More About Charles Henry Linn

When preparing the article on Charles Henry Linn last week, I emailed the Washington County Genealogy Society in Nebraska for information on the type of business Charles was operating when the fire broke out in Arlington. Today I received the following:

Blair Courier, 30 September 1897, regarding the fire in Arlington:

"Before I could gather my scattered wits some store building occupied by Linn & Peterson was also on fire. The rear door of Linn & Peterson's store, where the fire was started, was covered with sheet iron which held the fire in check so that it was easily controlled".

Also in the same paper: "Monie Peterson, who is attending school in Lincoln, came over last week and is helping to arrange the goods in the new department store that Linn & Peterson are opening".

And so, it appears that Charles Linn and his partner named Peterson had opened a department store in Arlington. The articles above raise new questions, though.

1. The fire was started at their store? I understand that four fires were started in the town, but was Linn & Peterson a target?
2. Since we know that just 3 years later Charles and his family were living in Omaha, was the store not successful? Had there been more problems with fires or with vandalism that put them out of business? Did Peterson buy Charles Linn out?

Always something new to learn.