Chicken barbecued on the grill was the feature that drew the most people to the annual event held to benefit the Prairie Township Fire Department. About 1,800 chicken halves and 150 quarters were served. Proceeds from the barbecue, the quilt auction and other activities will be used to purchase equipment for the fire department, including an electric blood pressure monitor. Another highlight was the auction that featured two quilts and two wall hangings. Auctioneer was Jake Schlabach.
Location is everything.
Rosanna Painter says that is one of the most important lessons she learned over more than 50 years in business. Painter and her husband operated the market together until Bill died in 1997. The Painters also operated the gas station, now known as Crossroads Fuel, which is located south of the store. The market began as the site of a used car business, but it closed and left more than half the building empty in the early 1980s. The north end of the structure was utilized by a bank and had a drive-up window.