USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Stewardson > Stewardson, the first 100 years : history of the village of Stewardson, Prairie Township and vicinity > Part 13
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To the left is Steve Baumgarten's Hardware and Appliance store. The Masonic Lodge has their meeting hall in the next room and to the right is Wm. Miller's This 'n That Outlet Store.
Dagwood's Union 76 Service
Dagwood's Union 76 located on Rt. 32 on east edge of Stewardson.
Marvin Underwood started operating the service station at the intersection of Main Street and Route 32 in September, 1952.
A frame, one-room station had been there for years. It would be opened for business awhile and then closed. Among the men who operated it were: Clem Roley, Victor Keller, and Lowell Koester. A grease room was built onto the north of the building before Dag- wood started. He greased and washed cars in this one stall for about a year; and then, a second stall was added to the north end of the first one. This gave him a room to do overhaul work during the week and wash cars on week ends .
In 1961 or 1962, the owners tore the frame building down and built the sta- tion that is there now. Dagwood says that Leo Rincker pulled a hoghouse in for him to put his supplies in. He washed cars under a tent, and the grease rack was outside.
Sinclair owned the station until 1971 when Union 76 took over.
Dagwood pumps about 10,000 gallons of gasoline a month. (That was before
the energy crisis.)
Before operating this station, Dag- wood worked at the Ford garage for seven years.
The typist remembers when Phillip Peters ran the filling station in the early 1940 years, in the original build- ing. It was just before World War II. I do not recall how long he operated it.
Moultrie-Shelby F.S.
The Moultrie-Shelby F.S. Plant on the northeast edge of Stewardson across the Norfolk and Western tracks. Their feed, fertilizer and fuel businesses are combined in this plant.
F.S. had bulk fuel tanks in Steward- son at the intersection of Spruce Street and the railroad. Harry Falk delivered fuel in this area for thirty years.
In 1964 they started a feed and ferti- lizer center in the Moomaw building on South Pine Street. Mason Reed from Mode was the manager. After about a year, they built their present plant along Route 32, just north of the rail- road. They also moved their bulk fuel tanks out there.
They have a bulk fertilizer blending building, a storage building that in- cludes an office, an anhydrous storage tank along with the bulk fuel tanks. They built a spur from the railroad track so that their supplies can be shipped in by rail.
Frank Woodall of Mode was the man- ager of this plant until about a year ago when he was promoted, and Gene Stremming became the manager.
Harry Falk retired and Larry Shu- mard is delivering fuel for them.
This 'n That Outlet
Willie Miller has operated the "This and That Outlet" at 106 E. Main since 1972. He buys and sells antiques, coins and a variety of items. He also has a pool room and refreshments.
He operated the Shelby Repair Shop in Shelbyville, Illinois for several years.
This page sponsored by JONES TRUCKING SERVICE Aubrey and Jerry Jones, Stewardson ED and WILBUR MEERS, Stewardson Registered Hampshire and Yorkshire Hogs
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Planters
The first building houses the feed mixing plant and provides storage for feeds and bag fertilizers. In the back- ground to the right is the elevator that was built by Wm. Moomaw, and to the left is their fertilizer blending plant.
This is the Stewardson Branch of Ef- fingham Equity. They purchased the business from Moomaw Elevator Co. At that time the property consisted of the Krieble House that was used for an office, and two elevators. Since then they have added the large metal building that houses the feed mixing plant and storage for bagged feed, grain, seed, fertilizer, seeds, etc.
They also added a Fertilizer Blend- ing Plant and a large storage tank for Anhydrous Ammonia. They have a lot of parking area for customers and for their fertilizer spreaders and nurse tanks.
They are a big buyer of grain of all kinds from the local farmers as well as selling them seed and fertilizer.
Planters is the trade name for Effing- ham Equities commercial feeds. The firm has had two managers, Eugene Westendorf and Charles Lustig.
Depot
ALKOT SAMIPLL STORE.
The Nickel Plate Depot that was moved to the corner of Main and Cedar Streets by John Falk. The Semaphore was placed in front of it, with the con- trols inside. John has the pot-bellied stove inside that was standard equip- ment in the early depots.
In the background is the Dr. Holmes Building. Like many of the older build-
ings, different businesses have been here, such as: Lugar's Dairy, a barber shop; and for many years, it was the home of the Clipper.
In 1970 John Falk, from Atlanta, Georgia, a former resident of Herborn moved the abandoned Nickle Plate Depot to Main St. and remodeled it in- to a store. He restored many of the things that always went with a depot. He sold clothing at this new store.
John, son of Elmer Falk, had helped his father when he operated the stores at Herborn and in Stewardson. He had operated one of the Huckster Wagons. He is a wholesale dealer in clothing and dry goods at the present time.
He has restored a huckster bed that had been used in Strasburg and mount- ed it on a truck chassis. He enters it in parades and displays it at his depot store here and in Effingham.
Bank
This is a picture of the Bank Build- ing as it looks today.
Daggett's Canvas And Aluminum Products
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Daggett purchased this building and opened this shop in December of 1972. They make all kinds of canvas covers and canvas and metal awnings.
They both worked for Decatur Tent and Awning for over twenty-five years. As of January 1, 1974, they are owners of Decatur Tent and Awning, too. In addition to tents and awnings, this firm rents tents.
Rail and Truck Salvage Store
This store on South Pine Street was opened in 1966 in the building owned by Grace Cecil, Stewardson, Illinois.
Mrs. Beulah Blair, Shumway, Illinois is the manager. Several local people, Dongola Tarrant Allsop, Helen Morri- son, Grace Knop, Zelma Hagerman, and Mary Krueger have worked as clerks in this business place.
Max Mindes, St. Louis, Missouri, the owner, buys products from the loads of wrecked cars and trains to sell in the store. This makes for a big variety of items for sale; such as, groceries, drugs, clothing, hardware, furniture, etc.
Rail and Truck Salvage Store; and Moomaw Building. The Clipper Office is in this building to the right and the rest is being used for storage.
Heidi's Antiques
The Wayne Vonderheide home at 302 W. So. 4th is probably one of the first houses built in Stewardson, about 1871 to 74.
The Krapp family owned it in the 1920's.
At one time it was rented by the school for a music room and cafeteria.
The Vonderheide's are dealing in an- tiques and have some antique furniture such as an oak writing table from the Shumway Bank, clock from the Stew- ardson Grade School dated 1918, etc.
The Stewardson Post Office
This page sponsored by DAGGETT'S CANVAS & ALUMINUM PRODUCTS, Stewardson DUST & SON AUTO SUPPLY, Effingham SCHLECHTE LUMBER CO., 644-2231, Strasburg
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Stewardson Builders Supply
Both of these buildings have been built in the last part of this century. The building to the left was used as the office for the Lumber Yard until the new addition to the right. The brick building in the background was originally the office for Voris' busi- nesses. It had a scale in front of it. It has been remodeled for a storage building for building supplies.
This firm was organized in January 1950 with Don Cutts of Montrose, Dr. Lewis of Dieterich, and Bryan Graham, Stewardson, owners. The business was purchased from Ervin Moran, who had purchased it from the Engel Lumber Company in 1949. Darrell Switzer was appointed manager of the business when it was organized and is still managing it.
After one year, Dr. Lewis bought out Bryan Graham. Dr. Lewis died about fifteen years ago, but Mrs. Lewis is still a partner.
A new office was built in 1950. In 1952 the coal sheds were torn down and a metal building was built between the original building that had been built by Engel Lumber Company and the brick building on the corner. In 1973 addi- tional storage space was built on the west side of the original building.
In 1969 a new office and display room was built on the east side of the lum- ber storage building.
Bob's Market
The building with the white front is actually the original Milchman Meat Market and Drugstore buildings with the front remodeled. The remodeling was done a few years ago by Robert King who operated Bob's Market here
for several years.
At the present time the original drugstore part is owned by Melvin Sterling, and the south part by Danny Friese.
To the right is the part of the Block Building that housed the theaters in Stewardson. This building is owned by K. L. Moran.
S and V Stone Quarry
This quarry was started in 1958 by George and Ben Winters, father and uncle of the present owners, Stanley and Virgil Winters, who took over the business January 1, 1966.
Rock from the land around this plant is ground and sold at the site to local farmers, towns, townships, and con- tractors. Several expansions have been made to this plant since it opened. It is located four miles northwest of Stewardson.
Wente Locker Service
Bob Wente bought the Stewardson Locker Plant from Darwin Williams Oct. 1, 1964. This locker plant was built in the early 1940's by a Shelby Coun y Cooperative.
Bob has added a machine room, sausage kitchen, boiler room and stor- age room to the original building and has expanded the business. He does custom butchering, retail fresh meats, frozen foods and sea foods. He also has a wholesale business for these pro- ducts that requires three full time and one part time truck delivery salesman.
They butcher 20 to 30 cattle and 20 to 25 hogs a week.
The firm employes 12 people and grosses over $250,000 a year. This firm is one of the very few in Illinois that is licensed to butcher wild game and they
process 75 to 100 deer, elk and moose a year.
Bob worked at Shank's Packing Com- pany in Mattoon, Ill. at one time and did butchering for the Neoga Locker. He owned the Sullivan Locker Plant too, for two years.
Village Town House
No record has been found to show when this Town Hall was built. A shed has been added to the north side, and it had been remodeled to house the fire trucks. At the present time, an addi- tion is being built on the south side. At one time a jail was attached to the west of this building.
Lowell Moomaw Trucking
Lowell Moomaw was a partner in the Moomaw Elevator Company from 1947 to 1959.
In 1959 he bought his first truck, added the second one in 1960, and the third in 1964. He now has a fleet of five trucks. Four of these haul poultry from the south to Illinois markets.
He built his building on North Pine Street in 1967.
A grain mill stood at the site of Lowell Moomaw's service building for many years.
Oliver Moomaw, Lowell's father, was a partner with William Moomaw in the operation of this mill for several years. They made cornmeal, ground grain for feed, and bought grain from local farmers.
Oliver then operated the mill for sev- eral years by himself before it burned.
This page sponsored by S&V STONE QUARRY, Rock of all Kinds, 4 Miles Northwest of Stewardson
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Falk Produce
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This is a picture of the office in the Falk Produce taken over 20 years ago when it was in the original building. From the left to right are: Frank Falk, George Krueger and Gilbert Brummer- stedt.
Falk Produce is one of the oldest businesses in operation at the present time. It was started by Elmer Falk and the present owner, Gilbert Brum- merstedt, Elmer's son-in-law worked for him for several years before he became the owner in 1945.
They sold a hig volume of bagged commercial feeds, getting it in box car loads. After the second World War this business tapered off because of the use of bulk feeds. They sold Honegger's Feeds.
The firm purchased eggs and poultry from local farmers and shipped them to market. They were shipped by rail and truck with as many as four car- loads, and seven truck loads being ship- ped out at a time. Most of the produce went to Chicago but the rail shipments often went to markets in the east. By 1964 the egg and poultry business had tapered off until now he only handles enough for the retail business in the area. He says that he doesn't buy as many eggs in one year now as he used to buy in a day years ago.
During the hunting season buying dead wild rabbits and shipping them to Chicago was a big business. Gilbert says that he remembered having a truck load at a time to be taken to Chicago. They were put in chicken coops, 50 rabbits in a coop and as many as 70 coops per truck load. In the nor- mal cool weather of the hunting sea- son the rabbits would reach the market in a fair condition, but a warm day or two could be disastrous for the dealer.
At the present time their feed sales are mostly dog food and some chicken feed, and rabbit feed. He handles live- stock medicines, garden tools, lawn mowers and garden seeds.
For many years the business was in
a building at this site that had at one time been a livery stable. Gilbert built the building that his business is in now.
Gilbert has also been a licensed mortician since March 10, 1935.
Opera House
The date on this Hall is 1893. It had offices and a room for entertainment upstairs. This Opera Hall was used ex- tensively at that time.
At the present time, a restaurant is in the room to the right. It is operated by Mr .and Mrs. Dwight Kessler and is named Beany's Cafe. This part of the building has been used for a restau- rant for several years. There were stores in it before that. The room to the left is vacant at the pesent time. Carl Shadwell had his hardware and plumbing shop here. For many years the Post Office was in this room.
Paul Yakey owns the building.
Springer Chevrolet
Mr. Lynn Springer purchased this Chevrolet Agency from Herbert Schultz June 25, 1973. He came here from Normal, Illinois.
For about one and one-half years be- fore he came here he had been a parts salesman for a St. Louis based auto parts firm. Previously, he had been parts manager for an auto dealer in Bloomington.
KWIK WASH LAUNDRY & CAR WASH
These two businnesses are operated by Ralph Mietzner, Effingham, Il. Ralph
became a partner in the Stewardson Hardware Corporation in about 1960 along with Richard Mietzner, Dr. Peter Kollinger, Jesse Mueller and Nathan Wascher. The Corporation had been formed in 1955 or 56 to buy the Hard- ware business from the Engels. The Laundramat was added to the Hard- ware business.
Ralph managed the businesses till about 1968. A Laundramat was built in Strasburg in 1965 or 1966 and operated by this Corporation. They sold the Hardware business to Les Ealy but kept the Laundramats until Ralph took over the Corporation in 1969 and bought the two laundramats. He added the car wash on South Pine St. in 1970.
The Corporation is a family project and they have a self-service laundramat in Effingham, too.
Hardware and Laundramat Buildings
The part of this building with the Hardware sign on it was originally the home of F. T. Engel Lumber Company. His sons, Cyrus and Edwin, operated this hardware store along with the Lumber Yard. Two of F. T. Engel's. grandsons, Edwin Voris Engel and Robert Engel, were partners in the business at one time. At one time a furniture store and Funeral Home were at this location.
A frame building that apparently was one of the first buildings at this site was torn down when the laundramat was built about 1960.
Jan's Beauty Salon
Jeanette Kessler opened Jan's Beauty Salon on February 2nd, 1962 in the building west of the Post Office and Main Street. In October, 1968 a breezeway was added to the Dean Kes- sler residence at 118 N. Valley. This room was used for a shop until Jan- uary 18, 1972. The Kessler family then moved to a farm home one half mile north of Stewardson. A porch was closed in and tranformed into a shop.
This page sponsored by MARY and HARRY FALK
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Jr. Hobson Barber Shop
Junior Hobson graduated from the Central Illinois Barber College in Feb- ruary 1961. He served his apprentice- ship at Shelbyville, Illinois for two years and three months. He worked in a shop in Toledo, Illinois for years; and on October 1, 1965, he bought this shop and has operated it since then.
This probably is one of the oldest buildings in the business district. For many years the Stewardson Clipper was in this building. For the past several years it has been used for a barber shop.
Strohl's Grocery
The building that now houses Strohl's Grocery on Main Street was built by Mr. Fred Milchman in 1926. The build- ing had three rooms. Mr. Milchman operated a restaurant in the west room and a meat and grocery store in the center room. Mrs. Charles (Maggie) Beals operated a hat shop in the east room. Ed Bruns took over operation of the restaurant. At one time there was a pool hall and tavern (which sold keg beer only) in the center room. The tavern operated until booze was voted out of Stewardson the second time. A barber shop and a small restaurant at different times were operated in the east room. A Dr. Sand- burg had his office in the center room sometime in the 1940's. Engel's Paint and Appliance Store was in the center and east rooms until the building was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Strohl.
On September 2, 1949, Walter and Arnieta Strohl purchased a self-service grocery store from Clinton Friese. They originally did business in a build- ing that was known as the Mietzner Store and has since been torn down.
On November 11, 1953, the Strohls moved to their present building on Main Street which they purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Engel. At that time, the west half of the building housed a restaurant owned by Mrs. Elmer (Ruth) Baumgartner. Later owners of the restaurant were Mrs. Viola Smith and Walter Keller, Jr. Keller moved his business after a few years and Strohls now use that part of the building as a warehouse.
This year, as Stewardson celebrated its one-hundredth birthday, Mr. and Mrs. Strohl are also celebrating their twenty-fifth year in business.
Township Building
This building was built by the Town- ship in 1964 for use in elections for both precincts, office and meetings.
It is being used by the Village Board for their meetings and by several com- munity organizations, including the Sen- ior Citizens.
Stewardson Fabric Center
This is a new building at 610 W. Main, built by Joe and Marie Falk when they started the Stewardson Fabric Center.
In September of 1965, Joe and Marie Falk purchased the old Lutheran day school and used the lumber to build their fabric center which is located on West Main Street. They opened for business in March, 1966 with a small in-
ventory of yard goods and sewing no- tions. They have steadily increased their inventory to a complete line of materials and full stock of sewing no- tions. In October, 1967, they built an addition on the north side of their build- ing and added upholstery materials. Then in July, 1972, the Falks built a warehouse to the west of the store to store seasonal merchandise.
Beals Motor Company Body Shop
As the sign on the front of this building shows, Ervin Moran operated an implement store in this building. Wayne Moomaw originally started this implement business. It has been the home of various businesses. At one time, Fred Gruntman had a store here. Charles Wilson, Sr., owned it at one time. For many years it had two gas pumps in front of it.
For several years it has been used by Beals Motor Company for a body shop and store room for new and used cars.
Drug Store
This is a picture of the front of the building pictured above at the time R. A. Peters operated the drug store in this building.
Leona Lugar is an Insurance Agent for the Royal Neighbors. She had been a recorder for 34 years and became a deputy in 1972. This gives her the right to write insurance for the Royal Neigh- bors. She is a representative for Shel- by and Effingham counties.
This page sponsored by STEWARDSON FABRIC CENTER, Joe and Marie Falk, Stewardson HAZEL KESSLER, Stewardson
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Brummerstedt Funeral Home
This is the original H. H. York House, as it looks today, the Brummerstedt Funeral Home.
Avon Dealers
Mrs. Peggy (Darwin) Storm has been a local Avon Dealer since Oc- tober of 1966, when she took over a rural route that Barbara Baumgarten had started a few months before.
Mrs. Marilyn Allsop had been an Avon Dealer in Stewardson for about fifteen years, so when she quit in 1967 Peggy took over her business and has been the local dealer since then.
Hazel Gillespey was an Avon Deal- er for awhile also.
Tate Oliver Sales
This is the new Tate Oliver Sales Building along Route 32 across from the intersection with Main Street.
Tate Oliver Sales owned by Mr. and Mrs. Eldo Tate, is a fast growing imple- ment dealership that serves many of the local farmers along with customers from quite some distance away.
The Tates purchased this dealership from H. H. Ulmer in 1961. Eldo work- ed as a mechanic for Ulmer and at the Oliver Manufacturing Plant in Shel- byville since 1945.
They operated from the building at 201 East Main St. until 1972. In May of 1972 an early morning fire destroyed part of the building but they operated the business from there until Nov. 24, 1972 when they moved into their new building along route 32.
Their son, Donald Tate, after grad- uating from the U. of I., moved back to Stewardson to help operate the busi-
ness.
They are a dealer for White Farm Equipment Co. that manufacture Oliver and Minneapolis equipment.
This new building was built around a service station that was built on this site by Standard Oil Co. It was open- ed up and operated in 1953 for a short time but wasn't a success. It stayed empty for most of the ten years that the Oil Co. had the lease from Mr. Fouste but they didn't renew the lease. Tate's used it for storage until they built here.
Ray Richards Insurance Agency
To the right is a new office occupied by Ray Richards Insurance Agency and the Stewardson Building and Loan. To the left is a room that is actually a part of the Post Office Building. At the present time, Mrs. Arlene McCor- mick is operating a beauty shop here.
Marguerite's Beauty Shop
Mrs. Ralph Webb has operated a beauty shop in Stewardson since 1938. In 1938 she opened a shop in her house at 225 North Cedar Street and then moved to her present location at 222 West Main Street in 1942.
Geraldine Brummerstedt's Beauty Shop
Geraldine attended Mrs. Heller's School of Beauty in Decatur, Illinois in Sept. 1933. She received her State Beauty Culture license in Sept. of 1934.
She first opened her shop for busi- ness in her home in 1941 and still is active in the beauty shop business at the present time.
Calvin Mueller, 422 W. South Fourth, built a small greenhouse a few years ago and has been selling garden and flower plants. He has now built a larger greenhouse.
In late 1973, Eddie Friese started the "Friese Bin Co." as a dealer for Su- perior Grain Bins.
Beauty Shops
Several local women have operated beauty shops in their homes, some full time and some part time.
Carolyn Boldt had a shop that she sold to Arlene McCormick who
operates it now. She called it "Carolyn's Clip and Curl." Carolyn also operated the Lake Paul Custard Stand one year. She is also a vocalist with a popular musical group "The Travelers".
Mrs. Nadine Price operated "Na- dine's Beauty Shop" in her home for several years.
Mrs. Kenneth (Sandra) Friese, had a beauty shop in her home for sev- eral years known as "Sandy's Beauty Salon"".
Mrs. Dale (Nancy) Syfert works in a shop at Effingham, Ill. but does some work at her home.
Mrs. Ferdinand (Arlene) McCormick is operating "Arlene's Beauty Shop" in the post office building. She bought it from Carolyn Boldt in 1972.
Tate Oliver Sales
Tate Storage Building on East Main Street.
This building was built by H. H. Ulmer for a Standard Oil Service Sta- tion and a garage, originally. He had operated his Oliver Dealership here and Tate continued the business here after he bought it from Harold Ulmer until he moved to his new building at the east end of Main St. in 1972.
For many years Elmer Dappert was the local agent for the Shelbyville Mutual Fire Insurance Company and Pana Hillsboro Wind. In December 1964 Lloyd Buesking took over the agen- cy. He retired in January 1972 and since then Ronald Beitz 722 W. Main St., Stewardson has been the agent for this area.
Since 1965 Mrs. Charles (Norma) Hobson has sold Laundry Care Pro- ducts, Home Care Products, Beauty Care Products, Family Care Products and Food Supplements.
This page sponsored by TATE OLIVER SALES, Oliver-Minneapolis Moline - Stewardson
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Frank Brandt Grain
Glen Brandt started buying grain in 1965 over the scale with four bins. Three more bins and an elevator leg were added.
All of the grain, bought from local farmers, is trucked out to St. Louis, De- catur, or Wayne City. The firm has one semi-trailer, and the rest of the grain is hauled by commercial truck- crs. Over a million bushels of grain are handled annually.
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