The Fonda House

The Fonda House once stood at 622 West Division Street in Grand Island. It was built in 1884 as the home for William H. Hooper and his wife, Loretta, both children of prominent Grand Island business and civic leaders. Hooper was associated with his father, Edward Hooper, in the operation of a foundry and machine shop. Ed Hooper was a two-term Grand Island mayor, and served in the State Legislature. Loretta's father was Blake C. Howard, general foreman of the Union Pacific Railroad's shops in Grand Island. Howard had purchased the lot the house sat on from the railroad in 1882. Long active on the Grand Island school board, Howard School was named in his honor.
In 1890, the house came into the possession of George B. Bell, cashier for the old Grand Island Banking Company. Bell, was married to another of Howard's daughters, Emma, built a home next door to the Fonda House, 616 West Division. It was Bell who rented the house to William Brace Fonda in 1904. Henry Fonda was born in Grand Island on May 16, 1905, the son of William Brace and Herberta Fonda.
The event rated a news brief in the Grand Island Daily Independent of May 17:
"Dr. Roeder reports Uneeda Biscuits for sale at any old price from salesman William Brace Fonda this morning, a bright baby boy having arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fonda on West Division Street yesterday. Both mother and little one are getting along nicely."
Fonda's father has been identified as a commercial printer in both Grand Island and Omaha, but this news item states that at the time of his son's birth, William was selling a popular brand of crackers.
While the house was donated to Stuhr Museum by the Catholic Diocese of Grand Island, it was Fonda who provided the funds for moving the house to the museum grounds in August, 1966 and having it restored. The Grand Island Diocese had obtained property in the 600 block West Division, including the site of this house, for the erection of a new convent. The house had been scheduled for demolition.
Fonda, while acting in a New York Broadway play, learned of the situation from an acquaintance, Don Searle, president of radio station KMMJ in Grand Island, and pledged his support to have the house saved. While returning to the West Coast from New York, Fonda stopped at Grand Island in July, 1966 to make the final arrangements with museum officials for the house's restoration. Family photographs provided by Mrs. Harriet Warren, a younger sister of Fonda, were used by the museum to help select furnishings similar to what the Fondas had in the 1904-1905 period. None of the furnishings in the house are from the Fonda family. Fonda liked the concept of Stuhr Museum, and supported the museum's development until his death. His last visit to the museum came on April 6, 1978 and was described by Lew Cole, the museum's public relations director, in a newspaper interview.
"He quietly walked through each of the rooms, studying details of the furniture, walls and floors. Then he came to the bedroom where he was born. He stood looking at the brass bed for several minutes with a distant gaze. Then he said, "That's enough," and walked out the door." Henry Fonda died on August 12, 1982 and Stuhr Museum lost a true friend.
Henry’s recording to the Fonda House:
Hello, this is Henry Fonda. Welcome to the Fonda house at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer.
This house was built between 1887 and 1890 (please note that these dates are wrong - the house was built in 1884) by W. H. Hooper. It was located at 622 West Division Street in Grand Island, Nebraska. In 1904, my parents, William Brace Fonda and Herberta (Jaynes) Fonda, rented the house from George Bell, a Grand Island banker. It was here on May 16th, 1905, that I was born.
From 1906 until 1963 there were at least seven owners of the property. Through the years there was extensive remodeling, and the structure was eventually converted to a 3 apartment building.

In 1963, St. Mary's Church in Grand Island purchased the house and donated it to the Stuhr Museum. Obviously, this house has much sentimental value to me, and I paid the moving and restoration expenses.
My sister, Mrs. Harriet Peacock, supplied original interior and exterior photographs of the house which guided Stuhr Museum personnel in restoring the structure to its original condition, and in furnishing it to the period around 1905.
This is Henry Fonda, I hope you enjoy your visit to the Stuhr Museum, where Nebraska's pioneer heritage lives for tomorrow.

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