Land Mark Gone~April 1886

BARTRUFF, COOPER, CREAL, RANDOLPH, TIFFANY, ZUHN

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 4/27/2010 at 06:38:17

AN OLD LAND MARK GONE.

On Monday morning Mr. Zuhn commenced taking down the brick building which he has occupied as a wagon shop for some years. This building is one of the old land marks.

It was built in 1840 and was the second brick dwelling house built in the city. It ws built by J. S. Bartruff, and at the time it was built it was considered something elegant, and did, in fact, exceed in style and finish anything in the city at that early day.

It remained as a dwelling house till 1875; at that time Charles Creal bought the premises and converted it into a wagon shop. In 1878 the present proprietor, Mr. H. Zuhn, bought the property and continued to occupy the same as a blacksmith and wagon shop.

There is some difference of opinion as to the year the house was built, but the old pioneers agree that the house was built in 1840. P. C. Tiffany says he bought the lot in the fall of 1839, at an auction sale, J. H. Randolph acting as auctioneer. The lot was struck on to Mr. Tiffany for $7.50. He sold the lot to J. S. Bartruff for $40. Those were pioneer prices for corner prairie lots in 1840.

The bricks for this house were of home manufacture, made by Ezekiel Cooper, father of George Cooper, the clay being prepared by tramping it with oxen in a pit prepared for that purpose. The brick compare favorably with brick made at the present time, and some of them will be used in building the new three story shop to be erected on the site of this pioneer house.

We would suggest that a copy of the FREE PRESS containing a history of the old house, be deposited with appropriate ceremonies, in the cornerstone of the new shop.

[FREE PRESS, April 8, 1886]

Note: The location is the NE corner of East Monroe and Adams. The 'new three story shop' built on the site is stilling standing.