Generations Say Goodbye To Creighton Bakery

The first Jacobs Bakery was opened in Deadwood S.D. in the 1800’s. A fire which spread and destroyed many nearby buildings, forced Oliver Jacobs to flee the city to avoid a possible hanging or shooting, which were prominent forms of punishment in that time. He fled across the Missouri River into Nebraska. 

He landed in Creighton in 1985 and the Jacobs Bakery saga began. One grocery store was moved across the street to the east half of the Grand Central building, it was later discontinued. 

On Dec. 6, 1905, a fire broke out in the Manfouls Harness shop, west of the bakery, destroying several businesses including Jacobs Bakery. One year later, Oliver Jacobs put up another building next door, on the east side of the former home of Fuchtman Tax Service. 

Oliver was wed to Anna and had three children, Ernest, Adolph and Helen. All three worked with their parents in the bakery. The hotel which was on the second floor, consisted of nine rooms. The three rooms facing Main Street were occupied by Ernest and Adolph when they worked in the bakery. Helen lived with the parents. 
As an adult, Adolph opened a bakery in Hebron. Ernest enlisted in the Navy at the beginning of World War I. 
In 1915 a cafe was added to the bakery with Anna at the reins of the kitchen. She continued working in the bakery and became well known for her pecan pies. The Cafe was closed in the late 40’s when Anna passed away in 1947. The hotel was closed at the end of World War I. 

The bakery’s name was changed to The Snow White Bakery, but a letter from Walt Disney Productions informed the Jacobs family they were infringing on the copyright of the name Snow White. Business continued as Jacobs Bakery. 

The third generation of Jacobs arrived, Gordon, Ernest Jr, and Robert, each one taking turns working in the bakery. Carmen and Robert Jacobs took over the business when Helen, Robert’s mother passed in 1982.

In 1984 the bakery was sold outside the Jacobs family due to the change of the economy, thus ending the Jacobs Bakery saga.

The bakery building was purchased by Marlene Stevens and she operated The Hometown Coffee Shop from April 1985 to April 1992. Stevens and sold the property to Ellen Opkis in August 1992. 

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