Cashing-In on History

It has been an exciting week here at the museum as we have been fortunate to receive a new addition to our family of artifacts. The Kissler family of Lincoln, NE recently donated a cash register that was originally built for Robert Kregel & Bros. Auto Repair here in Nebraska City. Robert Kregel was the brother of Arthur Kregel that took over the Kregel Windmill Company in the 1940's. Robert, as well as Art's other brothers Mark and Don, ran the auto repair shop in town from 1910 to 1948. When Robert passed away in 1948 the shop was cleared out and machinery was sold off or stored in the old windmill factory. This particular cash register was likely sold back to the National Cash Register company after the shop closed.
This register is a Class 400 from the National Cash Register Company and was built in Dayton, OH. Underneath the cash drawer there is still an intact manufacturer's sticker that states it was built on July 17th, 1918 for Robert Kregel and Bros Auto Repair and was sold by H.B. Whitehouse. Also on this sticker are the serial number and the tracer number, used to designate the specific assembler of the register.

The style of this register definitely matches the mindset and frugality of the Kregel family, mostly as it is fairly unadorned and simple. Most of the machines of this class and from this company were decked out in bronze or silver inlay and had very elaborate designed etched into their cases. This one however has a simply steel body that is painted to look like wood grain and the push buttons are all plastic backed and not the fancier mother-of-pearl.

The following picture shows the only special add-on that was built onto this cash register. It is a receipt printer that would allow the printing of a specific type of work that was done to a customer's vehicle. This device is no longer in working order but there is still paper fed into it, although it is so brittle that it won't run through. 

We would love for everyone to swing by the museum and check out this new addition to our collection. It will be prominently displayed as we will be using it as our primary cash register. So come on in and hear the bell ring as this old cash register comes back to life after 67 years in retirement. We hope to see you at the museum, and my your blades always catch the wind!