The Emmada Building was erected in 1863 as Good Templars Hall as an original 30-foot-wide, two-story building. In 1864 it served as the first grammar school. It became Granger Hall in 1875. In 1892 to 1900 it housed Landis's True Blue Store, and in 1893 it was Lincoln's first telephone central. The building was expanded south in 1913 by Williamson and Ingram, whose wives, Emma and Ada, gave the building its name, Emmada. Long-term occupants in the 1900s were mainly dry goods stores from 1900 to 1928, Tofft and Johnson groceries from 1919 to 1929, the Demas Store from 1928 to 1993, and Wyatt Hardware from 1933 to 1984.