had a book of coupons. When a certain amount was purchased, it would count toward a set of dishes but the ultimate prize was a piano. This piano was won by Lavina Helland.
Self service was not practised. Usually a clerk waited on the customers. Some of the clerks employed were Ben Guthrie, Alice Guthrie, Otis Egenes, Lizzie Durby, Lena Amdahl, my mother, Harriet and Lizzie Durby, Lena Amdahl, my mother, Harriet and I.
For a time a delivery wagon drawn by horses went to the rural homes to sell groceries certain days a week. Otis Egenes was employed part time to do this work.
In 1930, Andrew and Julia Hougen moved to Ames, where they were in the grocery business until 1932. His health became increasingly worse and on Nov. 20, 1941, he died. He was cared for by his daughters after his wife, Julia, died on July 20, 1940.
The daughter, Alta, graduated from St. Olaf College in 1924 after which she left for the island of Madagascar for missionary work.
Harriet married Clyde Baumgardner and resided on a farm near McCallsburg.
Holland's Store
In the spring of 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Severt Holland and their three daughters moved to McCallsburg from Garden City, Iowa to make their home and establish a Meat Market. It was located at what was formerly the Krohn Insurance building on the south side of main street. This business was in operation for 35 years and saw many, many changes.
The large walk-in, ice cooled, cooler or refrigerator where all the home butchered meats were hung and cured, was the work of the proprietor. He also did the butchering for the farmers, which sometimes started at 8:00 a.m. and continued all day. At the market, also was sold fresh and frozen fish, which included dried cod and lutefish. Some home smoked meat and home rendered lard was made too. The processing of the home butchered meat and the grinding of tubfuls of sausage and preparing the fat for lard, to be used for home canning by the farmers-required the need of extra help, so the brother-in-laws, Fred and Obed Erickson, were employed for many years.
As business increased and canning companies became in evidence, calls came for groceries. A full line of brand names, such as, "Monarch," "Heintz," "Tones," products and "McLaughlin's Coffee" was added. Staples such as granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, navy beans, rice, and coffee came in bulk lots of 100
MANY YEARS HAD PASSED since the establishment of the first meat market in McCallsburg by Severt Holland when this picture was made. A new electric meat counter had just been added. If you look closely you will see many of the brand names associated with the modern up-to-date markets of to-day. Severt Holland opened the meat market in McCallsburg in 1921 and continued to operate one there for 35 years. During that time, he and his son, Luther, who took up active management of the market when his father died, saw many, many changes in this line of business.