FRANK LOUIE SCHWEINEFUS AND CASTALIA

SCHWEINEFUS, CASTALIA

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 7/4/2004 at 20:02:39

FRANK LOUIE SCHWEINEFUS AND CASTALIA
 
 
I don't know if this was taken from the Winneshiek County History Book or if it was a newspaper article. From the picture that was with it, I would say it came from a book, but it was in Mom's collection beside Frank's obituary.

The frivolity of the 1920's soon were to give way to the depression of the 1930's, and it was during this time and into the 1940's that Castalia began to decline. The 272 residents counted in 1920 had dropped to 200 in 1930, the lowest count since Castalia's population was recorded. Although it recovered somewhat in the next census, Castalia's population has never again reached the peak that it enjoyed during the 1920's. During the 30's, there became a shortage of jobs, and many of the town's residents began looking for employment as day laborers, working from day to day at whatever job they could find in town or on the surrounding farms.

One of the most striking blows to Castalia came on January 11, 1941 when the Castalia Savings Bank announced that it would never open up again. Part of its assets were sold to the First National Bank at West Union while the remainder was placed in a depositor's trust which was subsequently liquidated and closed October 8, 1949.

Several businesses in Castalia did remain strong in the community. Among these was the Carnation Milk Company. This company purchased the Castalia Cheese Factory in 1935, and began operating it as a milk plant. Milk haulers went to the farms to pick up the milk which was cooled in the water tank or milk coolers. Farmers living near the plant would make the trip into Castalia themselves with their ten gallon milk cans. After the milk was brought to the plant, it was dumped into large holding tanks and later hauled to the Carnation Plant in Waverly where it was processed, evaporated, and canned. Located on the west edge of Castalia, the milk company provided employment for many local residents for a number of years.

Another bright spot in Castalia's business community was the combination grocery store-restaurant owned by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schweinefus. Louise operated the grocery business while Frank was in charge of the restaurant which was attached by a walkway to the grocery store. Frank was as round as he was tall, always cheerful, and friendly, but he was one who could not waste his time cleaning his establishment. The place always smelled like stale beer and it was notorious for its cockroaches which seemed to be crawling all over the place. Frank's restaurant would never pass a state food inspection today, but he kept order, and everyone had respect for him. On one occasion he was challenged by one of his younger patrons after the younger man had exclaimed, "he can't take me!" The contest was on with tables and chairs flying asunder and with the floor shaking from the weight of the huge, rolling bodies. Frank's strange symbol of triumph was the chewing of his defeated adversary's earlobes. In this instance, the contender's lobes were dripping with blood before surrender. The chief casualty of the fracus, however, was an overturned basket of cranberries. These red berries were in vivid contrast with the green sweeping compound on the restaurant's floor. Local wags were later heard to comment on the greenish hue of this fruit in the kitchens of Castalia!

Frank Schweinefus was probably best remembered however, for the change that he kept in his overall pockets. Known as the "man with the cash register pockets", Frank would make change at a phenomenal rate, and always seemed to come up with the right change. On more than one occasion, a patron would attempt to confuse Frank by making a small purchase and presenting a large check in payment. The largest check presented to him was said to have been written for 1,800 dollars. Presenting this for the purchase of a ten cent loaf of bread scarcely brought a flicker of emotion to the proprietor's impassive features, nor according to witnesses, was the large bill pocket emptied. Upon receipt of his change, the patron backed down, produced a dime, and asked for the return of his check since he did not want to carry so much cash with him after dark.

Another story is told about two men traveling along highway 52 and stopping enroute at small taverns enjoying free beers. No tavern keeper, in this era of the 1930's was able to break the 100 dollar bill they carried. That is until they offered it in payment for two 5¢ beers in Castalia. Frank immediately produced the $99. 90 change with the comment, "if you have another, I'll gladly break it too."

Following the closing of the Castalia Bank, Frank became the moneylender at near bank rates of interest. He was known as "an easy touch" for those in poor circumstances. A handshake was often the only security required for small loans to local residents. Following his death, a large stack of uncollected notes were reported to have been found. In 1943, Frank's store and restaurant burned to the ground, and with it went the cockroaches, the stale beer, and part of the nostalgia of Castalia.