| Gem
Builders to have new building
Take a look while it lasts. Mike and Steve of Gem Builders Supply announce that they will be making some 
significant changes to the store beginning March 5, 2007. The change
is that the original building will be removed on that day to make way for
a new facility. After many years of service it is time for an upgrade
from the aging structure of today to a more modern and accessible building.
Plans have been underway for many years now to construct a new building
in the same location featuring a 7,000 square feet store to compliment
the 14,400 foot warehouse.
The building at Gem Builders Supply did not start out as a building supply facility. The owner, Orrin Morrill sold the parcel as a part of 160 acres to Ezra and William Baird. On August 3, 1878 Ezra and Mary Alice Baird and William and Alice Baird sold the 160 acres to Loyal P Brown. In July 1892, a surveyors certificate was recorded to establish the plat known as L.P. Browns First Addition to the town of Cottonwood. On March 6, 1893 Loyal P. Brown and his wife Sarah sold the land to John Procter. Mr. Procter owned the property for 21 years and then sold the 6 city lots to John B Krieger May 4, 1914. Mr. Krieger who was a bachelor owned the property for 2 years before transferring it to the Madison Lumber & Mill Company on September 27, 1916. From 1916 to 1926, the Madison Lumber Company operated the facility as a retail outlet for building supplies. Madison Lumber Company then sold the property to WB Hussman who used the building until May 6, 1929. For the next 18 years, the property was owned by William M Ruhoff. WM Ruhoff was a capenter and used the facility as a delivery station for poultry and rabbits being shipped to Lewiston. Ruhoff as a widower then sold the facility including 5 lots to Charles and Margaret Goeckner and Herman and Anne Forsman on December 29, 1947. The group operated as a mechanic shop and leased a portion of the property to the Goodman Oil Company. In the winter of 1948, the building sustained damage by the roof falling in due to snow load. After repairs, it was up and going again. On February 15, 1951, the Goeckner’s and Forsman’s deeded the property to Jacob and Susan Lorentz.  The
Lorentz’s owned the property until February of 1956 when 2 of the lots
were sold to Miles and Evelyn Hronek. Miles had worked for the Madison
Lumber and Mill Company and the Standard Lumber Company yards in Cottonwood.
Along with purchasing the property, Miles purchased the Standard Lumber
Company which was located at the southwest corner of town across from the
current residence of Paul Hattrup. The Hronek’s joined the
business and real estate and began the business under the name of Gem Builders
Supply. The Gem portion of the name was obtained by combining the
initials of the First names of Galen (son) Evelyn and Miles Hronek.
In an announcement in the Cottonwood Chronicle that year, it was
reported that the company will be carrying a complete line of building
materials and merchandise for the home … plan books, offer architect service
and FHA financing for both new construction and restyling of your present
home.
On May 4, 1956 the Hronek’s were joined in the business by Fredrick Seubert who purchased their interest in later years. Mr. Seubert then operated the business until March 30, 1995 when the facility was sold to the current owners Michael G. Westhoff and Stephen G. Lamont. Over the years, numerous improvements have been made to the building and the “Westmont” partners added the warehouse in 1998 in an effort to better serve the community and surrounding area’s building supply needs. The crew at Gem Builders Supply eagerly await the construction of their new facility and would like to let you know that they will be in full operation with temporary facilities and the main warehouse during construction. So for all of your building supply needs, feel free to stop by. |
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