Historical Jansen building honors Lincoln's history

In 1877, Walter Jansen immigrated from Denmark at the age of 15. After farming for 11 years, he started a grain, seed and hardware business in Lincoln known as Walter Jansen & Son. Located near the town's railway terminal at the time, the store purchased local grains within a 50 mile radius, which it then milled into feed for local farmers. Jansen partnered directly with local grain growers to produce wheat, oats, milo and barley. Deliveries were made via horse-drawn buckboards, wagons and tractors. As time moved on, the enterprise became widely known as Lincoln Brand Feeds. Walter Jansen acquired an interest in the corner property at 5th and G Street, current address 490 G Street, in 1907 and expanded it in 1912. This property, which originally served as a railway warehouse, is historically recognized as the Butterfield/Jansen Building where numerous modern day businesses such as cafes, gift shops and even a small parking garage reside today. On September 3, 2009, a monument provided by Native Sons of the Golden West Parlor #63, was mounted on the historic brick building making its significance in Lincoln's early development. Today, the downtown block-long original brick structure stands as a prominent piece of Lincoln's agricultural and retail past while still serving as a modern retailer.