USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Stewardson > Stewardson, the first 100 years : history of the village of Stewardson, Prairie Township and vicinity > Part 9
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tree and inserting a hollow piece of sassafras for a spigot to drain the sap. The maple sap was hauled in barrels on a sled to the sugar camp. The sap was then poured into a kettle over a hot fire. After a certain amount of liquid was boiled away, the sap was poured into a second kettle. The process was com- pleted after a third time and the resi-
People who can remember this barn say that the baler was powered by a steam engine that also furnished power for a track for the bales to move out to the cars on.
due left after the third cooking was maple syrup. The cooking down pro- cess would start in the early morning and continue until about midnight. During this period of time, 30 gallons of sap would be turned into approximate- ly 6 gallons of maple syrup. The syrup was jugged and sold through the local stores.
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C. W.VORIS, ELEVATOR STEWARDSON, ILL.
This elevator stood where the water tower stands now. G. W. Voris, one of the first business men in town, built this elevator.
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CUSTOM THRESHING
Anthony Vonderheide and his oldest son, Albert Vonderheide, started custom threshing in 1920. They did threshing for a 50 mile radius of their farm home, located two miles south of Stewardson.
The first steam engine used was a 16 horse powered Case and a 32 inch Aultman Taylor Separator. The steam engine was run by Albert and in addi- tion to threshing was used for filling silos, grading roads, pulling hedge, and at one time was used to move the old Mound School. The school was moved August 11, 1927 to Clinton Mc Cormick's orchard.
In 1931 Albert purchased a 30-35 Allis Chalmers tractor to be used during the winter, in Stewardson, to grind feed. The business was located for a time be- hind Charlie Mietzner's Store and then later moved to Fred Gruntman's Build- ing. Albert said that he ground whole wheat for whole wheat bread and regu- lar corn for corn bread. This was done
during the depression.
In 1933 Albert purchased a 24-40 Allis Chalmers tractor and Huber 32 Special Separator. He now owned two com- plete rigs and operated them for 20 years on his own.
Altogether Albert Vonderheide was a Custom Threshing Operator for 45 years.
He is still the proud owner of the 25-40 Allis Chalmers tractor and the Huber 32 inch Special Separator.
The Butcher - The Baker - But No Candlestick Maker
MEAT MARKETS
Meat products from the old packing plant and Jake Kull's slaughter house were sold through a number of meat markets throughout Stewardson's his- tory. Some of the meat markets had their own slaughter houses and just butchered enough for their local trade.
One of the earliest meat markets was run by J. W. Carick, one door south of Robinson's drug store. This shop was opened in the latter 1870's and early 1880's. This was the forerunner of the shop later run by Butch Kull and Fred Milchman in later years. Temperley and Company opened the second meat market in the Village of Stewardson during September, 1878. This shop was operated west of J. D. Wilson's Grain Office on North Pine Street. Mr. Free joined William Temperley in 1887 and they moved their business to the old Wolf Building, kitty corner from the present day Latch's Grocery Store. Free and Temperley did their own butchering and claimed to pay the highest market prices for fat cattle and hogs. Of course they claimed to sell meat cheaper than anyone else, too. In addition to selling meat, they also bought lard, eggs, hides, pelts and furs.
Jacob F. Kull bought out Carick's Butcher Shop sometime during the early 1880's and bullt a business that lasted until 1953. Mr. Kull continued
his shop on South Pine and butchered his animals in a small shed just east of the Stewardson Packing Plant.
A young lad of 13 came to Stewardson in 1891 and made his home with Mr. and
Mrs. Kull. Fred Milchman learned the meat trade from Mr. Kull and followed in his footsteps in the same old shop. Fred Milchman also ran a meat wagon during the early 1900's and made regu-
A picture of Fred Milchman's first meat market. He had a marble top counter. Mr. Milchman usually had stuffed animals and birds on shelves along the walls of his market. You can see a hornet's nest in the picture. Mr. Milchman is standing behind the counter. Standing, left to right: Sol Leffler, Frank Hoese, and Ed Baumgarten.
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This is a picture taken of the inside of Mr. Fred Milchman's Store in later years. This was his first meat case and walk-in cooler. To the left are boxes of dried fruit. There was no heat in this shop. The alligator hide was donated by Dode Powell.
lar deliveries every week to Strasburg and Shumway. This was an old spring wagon, with a large ice chest loaded with meat. A bell on the wagon would announce the arrival of the "meat man" as the horses walked down the street, and the housewives would come out to buy. "Ole Whisker on the Moon" usually drove the wagon on deliveries. Later years Paul Milchman inherited this job. Business increased and Mr. Milchman needed more space for his business. He moved the old shop one half of a lot south and built a new build- ing next to the drug store. The new building was used for meat and he put a stock of groceries in the old building. In 1926 Mr. Milchman built a new brick building on the north side of West Main Street. Milchman operated a meat and grocery business in the center of the building and leased out the east side to Mrs. Maggie Beals for a hat shop. He moved back to the old location in 1931 and continued, until selling to his son, Howard, in 1947. They closed the shop in 1949 and moved to Effingham. Fred Milchman did not find retirement to his liking and returned to the meat trade during 1948 in the old Floyd Whitacre Building. He then built a new brick shop on South Pine Street in 1950 and conducted his business in that shop until he sold out to Mrs. Grace Falk in 1953. Mrs. Falk ran a dry goods store in the building for several years until it became known as the Railroad Sal-
vage Store.
Fred Milchman ran the last bonafide butcher shop in Stewardson. He mar- ried Lowena Yak in 1902 and they lived in the house now owned by Ervin Friese. Mr. and Mrs. Milchman had a family of four children. Howard lives in Effingham, Illinois and Ocar lives on a farm outside of Stewardson.
BAKERIES
Charles Moldanke opened his city bakery and restaurant on South Pine Street in 1878. It was the third busi- ness house from the corner in Block 10. Apparently the bakery occupied the rear quarters of the building and the restaurant was located in the front of the building. Mr. and Mrs. Moldanke lived on the second floor. In addition to his bakery products, Mr. Moldanke sold groceries, jewelry, candy, cigars, smoking and chewing tobacco, ice cream, lemonade, cider and served meals at all hours. Bread was cer- tainly cheap in those days in compari- son to present day prices. The cost of wheat was approximately $2.00 per bushel and Mr. Moldanke sold his bread for 5¢ per loaf. Today wheat sells for approximately $5.00 per bushel and the price of bread is about 50¢ a loaf.
Charles Moldanke is well remem- bered by some of our older citizens as an outstanding personality in early
Stewardson. Mr. Moldanke was a huge man with a great dislike for practical jokes. He was between 61/2 feet and 7 feet tall, large in girth and sufficiently endowed with feet to support his bulk. The "Old Timers" liked to think that his feet were a spe- cial asset necessary to his trade. Rumor states that he mixed the bread dough with his feet. In all probability this is a rumor that was started by the village boys. It was great sport, in those days, to tease Mr. Moldanke and to gloat him into chasing them down the street with his infamous cheese knife. The story of his color- ful personality would not be complete without the tale of his trials with the shoemaker's geese.
Mr. Adolph Peter's geese roamed at will over the southern part of the business district. One of the favorable daily resting places was on top of Mr. Moldanke's well at the rear of his building. Need- less to say these geese infurated the baker to no end. One day Mr. Peter's geese disappeared. The mystery of the geese was the subject of conver- cation of the town's people for sev- eral months. The mystery was solved when the people saw young Otto Zerr running down the street at full tilt. He had just played a trick on Mr. Moldanke. The old baker was in hot pursuit, swinging his cheese knife in the air and shouting, "I'll make off mit your head like Peter's geese. Mr. Moldanke had caught the geese on his well, grabbed them one by one, cut off their heads and disposed of the evidence.
Dr. Ingram bought the old bakery shop near the turn of the century. He leased out the bakery and his son, Harry, ran a restaurant in the front of the building for a few years. Wilford Temperly bought the restaurant busi- ness soon after 1900 and continued to run it until World War I. Through the latter part of the teens and the 1920's the old building housed a broom fac- tory. The building and broom fac- tory were destroyed by fire in the late 1920's or early 1930's. The pres- ent day Salvage Store now occupies the site of the old bakery and broom factory.
The City Bakery was followed in later years by three other bakeries. J. F. Finneran operated a bakery around 1914. This business was lo- cated in a small concrete block build- ing between the Hoffman Business Building and the Wabash tracks. Fred Milchman's son-in-law, Frank Mohler, ran the Stewardson Bakery during the
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late 1920's. The Stewardson Bakery was located near the center of Block 10 on South Pine Street. The third bakery was located on the south side of West Main St., just east of the pres- ent day Depot Sample Store. Mr. Levi Blyth ran this bakery during the 1930's. Apparently this was the last bakery to operate in the Village of Stewardson.
TAILORS
August Gritzmaker, the Stewardson tailor, provided suits for Steward- son's early business men and cloth to cover Stewardson's young with homemade clothing. Many a mother went into "Old Gus's" shop to buy a piece of left-over cloth that would make a pair of pants for a son or a dress for a daughter.
Apparently Mr. Gritzmaker arriv- ed in Stewardson in the late 1870's or early 1880's. His shop was located in an upstairs room on South Pine Street, just south of Mr. F. X. Gress's furniture store. Some people can still remember the old tailor, sitting cross- legged on his counter top, sewing away for hours on end. Later on, probably in the late 1890's or early 1900's he built a new brick shop on North Pine Street, next to Falk Pro- duce. Many people who remember Mr. Gritzmaker said he appeared to be an old man in the 1800's. He was a friendly man with "a hump" in his back.
Mr. Gritzmaker and his wife lived on lot ten in the second block on North Spruce Street until his death. The last person to live in this house was Mrs. Hattie Bales. This house was torn down in 1967. The house was built out of rough sawn cottonwood lumber and put together with old square hand made nails.
Although Mr. Gritzmaker was a hard working man, he was also a sociable person who enjoyed a bit of relaxation and fun. Many times, some of the local business men would meet in his shop after work for a bit of conversation and a game of chance across the old counter top. The men had their regular nights and the games always stopped promptly at 10:00 p.m. Although Mr. Gritzmaker had no children and usually worked long hours, he was still known as a man who valued family life. He would stop work promptly at 7:00 p.m., regardless of the amount of work to complete, in
order to enjoy life and his home.
By the time Mr. Gritzmaker closed his shop, demand for a tailor was diminishing in the village. More and more people were buying their clothes "ready-made" or going to be "mea- sured up" for a "mail order suit."
Mr. Gritzmaker was followed by a young tallor, Will Walker. It is thought Mr. Walker started in busi- ness in the early or mid-teens. Mr. Walker combined a tailor shop and a dry cleaning business in the old Hoffman block building on West Main Street. His shop was located about where the beauty shop is now, just west of the post office. Walker continued his business through the 1920's and then moved to Decatur in the early 1930's. Mr. Walker was apparently the last tailor in Stewardson.
SHOEMAKERS
Mr. A. Peters is thought to have been the first shoemaker in Steward- son. Mr. Peters came from Hiddell- berg, Germany to Prairie Township via the way of Chicago. Mr. R. A. Peters, a long time resident and busi- ness man of Stewardson, was the grandson of A. Peters. The old shoe- maker lived in a large house on the Southeast corner of Cedar St. and South 1st Street. Mr. Otto Zerr later bought the property and built the brick house that now stands there. Apparent- ly Mr. Peters shoe shop was located in the rear part of his home. One of the early Barbers, Charlie Reynold, had a shop occupying a part of Mr. Peters shoe shop. It is thought that Mr. A. Peters died in Stewardson and he is at rest in the Village Cemetery. Some of the older generations think that Mr. Peters died soon after Fred Simmering became a shoemaker in Stewardson.
Mr. Fred Simmering, the Stewardson shoe maker opened a shop on the N. W. corner of South Pine and 1st South Street on the southern edge of the pres- ent business district. It is estimated that Mr. Simmering opened his busi- ness in the 1880's and continued in busi- ness until about 1907. The shop was located in part of the building and the family had living quarters in the rear of the building. Mr. Simmering moved his shop to the north part of Stewardson, remodeled it into a dwell- ing, and lived there until his death during the teens. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Matthews now live in the old Simmering home. Mr. Simmering was a friendly
man of medium height and extremely heavy frame who seemed to enjoy a good joke, like so many other men of early Stewardson. Just before Hal- loween, Mr. Simmering was working late in his shop and talking with a cus- tomer when a bunch of boys started Halloweening his shop. Mr. Simmering asked the customer to hammer on the shoe for him. In the meantime Mr. Simmering grabbed the large bucket of water that was used for soaking leather, slipped out the back door, and crawled upon the roof of his shop. The surprised boys agreed that the treat was far worse than the trick and Mr. Simmering was in a very jovial mood the rest of the evening.
William Richards apparently was an- other long time business man in the Village of Stewardson. He had a shoe shop between Keller's store and the Wabash tracks in 1878. It is thought that he ran a grocery store some place in Stewardson during the latter 1880's. We think this is the same Mr. Richards who ran a shoe shop sometime between 1910 and 1918 in a little brick building on the site of Beals Motor Co. Mr. Richards was called "Peg" because of a wooden peg leg. In addition to re- pairing shoes, Mr. Richards also made fiddles.
BLACKSMITHS
Poem To George Zalman
It was the year of 1874- George, the Smithy had opened his door;
At this time he was young and strong
And always went to work in early morn.
The bellows blew and the anvil rang
The Smithy whistled and sometimes sang.
Time goes on and on and on- Horses shod with hand made tongs;
He made new things and fixed the old
And always was jolly, so I am told.
Stewardson was started this same year
The Wabash Railroad finish was near.
63 years have long since passed
And no more use for horseshoer rasp.
The carriage and buggy we
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had to wean, For everything now runs on gasoline.
So in celebrating your birthday this time Think of the things in this little rhyme.
And may you have more birthdays in your life, Also the companionship of your good wife.
Written by Walter V. Beals for Mr. George Zalman's 83rd birthday on Dec. 20, 1937.
George Zalman
Mr. George Zalman was an early resident, businessman, and village official in Stewardson. He was truly the village blacksmith from the mid 1870's into the 1920's. Mr. Zalman's shop was located in a small building just east of the present Stewardson National Bank, on the south side of the street in the first block on east main. He later built a small barber shop for his son between the black- smith shop and the bank. There were several barbers located in this shop over the years, including a Mr. Shoemaker. Orphis Robey continu- ed in business there until the latter 1940's or 1950. He then built a new brick home on the corner of Pine and 1st. South St. on the location of Simmering's old shoe shop.
Wm. McDaniel & Son
A new blacksmith shop in early 1878 belonged to Wm. McDaniel and Son. It appears that his shop was located on the North side of East Main. It could well be that he may have been located where Emanuel Smith later ran a blacksmith shop on the location of Beals Motor Co. Mr. McDaniels repaired buggies, wag- ons, and farm implements,
and specialized in gun repair. Mr. Mc- Daniel served as Village President prior to 1878. Early in 1879 Mr. Mc- Daniels expanded his business and added a Livery and Feed Stable. This may have been the stable started by J. B. Turner.
George (Short) Mechling
George (Short) Mechling came to Stewardson in 1916 and started a blacksmith shop in an old building purchased from Charlie Mietzner. The Bone Bros. had run a blacksmith
This building stood just east of where the Bank is now. George Zal- man had his blacksmith shop in the left part of this building, and there was a barber shop in the right side.
George was one of the first busi- nessmen in Stewardson and built a house at 213 East Main Street. Wayne Huffmaster lives there now. Steve Baumgarten remodeled it several years ago.
Several barbers operated a shop in this building before it was torn down a few years ago. Some of them were Walker's and Robey's.
shop there also. He later constructed a new brick shop on the same lo- cation in 1922. This new building is
now used as the fire station. He then closed his shop in 1932 and worked as a blacksmith for the Oliver Company in Shelbyville, Illinois for 14 years. "Short" then built a shop at his home on North Spruce. Mr. Mechling died in 1959.
Many people no doubt still remem- ber the spring wagon that "Short" built.
Emanuel Smith
Emanuel Smith ran a blacksmith shop in a small old one story shack on the north side of East Main Street where the Beals Motor Co. is now located. In the 1880's Mr. Smith's shop was a favorite place for boys to play. Some of the people recall that Smith was a likeable old gent who took a liking to children. Mr. Smith had two sons, Joe and Fred. Joe left town but Fred remained in Stewardson until his death. Fred Smith worked for years at Johnson's Creamery. Mr. Smith lived the first house west of the old Christian Church. He later built the house where Richard Stremming now lives on the north side of East First North Street. Mr. Smith died soon after re- tiring and moving into his new house. Most of the people who re- member Mr. Smith recall that he was
This is a picture of the inside of George Mechling's Blacksmith Shop. Mr. Mechling built this building on South Cedar (the Firehouse now). It was the most modern blacksmith shop in this part of Illinois. Mr. Mechling was a very good blacksmith and did a big business shoeing horses. Left to right, George Mechling and John Manhart.
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almost too old to work when they were boys.
Omer Church
Omer Church ran a blacksmith shop and electric shop near the pres- ent site of Lake Paul on South Pine Street from the mid 1890's to the 1920's. He moved to Arthur and worked for the Monroe Grader Co. This Company sold out to the "Cat" tractor co. His shop was in a prime location between the Farmers Co-op Creamery and S. S. Bolles wagon shop. The farmers would always
stop at Mr. Church's shop for repair work when they brought their milk to town. Mr. Church did electrical work in later years and was always trying to invent something. One of his inventions was a "key set" ma- chine and through backing by the local citizens Mr. Church got his in- vention patented. However, another company saw his "key set" machine, made a small change in the machine, also receiving a patent thus making Mr. Church's machine outdated.
During the early 1900's Omer Church and Ed Ruff built an auto-
mobile. This early car looked like a buck board wagon with high wheels and fenders. The 2 cylinder engine was mounted under the wagon box and a chain (bike chain)) drive turned the wheels. Mr. S. S. Bolles made the wheels for the car.
Church's blacksmith shop was a fa- vorite loafing place for many of the village men and farmers. Many a good time was had in the old shop. Mr. Church had all of the chairs and benches wired with electric current and many of the older citizens recall getting the surprising shock of their life in Church's old shop.
Banks
There were no banks in early Stew- ardson and some of the banking func- tions were met by individuals. John Tull and others met these needs for capital by loaning money to the busi- ness men for interest.
The first bank was known as "The Stewardson Bank." It was organized December 1, 1892 by David Mautz and A. C. Mautz. A. T. Collison was presi- dent, David Mautz, cashier, and A. C. Mautz later became cashier. It was lo- cated in a frame building on lot 6, block 3, at 108 West Main. It was moved to a two story brick building, built in 1893 by George W. Voris, better known as the Opera Hall. The bank was located in one room of the first story of the southeast corner where the restaurant is now. Mr. Voris used the back third of the room for his grain office at this location. In the year 1909, the bank reorganized and became "The First National Bank of Stewardson" with A. C. Mautz as president and Lett McDon- ald as cashier. The bank was moved to a new two-story brick building on the southeast corner of South Pine and Main in 1912.
In the spring of 1907 Charles W. Wil- son and others organized the "Farmers and Merchants Bank" with Charles W. Wilson as president, John L. Becker, vice-president, and R. A. Peters, cash- ier. The directors were R. E. Cecil, T. N. Robison, Dr. J. N. Phifer, M. D., Henry H. Ulmer, and William Rozene. The bank was located in the east room of a building on lots 1 and 2, block 9, just east of the present Depot Store, and began business June 27, 1907. In 1909, they moved into the room on the northeast corner of the newly erected concrete block building known as the Hoffman Block.
Credits and Debits
In 1915, the First National Bank ab- sorbed the interests of the Farmers and Merchants Bank and continued oper- ating under the name "First National Bank of Stewardson." After the merg- er, a new board of directors and new officers were appointed with A. C. Mautz as president, G. G. Bartscht, vice-president, T. H. Bauer, cashier, and Irvin Rozene, assistant cashier. The board of directors were George W. Voris, F. T. Engel, William Frede, C. F. Rincker, G. G. Bartscht, and A. C. Mautz.
On Monday, April 30, 1928, the First National Bank closed. It was re- organized and charted under the name of Stewardson National Bank and re- opened for business August 4, 1928. Albert Mietzner was president, Henry Fritz, vice-president, Edwin H. Faster, cashier, and Miss Eva Falk, bookkeep-
er. The directors were Albert Mietz- ner, W. H. Weber, William A. Denn, William Krumreich, Charles Mietzner, Jr., Henry Fritz, H. H. York, Jr., J. E. Falk, and Edwin H. Faster.
In March 1933, all banks of the na- tion were closed for audit and appraisal. Many of the closed banks were never permitted to reopen for business and the many that were permitted to reopen were under strict and rigid regulations. The Stewardson National Bank was per- mitted to reopen, free from regulations, and was, and is, the only National Bank in the county.
The bank was again closed for a short interval, Tuesday, August 28, 1934, at twelve noon. During the interim, some minor adjustments were made. Wil- liam Krumreich was elected president, and the bank opened as usual at 9:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 29, 1934.
OPENING DAY SEP. 71912
A picture of opening day of the First National Bank of Stewardson in 1912.
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During the years there have been some changes in the presidents. Wil- liam Krumreich was followed by Wil- liam H. Weber, William A. Denn, and Ray A. Richards, the president at this time. The bank purchased the twenty- five by fifty foot premises adjacent to the bank to the south from John Man- hart in 1959. The south addition was built and, at the same time, the front and north outside walls were modern- ized. Extensive interior remodeling was done, giving us the beautiful modern bank we now have.
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