While browsing the Random Images section of the Nemaha County Historical Society’s Online Collections, I came across a postcard featuring The Great Nemaha Mercantile Company. This once-thriving business was located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Main Streets in Seneca, Kansas.
This is the same business that was featured in the 13 March 2025 Throwback Thursday post.
Throwback Thursday: A Glimpse of Seneca’s Baseball Past
This week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to 1906 with a fascinating discovery from our museum’s image archives—a postcard featuring the Seneca baseball team. While the photograph captures a moment in local sports history, the identities of the players remain a mystery. Who were these athletes, and what stories might they have to tell?
A search through digitized Seneca newspapers uncovered an article about the baseball team, which may provide clues to identifying the individuals in the postcard.
NAT’L BLOOMERS VS. SENECA.
7 to 6 for Seneca—10 Innings Played to Decide.
The game Tuesday between the Bloomer Girls and the Seneca baseball teams resulted in victory for the latter in the tenth inning. It was a good game all through and the individual plays are too numerous to mention. The batteries were both in good trim. Grindle’s pitching is as good as ever. Carman’s invincible throw to second is still death-dealing to the runner.
The lineup and score by innings were as follows:
| Bloomers | Position | Seneca |
|---|---|---|
| Garrett | c. | Carman |
| Dennis | p. | Grindle |
| DeMoore | 1st. | Vorhes |
| Jessie | 2nd. | O. Carman |
| Kline | s.s. | Funk |
| Dean | 3rd. | Osborne |
| Gurtie | l.f. | Popple |
| Danny | c.f. | Fisher |
| Kiddo | r.f. | Dennis |
Innings:
| Inning | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B’s | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seneca | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Hits off Grindle 6, off Dennis 6. Struck out by Grindle 7, by Dennis 8.
In the ninth inning, T. Carman had his index fingernail on his right hand torn loose so that it came off after the game, but he finished the game and the last out for the Bloomers was made by his throw to second.
from the 7 June 1906 Courier Democrat
This thrilling matchup between Seneca and the Bloomer Girls gives us a glimpse into the town’s baseball history in 1906. While the newspaper captured the excitement of the game, the identities of the players in the postcard remain a mystery.
Do you recognize anyone in the photo or have stories about early Seneca baseball teams? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to share any insights in the comments or reach out to us. Every clue helps piece together our community’s history.
Today’s Throwback Thursday discovery comes from a deep dive into newspaper archives while researching Baileyville history. This striking image, featured in the Seneca Tribune on May 27, 1897, captures the Nemaha County Mercantile Company’s magnificent building and a large gathering of local citizens outside its entrance.
Further research in Seneca newspapers uncovered what is likely the original publication of this image in the Courier Democrat on October 9, 1896.
An 1895 article about Seneca, Kansas, sheds light on how this mercantile store came to be, while additional mentions of the Nemaha County Mercantile in various newspapers further enrich the history of this significant Seneca business.
A Growing City.
The constant improvement of Seneca this year when most cities of its size in the West are at a stand still, is a sure indication of its future prosperity. I. N. Simon has erected a fine two-story brick which will be occupied in the near future by D. J. Firstenberger with his clothing stock. Mrs. Burnett’s blocks of brick will soon be finished and one room will be occupied by F. T. Vincent with his “Cyclone” and the other Mr. Losey will use for the “Hub Restaurant.” Still another building will soon be completed and occupied by G. A. Marvin & Son, and the contract will be let the 15th by A. L. L. Scoville for a two story brick. Then the water works system will be completed in a few weeks at a cost of $30,000, and will be one of the finest systems in Kansas.
And last, but not least, Kennard & Vickers are organizing The Nemaha County Mercantile Co., a stock company with $50,000 fully paid up, which will be composed of two hundred and fifty people. The Variety building is to be remodeled to some extent to accommodate the additional stock to be added. The room occupied by the city council will be enlarged and filled with glass and queensware and fancy goods. The clothing will be moved up stairs and that room filled with groceries, and another building will be built for handling produce. It is the intention of this Company to find an outlet for all the produce that comes to town so as to make Seneca the TRADE CENTER of the county, as it should be.
The City Council have moved into new quarters up stairs in the Variety block, more convenient and appropriate quarters. The Nemaha County Mercantile Company will occupy the old council rooms with their glassware and queensware department and is now being fitted up for that purpose. (Seneca Courier Democrat, 16 Aug 1895)
The Nemaha County Mercantile company has been incorporated for the purpose of buying and selling everything the people of that county have to sell or want to buy. The general headquarters of the company will be maintained at Seneca. The capital stock is $50,000 and the directors are J. D. Kennard, T. C. Vickers, A. Wempe, Richard Johnson, Abijah wells and John Simon of Seneca and Henry Hilbert, of Corning — Topeka Capital (Seneca Tribune, 22 Aug 1895)
Grand opening of the Nemaha County Mercantile Company September 17th (Seneca Tribune, 29 Aug 1895)
We desire to thank our friends and patrons for their generous assistance in establishing the Nemaha county Mercantile Company. For many years we have desired to establish a Department Store in the full sence of that word and to do a much needed produce business. Our labors in the past have been for Seneca and Nemaha county and will be more so in the future. Yours truly, Kennard & Vickers (Seneca Courier Democrat, 30 Aug 1895)
A gentleman from Cleveland, Ohio, visiting relatives near Wetmore took in the hub Monday. He was loud in his praise of our city school building. Later he visited the Nemaha County Mercantile Company and was greatly surprised to see such an establishment with twelve clerks and all busy. (Seneca Tribune, 3 Oct 1895)
Saturday the crowed at the Great Nemaha County Mercantile far exceeded any date ever witnessed by this great store. (Courier Democrat, 4 Dec 1896)
Last week’s Corning Gazette runs a cut of the Nemaha County Mercantile company’s department tore building years ago one of the most hustling business corners in Seneca, now occupied by G W Williams’ hardware store; and remarks “those in Seneca this week did not see the above historic building.” (Seneca Tribune 8 Sep 1904)
The 1896 Sanborn Fire Insurance map for Seneca places this building on the south side of Main Street, at what is now 4th Street. For reference, the bank building stands at the corner of 5th and Main.
Fortunately, the Nemaha County Historical Society has preserved an image of this historic structure from its time as the Kennard and Vickers building, ensuring its legacy remains part of Seneca’s rich history.
In July 1911, the Sabetha Commercial Club embarked on a county-wide tour. As part of the journey, the Seneca Commercial Club escorted the Sabetha group from Baileyville to Seneca. This event is commemorated in a historic photo of Baileyville’s Main Street and documented in the July 27, 1911 issue of the Courier Democrat.
Seneca’s Good Will.
On Thursday, the Sabetha Commercial Club, advertising their Chautauqua, made a booster junket in eighteen automobiles via the towns of Bern, DuBois, St. Benedict, Axtell, Baileyville, Seneca, and Oneida.
On Wednesday evening, members of the Seneca Commercial Club met in the clubroom and declared in favor of making up an escort of Seneca cars and piloting the Sabetha tourists from Baileyville into this place. Fifteen cars in all responded to the call, and led by C. C. K. Scoville’s big Buick, lined up promptly in Baileyville at 2:30 after a delightful run west.
The Sabetha cars were a little late pulling into Baileyville, and it was considerably past three when the Sabetha Band formed in a circle and rendered several selections for the assembled townsfolk and the Seneca escort.
Leaving the Baileyville streets, the thirty-two cars formed in alternate Sabetha and Seneca order and proceeded eastward. At Seneca, the Chautauqua boosters were piloted through the prettier Seneca streets and finally brought to a halt in front of the bandstand, where Judge Emery, as president of the Commercial Club and in the absence of Mayor Rucker, extended a short address of welcome.
The Judge made a good speech and expressed in a frank and forcible way the goodwill which Seneca bears toward its sister city and endorsed the Sabetha Chautauqua in high terms.
Rev. Hamilton of Sabetha made a response, expressing the appreciation of the Sabetha people for the reception tendered them and extending a cordial invitation to Seneca people to take advantage of the eight-day open-air entertainment, which opens there Sunday, July 30.
The Band, and Sabetha has a dandy this year, occupied the intervals with several well-played pieces. A few minutes later, the eighteen Sabetha cars took a leisurely course out of town, no doubt convinced that their excursion would be fruitful in one town at least along the route.
Check out our website for more information about the Nemaha County Historical Society.