Wirt, William O. (1843-1916)

WIRT

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 1/26/2009 at 13:37:02

William O. Wirt
Dec 30, 1843 - 1916

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.59, Council Bluffs)
W. O. Wirt, proprietor, Boston Tea Company, Council Bluffs, born in Harrison County, Ohio, December 30, 1843; came to Council Bluffs in 1873, and engaged as traveling salesman with Steel, Johnson & Co., grocers, of Omaha, Neb., with whom he remained one year. He then went East, and traveled from Pittsburg, Penn, from 1874 to 1876, and in 1876 and 1877, for James, Kent, Santee & Co., of Philadelphia, Penn. In the fall of 1877, he returned to Council Bluffs, and, in the spring of 1878, engaged in the retail grocery and hardware trade in company with R. O. Newell, at Red Oak, Iowa, where they carried on business for nearly three years. Mr. Wirt the removed to Council Bluffs, where he opened up his present business at 16 Main and 15 Pearl streets in the spring of 1881. He keeps a full line of staple and fancy groceries; in fact, everything to be found in a first-class grocery store can be procured at the Boston Tea Company. Mr. Wirt does an extensive trade, running two delivery wagons, and keeping three counter clerks busy all the time. He is one of the wide-awake and energetic business men of Council Bluffs.