Honest Ed. Sheehy ran a saloon, oyster parlor and restaurant in Postville for many years. He had a large livery stable located next to his enterprising businesses. He was a rabid Postville baseball fan for years. Ed started his business about 1885 and continued in business for over 25 years. His restaurant and saloon was located on the corner, just west of the old Commercial Hotel (the Commercial Hotel burned down in 1978).

We first run across Ed Sheehy in the year 1887 when this little excerpt appeared in the local paper:
Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Sheehy lost an infant child last Sunday. It is their third child to die within a year, and our sympathy is sincerely extended. They all died from the dreaded diptheria.

His first business ad appeared that same year:

THE BOSS RESTAURANT
Meals furnished at all Hours on short Notice and served in First-Class Style. The finest stock of Cigars and Tobacco in Postville. Fresh Beer -- Good Wine and Cider always on Tap. Ed Sheehy, Proprietor.

1890's:
--We now have god stabling for over a dozen teams, good treatment to all customers. Charges reasonable. Honest Ed. Sheehy.

--The Mayor and Marshal are doing quite a hotel business at Postville's Hotel de Bastile. Tough tramps with too much to drink being given lodgings there frequently. The worst part of it is they are not paying patrons.

--Honest Ed. sheehy placed a beautiful new bar in his saloon yesterday.

--For many years science has studied liquors. Result the whole world uses whiskey. It has proven the best stimlant and does not injure nerves and tissues like coca wines and other drugged compounds. And Harper Whiskey is the ideal whiskey. Sold by Honest Ed Sheehy.

--That liberal business man, honest Ed Sheehy helped us out wonderfully on Thanksgiving by slipping under our arm a can of those splendid Oysters. Many thanks.

--Ed sheehy hereby informs the people of Postville and all the world. Besides that, he is prepared always to furnish the hungry with a good square meal at the lowest living price. He also sells cigars, pipes, tobacco, candies, fruits, lager beer, and other wet goods.

"Come And See Me"
If too hot I'll cool you
And warm you if too cold.
Come in, I'll never fool you
On what to you is sold.
Come it shall be my pleasure
To fairly deal by you.
Give honest weight and measure,
As is certainly your due.
HONEST ED SHEEHY

--Call and get some "Fragrant" Smoking Tobacco. You can get a pipe with every package for the total of only ten cents.

--If you're feelin' hungry, come to Honest Ed Sheehy's place for a bowl of his famous Cream of Corn Soup. Only 10 cents for a big bowl.

--FREE LUNCH every morning at 10 o'clock at Ed Sheehy's Saloon and Restaurant. Drop in and see genial Honest Ed the Irishman.

Early 1900's:
--A number of prominent Postville people met Monday night at Honest Ed Sheehy's Oyster Parlor to discuss Big Baseball Business for the coming year. Our bully ball boys will play baseball again this year and we hope that the people of this area will come out to all the home games. Admission for the games, only 10 cents. Ladies admitted FREE for all home games. So mote it be!!

--There was a man who did not have a penny left, but went into a restaurant and ordered an oyster dinner -- hoping to pay the bill with the pearls he would find in the oysters.

--A horse was stolen on Monday night from Honest Ed Sheehy's livery barn. No clues to the perpetrators.

--If anybody wants a quiet smoke, a glass of beer or anything, remember that the cleanest and best place to go where you will be courteously and gentlemanly treated, and where you can get the best of everything is at Honest Ed Sheehy's.

--Besides its other benefits, Harper Whiskey is good for shortness of breath and also good for all snake bites. Honest Ed Sheehy's.

--A woman, a tramp with three small children, was put in the calaboose here on Wednesday night for being drunk and disorderly. She was picked up by our Marshal Dapper Dan Dayton near the Commercial Hotel. She was totally tipsy and had lost her rear rudder. We hope never to have to record such a sad circumstance again.

--Drink Beer instead of Ice water or Coca Cola. Have a case of "Elfenbrau" in the house these warm days. Keep a few bottles on ice and drink it in place of ice water or injurious soft drinks, especially caffeine Coca Cola. Honest Ed Sheehy.

--Honest Ed Sheehy says that Prof. Wiley, our U.S. Chemist says it is easy enough to keep cool, but not if he's going to keep on finding fault with everything we eat or drink.

--Our Marshal Dapper Dan Dayton told a bunch of Gypsies in town to skid-doo yesterday ........ and they skidded out of town, "headin' for somewhere!"

--Good Cut and Plug Tobacco only 25 cents a pound and the very best in Oysters only 35 cents a full quart at Honest Ed Sheehy's. Old Ed beats the whole world in dishing up good oysters. As soon as we get several nickels ahead we propose to sample them again.

--The Lucky "T"
Andres "Circus Solly" Schuler of our Postville ball team, received an elegant gold case watch, stem wind and set, last week from Myers, Tice & Co. a wholesale tobacco firm of Dubuque. This wonderful watch is obtained by saving letters in the packages of Fragrant Smoking Tobacco, which when secured, form the sentence --
"We All Smoke Fragrant." The letter "T" is the camel that breaks the straw's back, only one of them being found in every 100 pounds of the tobacco, we believe.

--Last Monday there was quite a squabble between a couple of chaps at Honest Ed Sheehy's Saloon and Restaurant. No one seriously injured, they will live to fight another day.

--May H. Douglass, the President of the Postville Civic Club and a goodly number of the lively ladies of the W.C.T.U. petitioned the city fathers to pass a law against men "expectorating" on the towns street corners. It is especially bad near Honest Ed Sheehy's Saloon and Restaurant. The women objected to the men who gathered to smoke and spit tobacco.

--Unintentially some one broke the glass beer sign in front of Ed Sheehy's Saloon and Restaurant last Friday night. The fellows who did it showed their manly qualities by calling Honest Ed the next day and confessing their guilt and offering to pay the damages of having it replaced. It happened when a couple of our high school Cub baseball players were playing catch and while practicing, a wild throw was thrown. that's a case of manhood worthy of all commendation and emulation.

--Fearless Frank Tuller and Honest Ed Sheehy each lost a valuable horse apiece during Wednesday night. they were both stolen from two different livery barns in town, sometime after midnight. Progressive Postville should have a Horse-Thief Association with rough riders like they do in Strawberry Point, Iowa.

--Tramps have been more numerous the past two weeks than at any time during the winter. Another overflow compelled our good Marshal Dapper Dan Dayton to find quarters for eight of them in the county jail at Waukon, yesterday ..... and to show the eagerness of the lazy bums for lodging and board at the public expense ...... it is only necessary to say that the above number got into Poland China Charlie Krumm's hog rack and braved the cold, cold ride of 18 miles in the "fifteen below zero weather" The tough tramps continue to tramp, tramp, tramp about Postville looking for handouts. they continue to "smirk at work".

--Honest Ed Sheehy tells this story:
An Iowa man and his wife have separated. None of their friends know why. One, being curious, asked the husband "What was the trouble between you and your wife?" "Oh, nuthin' much. She bought a new hat for $20 and asked me what I thought of it. ...... and I told her ...... that's all."

Ed Sheehy died in the 1920's.

- published on the Allamakee co. IAGenWeb with the generous permission of Stan Schroeder
- original transcripts provided by Stan Schroeder & transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall

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