Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-10
THE Petersen BUILDING.

1t Was Formally Opened Saturday-A
Monument to the Enterprise OF Daven
ports wide-Awalte Dry Goods Merchants
Saturday witnessed the opening of the
new Petersen building. corner of Second
and Main. Davenport. 1t was An suspi-
cious affair, and marked a new era in the
dry goods business, at least. of our neigh
Dor across the river. A continuous
stream Of people poured through the
building the entire day and evening. en-
phasizing by their presence that they APP
precisted the enterprise. public spirit and
progressiveness of the Messrs. Petersen.
1t was Just about 20 years ago. the
Democrat says, that j. h. Q. Peterson
established very small general store at
219 West Second street. The place was
2Ox5O feet in size. one story, and was big
for the business st the time. MIR. Peter
sen had just about 81 400 in cash and no
credit. He was unknown in the COM
mercial world. His three sons, Max D.,
William D., and Henry F., all of them
mere lads then, made an aTrangeme lent
and agreement with him to the effect that
when the business should reach certain
Point when there should be a certain sum
in it, they were to be admitted as part
ners 1t was their desire to 60 west, and
they had talked of that matter in their
boyish way, bat they determined to see
their father and mother we'll provided
I~f4 thar nd Vr r.
tied that when they could go and leave
them with comfortable sum-$1O O0O-
they would be taken into the firm or be
at liberty to leave.
Ga this basis, mutually satisfactory,
they went to work. Work it was. There
was no time fo- pleasure or loafng.
Early at it in the morning, late at it a.
night, hardly venturing forth from the
store, father and soEs spent the earlier
years of their business career. They
made their efforts tell. They did busi-
ness on q square basis, and they made
money. II was not squandered but was
turned into the business ard kept at
work. In the spring OF 1875. after some
y
the first inventory was taken. II was 90
satisfactory that the boys determined to
stay where they were, and the firm BE-
came J. II. Petersen s Sons.
In 1884 it began 20 become apparent
that there would come day when en-
largement would be demanded beyond
the capacity of the place where they were
for such enlargement. That year d. r.
Petersen bought, as a personal invests
ment, the ground occupied by the new
building. Two years ago the work of
preparing for the building began. 1t
would have been prepared for long be-
fore if the property had not been held by
lessees whose rights of tenure rap till
Jsn. 1, 1892 The members of the firm
devoted themselves to the acquiring of
knowledge with which to supplement and
round out the teachings of their own Is
years. experience. They visited every
large department store in America that
had q lesson for them, They invests
gated, studied. searched into and looked
through everything in the matter OF ar
rangement, of heating. lighting. ventilat-
ing. furnishing with HTs~THs and fitting
up with conveniences ano appliances.
No detail was overlooked CT omitted.
The result stands rs has been said. the
finest monument to push. energy, hard
work and intelligent methods and the
commercial prosperity OF Davenport that
c. uld possibly have been erected.