Originally published to facebook.com/NorthPlattePL on January 21, 2022.
Today’s North Platte history, features a beautiful home on First and Willow Streets. The design of the house is unique, in that it has a round turret with a conical peak. This home was built by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Keith Richardson. I am sure that many of our local readers will instantly recognize this house.
Floyd Keith “Sam” Richardson, was born on July 1, 1902 to Samuel and Minnie Rose (Newman) Richardson in Guide Rock, Nebraska. Floyd was the second of five children. Although Floyd enlisted in the military for World War I and World War II, he was not called to serve.
Floyd and Mildred (his soon to be wife) were high school sweethearts in Guide Rock, Nebraska. Floyd graduated in 1921 and Mildred in 1922. On March 3, 1925, Floyd and Mildred (Crowell) Richardson were married. They lived in McCook and Wyoming, prior to moving to North Platte in 1937. Floyd ran a cattle ranch, raised quarter horses, and owned several gasoline service stations, in western Nebraska. They had three children together: Rex E (1927- 2008, buried in North Platte Cemetery with his wife) and Tedd Floyd (1932-2008, buried in El Paso TX) and Kathleen (1935-present).
Mrs. Richardson got a construction permit to build a home on June 8, 1938 at 323 West 1st Street. The home was estimated to cost $7,000 and would be brick. On September 9, the North Platte Daily Bulletin stated that the “Attractive seven-room house is nearing completion”. The article called the house a “French Normandy” style of house. It described the vestibule as a round tower and the floor was paved with flagstones. The north and east walls of the living room were knotty pine and the other walls were covered with Currier and Ives prints. The kitchen was also paneled with knotty pine and was completely modern. All doors and handles in the house were wrought iron. The bathroom was fitted with the latest of modern fixtures. The utility room was of extra interest as it had the furnace, hot water heater, washing machine, laundry tubs, shower and toilet and a lot of cupboard space. The house also had an attached garage and a screened porch at the back of the house. All materials used in the building of the house came from local businesses. The rock wall along the sidewalks was built with stone from a structure torn down here in North Platte. The grape vines growing on the wall came from Mrs. Richardson’s grandfather’s vines from Belgium. The Richardson’s paid the builders in cash each week allowing them to move into a debt free home when it was finished in 1939. This was quite astounding, as the country was just coming through the Great Depression of the 1930’s.
Floyd died on December 26 1976, in a local North Platte hospital. Mildred died in 1997. Mildred eventually sold the home in North Platte, and moved to Central City, to be near her daughter Kathleen. At the time of Mildred’s passing, she was survived by her three children, nine grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren! Both Mildred and Floyd K “Sam” Richardson are buried in the North Platte Cemetery.
In 2007, this home and its gardens/landscaping were highlighted on a Gardens & Gables Tour. At that time, much of the original 1938 interior features were still present in the home. Researchers do not know what remains of the original interior today. But it still is a unique and beautiful home that always catches one’s eye when they drive by.
Thank you for reading and we will see you next week for more North Platte history!!
