Here Are 5 Nebraska Hardware Stores Still Run By The Same Family For Over 75 Years
The same family business that sells you a box of nails today started out making porch posts in 1899. Those posts went up on Nebraska homes before the first Model T ever rolled off a line.
The family’s first lumberyard opened that year in a small town, with two partners’ names on the paperwork. Within three years, the founding family bought out the others and put their own name on the sign.
That name is still there today, on 11 lumber and hardware stores across Nebraska. The family still owns the business, with younger generations now carrying it forward.
I love that a quick run for a paint roller connects you to a story that started in the 1800s. So which five of those stops make the best excuse for a Saturday morning drive, and what makes each one different?
1. Sack Lumber – Beatrice, Beatrice, NE
Beatrice has a soft spot for people who build things from scratch. The country’s first homestead claim was filed near here in 1863, and Homestead National Historical Park still honors it today.
On Court Street, the Beatrice branch of a family lumber company keeps that do-it-yourself spirit stocked. The family describes the business as third generation owned, with roots going back to 1899.
That first yard opened in Sutton under the name Sack & Nolte Lumber Company. Back then, the business made window frames, door frames and porch posts.
Today you’ll find lumber, building materials, paint, cabinets and hardware under one roof. Name-brand windows, doors and tools round out the shelves.
Got a project bigger than your pickup bed? Delivery is available, and the store backs its work with a service guarantee.
A quick visit is the usual pace here. You grab the hinge or the sheet of drywall and get back to your project before lunch.
Weekday hours make it an easy stop on the way to a job site, with a shorter Saturday morning window. Plan accordingly if your weekend project starts after noon.
Address: 2820 Court St, Beatrice, NE 68310
2. Sack Lumber – Crete, Crete, NE
Crete is a college town, home to Doane University, but plenty of residents here have homework of a different kind. Fence repairs, a sagging deck or a basement that finally needs finishing all count.
The family’s Crete store sits on East 11th Street, a manageable drive from Lincoln. It’s one of 11 lumber and hardware locations the family runs across Nebraska.
The company name changed twice in its first few years. In 1900, one partner sold his share, and the sign read Sack and Spiech Lumber Company.
By 1902, the Sacks owned the whole operation outright. The name Sack Lumber Company has stuck ever since, which is longer than most of us have kept a phone number.
Inside, expect lumber, paint, cabinets and hardware, plus insulation, outdoor light fixtures and lawn spreaders. Snow shovels and ice removal tools help with those rough January mornings.
Delivery is available for heavier orders, which beats strapping plywood to the car roof. Saturday hours run short, so early birds win this one.
Address: 125 E 11th St, Crete, NE 68333
3. Sack Lumber – Wilber, Wilber, NE
Nebraska’s Czech Capital takes its heritage seriously, and kolaches are practically a civic duty here. Wilber also happens to have a family lumberyard with more than 125 years of history behind it.
You’ll find the Wilber store on South Wilson Street. It carries the same lumber and hardware lineup that has kept the family company going since 1899.
That’s a fitting match for a town that values old traditions. Plenty of things change in small-town Nebraska, but the family name on this sign hasn’t.
The ownership story is the real hook. The family describes itself as third generation owned, and the company has said four generations hold a stake today.
Building something for Czech Days in August? Lumber, paint, cements and spray paint can cover a lot of parade-season and backyard ideas.
Delivery is available too, which helps when your project outgrows the trunk of a sedan. A quick in-and-out visit is the usual pace here.
Pair a stop with a bakery run and you’ve got a pretty fine Wilber Saturday morning. Just go early, since Saturday hours are short.
Address: 316 S Wilson St, Wilber, NE 68465
4. Sack Lumber – Ord, Ord, NE
Ord sits in the Loup Valley of central Nebraska, a good stretch from the nearest big city. Out here, a dependable local lumberyard isn’t a luxury.
The family’s Ord location is on North 16th Street. Like its sister stores, it handles both lumber and hardware, with delivery available for bigger loads.
Ord’s store also flies the Do it Best banner, a member-owned hardware cooperative. That means a family-run shop can still offer a long list of name-brand products.
Company product lists read like a rural to-do list. Wrenches, pumps, grass and weed control, logging tools and seeders all make an appearance.
And the history? It goes back to a Sutton lumberyard that opened in 1899, long before most of today’s highways existed.
A service guarantee backs the work, which matters when the next store is far down the road. Quick visits are the norm, so you won’t lose your whole afternoon.
Ord also makes a handy anchor for a Loup Valley day trip. Grab your supplies, then take the scenic way home along the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway.
Address: 316 N 16th St, Ord, NE 68862
5. Sack Lumber – Hebron, Hebron, NE
Hebron claims a giant porch swing in its city park, which feels perfect for this story. The family behind this lumberyard got its start making porch posts back in 1899.
The Hebron store sits on Lincoln Avenue in Thayer County, not far from the Kansas line. It’s one of 11 family-owned lumber and hardware locations spread across Nebraska.
Porch posts aren’t the main event anymore, of course. Today you’ll find lumber, building materials, paint, cabinets and hardware, plus name-brand windows and doors.
What really stands out is the staying power. Ownership has stayed in the family for more than 125 years, with later generations still involved.
Blinds, air purifiers and outdoor lighting show up on company product lists too. That covers indoor fixes on a windy prairie day and outdoor ones when the weather cooperates.
It’s a fun full-circle moment for a small town. A company that once built porch posts now sits a short drive from a swing big enough to make any porch jealous.
Delivery and a service guarantee round things out. Swing by on a weekday or early Saturday, then go see how a porch swing that size looks in person.
Address: 221 Lincoln Ave, Hebron, NE 68370
