The Woodman hall was sold in 1905 to Newkirk and Burchard who put in a stock of hardware. Burchard soon sold to Newkirk who continued to run the business until the spring of 1911, when he sold to Robert Quelle and Albert Quelle. The next year Quelle Brothers put up the hardware store near the depot. Albert Quelle was the manager from the first until March, 1917, when he sold his share to Robert Quelle. Howard Fickes bought one-third interest in 1917, when the new furniture department was added to the building. O. Shatto is connected with the firm now having bought one-third interest in 1919.

After the sale of the Woodman hall, where the social life of the community centered, the need of a hall was so apparent that Wynes and Bushnell erected the stone Opera House in 1907 just north of the Union Pacific right-of-way before the track was laid. Just at this time the coming of the Union Pacific railroad up the valley was a sure thing. It was completed in 1908. The rails were laid and the first train reached here August 8, 1908. That spelled grow to Oshkosh. The division of the county came the next year with Oshkosh for county seat.

L. Aufdengarten & Son came from Ogalalla in 1909 and bought the old LaSalle & Miles store from W. W. Bowers, who had purchased it of LaSalle & Miles late in 1906. LaSalle & Miles only stayed about one year. Mr. Aufdengarten continued to run the business until his