sin (1916-1917), sec Jefferson & Madison, Brainard, Nebraska.[a] (BU03-016)
Public school building (1917) Wahoo, Nebraska.[25]
Brick double office for Hudec ice company and American Express Co. (1923), 151 West 5th Street, Wahoo, Nebraska.[26]
National Hall (1925), Prague, Nebraska.[27][28]
Undated Projects
Notes
a. Listed in NEHBS as Jan Ort.
b. Ort recalled his Civil War service shortly before his death in 1935, telling of being thrown to the ground when his horse was killed beneath him, and suffering a severely broken leg when he was run over by a gun carriage.[33][34]
c. Lincoln Star reported in June 1906 "Mr. Jacob Ort, who has been engaged in the building and architectural business in Wahoo, Nebraska for many years, has moved to Lincoln and he and Mr. W. [sic] F. Warren, an architect of this city, have formed the firm of Warren & Ort, and will do a general architectural and building business and have offices over the Bank of Commerce." The firm was also mentioned in the Lincoln City directory of 1907.[7]
d. A Wahoo (Nebraska) newspaper reported in 1884: "The Reformed Presbyterians have decided to build a new church on the lots where the old one now stands. Jacob Ort drew the plans and we understand Gilbert Rouse has the contract."[10]
e. A Wahoo newspaper mentioned in 1889 that "Jacob Ort of the firm of Scheel & Ort, has returned from Ashland, bringing with hime the stock of goods put in at that place sometime [sic] ago. He did not find it a paying location." An adjacent advertisement for "Scheel & Ort," describes them as "Undertakers and Embalmers."[11] Elsewhere the same firm is described as "furniture dealers."[12]
f. In 1904, a listing of "claims paid" by Saunders County included "Jacob Ort, expenses of trip viewing courthouses with commissioners...25 00"[19]
g. Wahoo newspapers reported repeatedly on the construction of Prague, Nebraska's new community hall. Upon its completion, an editorial in the Wahoo Wasp praised both the City of Prague and Wahoo's own architect: "Jacob Ort, of Wahoo, is the architect and proud of his job. Mr. Ort, is nearly 80 years, an old soldier and has been a resident of Wahoo over forty years. He rides a bicycle and is still drawing plans for residence and buildings."[32]
References
1. 1920 United States Census, s.v. “Jacob Ort,” Wahoo, Saunders County, Nebraska, accessed through "HeritageQuestOnline.com.
2. 1880 United States Census, s.v. “Jacob Ort,” Valparaiso, Saunders County, Nebraska, accessed through HeritageQuestOnline.com.
3. Historical Data Systems, comp. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Enlistment date: 22 Dec 1863. Accessed through Ancestry.com.
4. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
5. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Christi Ort." Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
6. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. "Christie Ort." Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
7. Notice of formation of firm of Warren & Ort, Lincoln (Nebraska) Star (June 3, 1906), 2.
8. (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (November 29, 1893), 1 (relating to "doorway conformation); "Nebraska Patents," (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal (November 14, 1894), 1 (window patent); Semi-Weekly State Journal (Lincoln, Nebraska) (March 19, 1897), 2 (window patent).
9. "Veteran Jake Ort Dies Wednesday--Just Passed His 89th Year; Funeral Services Not Arranged," The Independent (Wahoo, Nebraska) (August 1, 1935), 1.
10. The Independent (Wahoo, Nebraska) (May 1, 1884), 3.
11. The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (June 20, 1889), 3.
12. "The Ticket," The Democrat (Wahoo, Nebraska) (October 10, 1889), 2.
13. "A New Business," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (August 5, 1897), 5.
14. "Official Directory...City Officers," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (November 17, 1898), 1.
15. "The Touhy Catholics are to have a $6,000 Church--finest in the County," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (February 13, 1903), 1.
16. "The Man about Town...Jacob Ort, architect...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (April 3, 1903), 5.
17. "Work on...F. J. Kirchman's new house was commenced...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (April 30, 1903), 5.
18. "Jacob Ort, the architect, has opened up an office over the Saunders County National Bank," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (December 11, 1902), 2.
19. "County Commissioners" (listing of claims paid), Saunders County New Era (Wahoo, Nebraska) (February 26, 1904), 4.
20. Notice of plan to build new barn on county farm (1911), The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (February 16, 1911), 4.
21. "School Bond Question," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (February 13, 1913), 6.
22. "New High School," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (March 20, 1913), 1.
23. "Mr. Jacob Ort, architect...made plans...for a $20,000.00 school building at Fremont and his plans were accepted," Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (July 24, 1913), 7.
24. "Jacob Ort went to Fremont...dedication exercises of...new Catholic School, of which he was...architect," Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (September 10, 1914), 5.
25. "Notice to Contractors," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (July 26, 1917), 4.
26. "Hudec Bros. Start on New Building--Modern Office Building to Replace Frame Structure," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (April 12, 1923), 1.
27. "Prague News...Jacob Ort...was in town...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (March 12, 1925), 7.
28. "Community Hall Started--Prague--Structure to be 50 x 130 Feet and to Cost $25,000," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (March 12, 1925), 1.
29. "James Kearney and...Frank Dolezal were in Lincoln...accompanied by Architect Ort...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (January 13, 1910), 8.
30. "To be Opened 18th--St. Wenceslaus Parochial School will be Opened Sept. 18th Regardless of Everything, says Sister Superior," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (September 14, 1911), 1.
31. "It is Dedicated. The New Congregational Church...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (March 4, 1909), 1.
32. "Editorials--The city of Prague is to be congratulated...," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Wasp (September 24, 1925), 2.
33. "Civil War Veteran at Wahoo is Dead--Jacob Ort Wounded in Civil War," Fremont (Nebraska) Tribune (August 1, 1935), 5.
34. "Orts Are Residents 56 Years in County," The Wahoo (Nebraska) Democrat (July 18, 1935), 5.
Page Citation
E. F. Zimmer & D. Murphy, “Jacob Ort (1846-1935), Architect,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, November 2, 2024. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, November 22, 2024.
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