In 1876, a group of farmers in a German settlement in the Dornacker School Disctrict of Washington County decided to get together to build a hall which could serve as their social center. Each of the 44 men contributed $20.00 towards the purchase of the materials. This hall would be known as the German “Dutch” Hall.   

The hall's location according to the 1913 Atlas.

According to the Douglas County Gazette, “the entire neighborhood was made up of folks of German descent, some not too long from the old country, and they enjoyed each other's company and liked to stay together”. The Shleswig-Holsteinischer Verein, as the group was called, became an active rural group in that part of the county. Their purpose was “ To further sociability, friendship, and unity amongst Germans, mainly Schleswig-Holsteiner in the state of Nebraska”. 

Every year the Whitsun or “Pinksun” dance was held at the hall. During the Children’s Celebration boys would shoot a bird on a pole to see who would be King of the Celebration and the girls used a pointed-beaked bird to strike a target to see who would be Queen. Come evening time the adults would have a dance and would send the sleepy children upstairs to the balcony ,amongst the coats. 

Election dances, Thanksgiving dances, Plattdeutscher Verien dances and Whit Sunday dances were all held at the hall. Of course the bar played an important part in the hall. “No old-time German group could be expected to gather without their beer”. Between the sipping of beer the patrons and bartenders sang German songs. 

The hall was enlarged twice, and an admission was collected from non-members. 

By 1962 a new generation had come along with improved transportation and a wider circle of friends. July 12^th of that year the German Hall was auctioned off. The days of the German Hall were gone, but not forgotten.    

Sources:

"The Bennington Centennial publications of the Post Gazette."

"Washington County History 1980"

Click Photo for Larger View
1947 Dutch Hall looking east. Second flloor door is the entrance to where the children were laid down to sleep. Exterior building, to the right, was used as an ice cream and pop stand..

Photo provided by the Wiese Family