Rail hub to retail hub: Look back at Haymarket's transformation | PHOTOS
The Haymarket district has been a focal point for businesses and restaurants in downtown Lincoln since the late 1800s. Look back at how the Haymarket changed throughout the years through these archive photos.
Early Haymarket
The Haymarket area in the early 1900s was the hub of horse-drawn commerce.
Government Square
An early photo of Government Square looking northwest features the early businesses in the future Haymarket area in 1874.Â
Renovating the depot
Construction workers begin tearing up Seventh Street in preparation for the renovation of the Old Burlington Northern Depot. The renovated station would sport new curbs, sidewalks and a newly bricked street.
Bennett Hotel
This early photo of the Bennett Hotel shows the original cottonwood timber structure that stood until 1915. The house-like structure was replaced with a brick building later that year.
Hay Market Area
The Haymarket area was once the center of actual sales of hay before brick buildings began to pop up in downtown Lincoln.
Hardy building
In 1986, a worn-out Hardy building received a facelift and was transformed into 65 apartments.
Holiday Lighting
Thousands of lights were set aglow on historic buildings, retail shops and restaurants in the Lincoln's Haymarket district in 1986.
Disco Lounge
The old Miller and Paine warehouse became the Personalities Ban-disco Lounge in 1977. The remodel cost $125,000 but brought disco and live bands to the Haymarket.
Haymarket Hay Days
The Haymarket District swarms with people taking in the atmosphere of Hay Days in 1986.Â
P Street Restaurants
The north side of P Street in 1995.
Sullivan's Transfer & Storage
The Sullivan Transfer and Storage Company offered helping hands to people moving across the state. Their headquarters was located along Eighth Street in the Haymarket district.
Light up the night
The wrought-iron, double-globe lamps installed along P Street in 1991 transport nighttime Haymarket visitors back to the early 1900s.
Harpham Brothers Co.
The Harpham Brothers Co., founded in 1888, was known for its western saddles, harnesses, horse collars and riding equipment. Originally on O Street, it moved to the 800 block of P Street in the early 1900s.
Raymond Brothers Building
The Raymond Brothers were Lincoln's first wholesale grocers in 1872. After moving to this location in 1885, the Raymond Brothers officially closed their doors in 1951.Â
Historic Haymarket
The Haymarket area has been the focal point for entertainment in Lincoln since the late 1800s.Â
Haymarket Junction
Patrons celebrate the renovation of the Haymarket Junction in 1985. The building was first constructed as the Bennett Hotel in 1915, a lodging place for the railroad, but now houses retail shops in downtown Lincoln.
Bill's Saloon
Currently McFarland and Sons Irish Pub, this building was once the home of Bill's Saloon at 710 P St. in downtown Lincoln.
The Color Court
The Color Court and Peanut Butter Factory in the Haymarket area was the site for a festival of music, food and entertainment in 1989.
Seventh Street Island
Robert Mellage, an employee with Walton Construction, found little relief from the afternoon heat after moving into the shade of the Burlington Northern Depot on June 29, 1989.
Iron Horse Park
Jay Tschetter works on his Iron Horse Legacy sculpture at the Iron Horse Park in the Haymarket area in Lincoln. The brick relief artwork reflects the importance of railroads in the state.
Veith Building
The Veith Building was built during the boom of the late 1880s. Today, one of the oldest buildings in Lincoln is home to the Tavern on the Square.
Hargreaves Brothers
The Hargreaves Brothers Company, located at 747 O St., was a wholesale grocery until 1917. After purchasing the location in 1917, the Schwartz Paper Co. remained at this location for almost a century.
Grainger Brothers Company
Grainger Brothers Co. was one of the largest wholesale grocers in the Haymarket area during the early 1900s. After decades of work at their Eighth and O to P location, the business ceased operations in the mid-1960s.
Lincoln Drug Company Building
Founded in 1897, the Lincoln Drug Co. sold drugs, chemicals and pharmaceutical supplies from this location until the 1950s.
Downtown Lincoln's population is expected to reach 10,000 in 2025 — a 730% increase since 2010.
