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Shelby County |
CHAPTER XI -- CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES, PAST AND PRESENT (CONT'D)THE COUNTY SEAT AND PRESENT TOWNS AND VILLAGES. (CONT'D)BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN OF THE SEVENTIES.The Shelby County Record of January 8, 1874, contains this general advertising for Harlan: "Harlan, the county seat, is located near the geographical center of the county, and is an excellent business point, the merchants here supplying the demands of the country within a radius of fifteen miles. Still it is far behind the surrounding country, and would admit of a considerable increase in the number of business houses, without danger of overdoing matters. Each spring a demand for new houses to accommodate the incoming settlers makes lively times for carpenters and lumber dealers. "The town, situated on an elevated plateau overlooking the Botna valley, has a population of about five hundred. The Methodists and Baptists have each erected commodious houses of worship. A graded school provides the children with educational facilities and, under the management of C. M. Greene, is achieving marked success. "Land Agents--Messrs. C. J. and D. M. Wyland, the only land agents in the county, will attend carefully and punctually to any business entrusted to their charge. "Physicians--Drs. R. M. Smith and F. A. Bayer, graduates of Eastern medical colleges, are perfectly competent to care for and preserve the public health. "Attorneys--Legal business will receive prompt attention by addressing Platt Wicks and J. W. DeSilva. "General Merchants--Thomas Wood (successor to Davis Brothers & Company) still holds forth at the old stand where he has been located for the past four years. "Stutsman, Laing & Company have been established here about two years, and appear to be doing a prosperous business. "A. R. Williams has been located here about four months, and keeps a neat, tasty store, with choice selections of goods at low prices. He has received a fair share of custom. "Drugs and Medicines--In this line L. D. Frost and R. M. Smith are keeping full and select stocks. "Hardware--A new stock of stoves, tinware and hardware of every description has just been opened by Frank Reynolds. "Harness Shop--E. C. Swain is an experienced workman and can fill an order in this line, from a double harness to a whip-stalk, at short notice. "Tailor Shop-S. P. Kinsey, our knight of the shears, cuts, fits and makes suits in short order and good style. "Shoe Shop--Dunham Downs has invested his awl in his little shop and attends faithfully to the understandings of the community. "Blacksmiths--Samuel Potter and O. McDowell are busy from morning until night, and if the amount of work they perform is any test, they are making money. "Hotel--The Harlan House, J. B. Swain, proprietor, is as well kept as any house on the slope. Good rooms, square meals and courteous treatment combine to make it a favorite stopping place. "Livery Stable--Double and single rigs or saddle horses to let by George D. Ross. There is considerable "get-up" about George, and his horses are infected with the same general complaint. "Restaurant--J. S. Lanney has just opened a place where oysters in any shape and style are offered to a hungry public. "Millinery--Mrs. A. R. Williams and Mrs. N. A. Sharp manage to keep the heads of the female portion of the community topped out with the most bewitching bonnets and hats. "Furniture--Warren Closson and Griffith & Nance are bound to keep the public supplied with furniture, let the cost be what it will. "Meat Market--Venison, prairie chickens, beef, pork and mutton on hand in their season, while John (Stanley) stands ready to receive his pay in fractional currency. "United States express office is located in C. J. & D. M. Wyland's land office. C. C. Redfield is the agent, and all business entrusted to his care will be promptly and faithfully performed. "Harlan Mills--The flour sent out by J. W. Chatburn & Son cannot be excelled in the West." In October, 1874, Pryor Tinsley was a jeweler; P. H. Longcor made and sold harness; William Wyland & Company handled general merchandise; Barton & McGinniss were conducting a restaurant. In 1875, from advertising contained in the Shelby County Record, the author is informed that P. E. Purrington was a blacksmith at Bowman's Grove; Mastick & Dunnington were selling farming implements at Harlan; W. L. Baughn was running a livery and feed barn and was also the proprietor of the semi-weekly mail route from Harlan to Dunlap, stops being made at Westphalia, Shelbyville and Manteno, enroute; that the attorneys of Harlan were Platt Wicks, J. E. Weaver and J. Stiles; that John Ledwich and Robert P. Foss and E. A. Babcock were Avoca attorneys; that Warren Closson was justice of the peace and collection agent at Harlan; Dr. R. M. Smith, a physician and surgeon and medical examiner for government pensions; J. W. Campbell was a physician and surgeon at Shelby, and that the following named persons were conducting the respective lines of business below set forth: J. J. Jackson, proprietor of Harlan House; S. L. Ganser, bakery and restaurant; Pryor Tinsley, jeweler; H. M. Cook, meat market; Thomas Hartford, plasterer and contractor; John G. Cox, painter, plasterer and contractor; E. C. Swain, harness, saddles, etc.; D. D. Downs, boots and shoes. A novel advertisement was that of Acker & Anderson, who informed the public that they were dealers in confectionery, cigars, tobacco, choice wines and beer, "bologna and cheese for the hungry," and that they also ran a billiard hall. William Stanley, meat market; J. W. Chatburn, Harlan mills; F. M. Nance, furniture; W. P. Smith, barber shop; William Krantz, every Wednesday and Saturday at the store of William Wyland & Company, tailoring; B. I. Kinsey, agency for Davis sewing machines. From a Harlan newspaper of September, 1876, it is learned that the following men were established in Harlan, representing the respective lines of business below specified: William Stanley, furniture; C. Will Fisher, photographer; Frank Reynolds, farming implements; E. Gittens, jeweler; Longcor & Sweat, harness shop; Frank Reynolds, hardware, flour, etc.; Doctor Bayer, physician; P. Tinsley, jeweler; P. H. Longcor & Company, coal; L. D. Frost, groceries. drugs, etc.; Kinney & Persing, blacksmith shop; Ed. Alton, painter; W. W. Krantz advertised a first class tailor shop "at the colony;" Barton & McGuire, groceries and restaurant; Acker & Anderson, confectionery, cigars, billiard hall and intoxicating liquors; J. B. Stutsman, dealer in general merchandise and grain buyer. Business and professional men of Harlan in 1879, as found in a Harlan newspaper of December, 1879, were: S. F. Hurless, proprietor of a livery and feed stable; Swain & Brazee, proprietors of a livery, sale and feed stable; Nichols & Hack, carpenters and builders; Griffith & Babcock, architects and builders; William Helmer & Company, architects and builders; J. C. McManima, real estate exchange; P. P. Nichols, auctioneer; Swain & Bonsteel, proprietors of the Swain Hotel; Robinson & Elser, druggists; C. C. Olmstead, jeweler; W. Swank, professional well digger; William Hurlbut, tailor; Mrs. E. S. Hurlbut and daughters, milliners; William M. Smallwood, shaving and hairdressing parlor; W. A. Gray, proprietor of a boot and shoe shop; Harry Howell, boot and shoe maker; Mr. Smallwood, proprietor of a restaurant; C. M. Taylor, sign painter; Chase Brothers, grocers; G. S. Gibbs, clothier; J. B. Gard, proprietor of a harness shop; Riley & Munger, real estate agents, abstracters and loan brokers; C. Happe, proprietor of a meat market; Coenen & Fairchilds, lumber dealers; Genning & Vonscoy, contractors and builders; J. W. Newby, agent for the White sewing machine; J. E. Miller, proprietor of a harness shop; Fleming & Axline, druggists; E. A. Miller & Company, coal dealers; Pryor Tinsley, jeweler; M. M. Bechtel, hardware; B. D. Burk, proprietor of St. Charles House.; Jackson & Gibbs, general merchandise; Waynick & Hunter, groceries; Tamasiea, grocer; Bowlin Brothers, general merchandise; Hawkins & Burgin, general merchandise; J. B. Stutsman, general merchandise. In the summer of 1881, Dr. L. D. Frost and James Culver canvassed for a subscription fund with which to dig a celler for the new opera house. The business and professional men subscribing to this fund at that time were: L. D. Frost, Platt Wicks, C. J. and D. M. Wyland, Ledwich, Hunt and Long, D. A. Williams, P. T. Nelson, G. S. Gibbs, Tinsley Brothers, Joseph Stiles, G. W. Frost, C. Happe, Carl and Graves, W. L. Baughn, C. C. Redfield, F. A. Bayer, J. B. Stutsman, O. P. Wyland, B. I. Kinsey, John Reed, O. H. Cone & Company, Pratt & Parmelee, W. H. Stephenson, W. W. Wheeler, Myerly & Sheller, E. R. Steinhilber, C. A. Mentzer, J. T. Jack, W. W. Girton, J. W. Harrod, F. E. Benson, W. H. Griffith, H. C. Holcomb, Samuel Potter, J. W. Newby, Kuhl, Muckler & Company, L. Tamasiea, Riley Cass, W. R. Parker, Graham & Munger, M. K. Campbell, George Paup, J. W. DeSilva, George D. Ross, Townley & Mevey. This furnishes a goodly list of the names of business and professional men, at that time. Other men in business or practicing the professions advertising in the local papers in 1881, were: William Cole, Potter Brothers, J. T. Jack, Will Swank, C. M. Taylor, Samuel Groves, John Panian, J. S. Snively, Blotcky Brothers, Isherwood & Windle, A. B. King, P. Billeter, R. Boyd, Wheeler Brothers, Graham & Munger, Trobridge & Booth, C. A. Mentzer, Holdefer & Ramsey, Zimmerman, W. H. Axline, J. H. Waite, E. A. Cobb, J. C. Dunlavy, Cartlich & Hutchison, I. W. Beems, H. S. Burke, Stuart & Trotter, Smith A. Burke, Platt Wicks, J. W. DeSilva, John Wallace, Warren Gammon, J. E. Weaver, Smith & Cullison, Beard & Greenleaf, Joseph Stiles, C. J. & D. M. Wyland, G. S. Gibbs, French & True, E. R. Steinhilber, Bowlin Brothers, Carl & Graves, J. F. Brock, J. E. Miller, S. L. & D. Z. Ganser, P. T. Nelson, Blotcky Brothers, Eidamiller Brothers. In December, 1884, the following named business men were advertising in a local paper: Isherwood & Windle, dry goods; Waynick & Hunter, groceries; S. D. Love, dry goods; Miss Dunnington, millinery store; T. E. Palmer "exhibits a full line of poems, picture frames, games, etc."; J. W. Newby, sewing machines; J. B. Stutsman, dry goods; H. Luecke, tailor; J. S. Snively, hardware; Bowlin Brothers, dry goods and notions; G. S. Gibbs, general merchandise; Robinson & Smith, books, toilet sets, miscellaneous gift books, etc.; E. J. Trobridge, hardware, etc.; Holdefer & Ramsey, men's furnishings; Watters & Barton, drug store; J. M. Hatcher, cigars, candies, nuts, dates, and staple groceries; Prior Tinsley, jewelry, etc.; Chase Brothers, groceries, flour, apples, etc.; French & True, dry goods; Jackson & Mentzer, groceries, nuts, fancy confectionery, etc.; Blotcky Brothers, dry goods and groceries; Eidamiller Brothers, dry goods; Lew Tamasica, restaurant; Joe Brock, cigars, etc.; Steinhilber, furniture; W. H. Axline, drug store; King's Book and News Store; Olmstead, jewelry, etc.; Carl & Graves, furniture; Wheeler Brothers, hardware, etc.; Dr. L. D. Frost, drug store and notions, etc. Transcribed by John Schulte, March, 2024 from the Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, by Edward S. White, P.A., LL. B.,Volume 1, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1915, pp. 235-240. |
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