In 1889, newlyweds, Jacob and Anna Klein arrived by train in McCook, immigrants from Franks, Russia, in search of a better life in America. That better life came to them, but not immediately. It was a windy, treeless land that greeted them in McCook, so much so that as soon as Anna stepped off the train she sat down on her suitcase and sobbed bitter tears, for the streams and forest land they had left behind.

After just a few years living near relatives in Culbertson, Jacob and Anna moved to McCook, where Jacob took a job with the railroad, as carpenter, specifically as a builder and repairer of wooden station carts and handcars (those little open railroad cars, which were powered by the muscles of two men operating a pump-like mechanism).

Jacob was very precise in his work and gained a reputation for his handcars. Somehow, he was able to get his cars to operate more smoothly and with less effort than similar handcars. As a result, handcars from as far away as Chicago and Denver were constantly being shipped to McCook for refitting by Jacob and his crew at the roundhouse.

Jacob and Anna were the parents of a large family. Two daughters died in infancy, while 10 children lived to be adults. Mary (Walters), Lydia (Hyde), Anna (Inglis), Jacob, Benjamin, and Samuel settled in McCook, Solomen, in North Platte, Abraham in St. Joseph, Martha (Malmstedt) in Des Moines, and Emanuel (at 97 the only one of Jacob and Anna's children still living), in California.

Jacob's son, Jacob, followed his father into the carpenter's profession. As a youth he joined forces with a fellow named Swanson in building a number of houses and buildings in McCook. Their largest project as a team was the rebuilding of the Westside Congregational Church.

In 1918, during World War I, young Jacob went into the Navy and spent time in Quebec, Canada, and in England as a Carpenter's Mate in the Navy Air Force. At the beginning of World War I the Navy Air Force was not large, but it grew quickly, establishing bases in more than 54 locations in England and other parts of Europe. The base to which Jake Klein was assigned had but two airplanes. These planes were made of a wooden skeleton, covered with fabric, so there was need of skilled carpenters. However, Jake's work with these planes did not last long. Both planes crashed into the English Channel and the war ended before they were replaced.

On his return to McCook after the war, Jake went into the construction business on his own, with financial help, via a personal loan from banker, Pat Walsh. But first there had to be a clarification of Jacob Klein. There were three Jacob Kleins in McCook, all without a middle initial. So the three arbitrarily adopted distinctive monikers. Jacob Klein, the railroad carpenter and patriarch of the Klein family, became Jacob B. Klein. His son, Jacob Klein (Jr.), the house builder, became Jacob L. Klein, and Jacob Klein, the house painter (no immediate relation to the other two) became J.J. Klein. (J.J.'s home in north McCook was destroyed in the 1928 tornado).

It would be extremely difficult to list all of the building projects in which Jake L. Klein played a part, but it was very interesting to hear Jake's son, Richard (of McCook) innumerate a few (by no means a complete list). Jake's careful attention to detail led to the building of many homes in McCook between World War I and 1965, when he died, at the height of his career. Two, which were mentioned, were similar homes, the rebuilt home of J. J. Klein on West 1st St., and the home of Sen. Ed Hoyt on East 1st St. built about the same time -- in the late 1920s.

Jake Klein was the contractor for building McMillen Hall, McCook College's first building in 1935. In downtown McCook the handiwork of Jake Klein is very apparent. He practically rebuilt the East side of Norris Avenue in the 300 block. Ogier's Station, on the north end of the block (now McCook Glass), had an apartment for Mr. Ogier to live when he was in McCook. At the other end of that block Jake built the three story building for Dr. Reed, now known at the Morrison block. This building originally housed Pat's Bootery and Prest Drug on the ground floor, numerous insurance and professional offices on the 2nd floor, and the popular Roof Garden Dance Hall on the third level. During World War II the dance hall was partitioned into apartments to help alleviate the shortage of living quarters for service men from the McCook Air Base. In between these two buildings he either built or rebuilt four other buildings in that block. On the other side of the street he built Modrell's Café (Sehnert Bakery), Sweetbriars (McCook Abstract Co.) and the two Gierhardt Stores (Garrisons and Country Peddler.)

On C. Street some of Jake Klein's projects include the Hested/Brown McDonald building (Ben Franklin), Moore's Grocery (Law Office), and the 2nd Moore's Grocery (Kuglers Corp. Office), Dr. Nielsen's Office and living quarters (Lyster's NML office).

On B Street, some of Klein's buildings include the Firestone Store (Kildare Lumber), Bollerup's Building (Doak construction), Klein's Motor & Electric.

Jake Klein was a man of wide and varied interests. He was an avid Cornhusker fan during the days of D. X. Bible and Biff Jones, in the 1930s and '40s. He rarely missed a game, and followed the team to California for the '40 Rose Bowl. In those days the Lincoln Steel Co., on West O Street hired many NU football players for summer jobs. A number of those fellows were also descendants of Germans from Russia. Jake did business with that company and visited there frequently. Jake loved to josh with those boys in the German language, which was the native tongue for them all.

When the construction business slowed during World War II, due to the lack of building components, Jake went to work at the new Army Air Base, north of McCook as a Construction Supervisor, and in that capacity was involved in the building of most of the hangers, barracks, and service buildings on the base.

After the war, there was a boom in housing construction, as well as business buildings. One of the interesting projects Jake's company built was the Gayway Ballroom, on the northern edge of the city. This ballroom attracted a great number of the Big Bands of the day, to play for large crowds of appreciative dancers. Later, when the Big Band Era was coming to an end that facility was sold to the Bureau of Reclamation for their regional headquarters, during the building of the area lakes.

Jake was always a busy man, who moved at a pace just below what we would call jogging. He was civic minded, a member of the REA Board. He was always on the lookout for new industry for the town, and was a member of the core group in the founding of the old McCook Corp. -- the forerunner of the McCook Economic Development Corp.

During World War II ,Jake had decided that he might like to retire some day to his farm south of McCook. He had always liked chickens and hogs, and cattle, and stocked his farm with some of each. He moved to the farm and did enjoy his farm and the animals, but never could leave the construction business. He was actively engaged in new building projects to the moment of his death in an automobile accident in 1964. He was 69 years of age.

Source: Family recollections and McCook Centennial Edition, 1982