Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-26

National bank.
some Pioneer Merchants.
shall not attempt to give the names
of all Of the business men then here. as
have no data except my memory, and
this letter would be too lOng-but
amongthem were the following. Repre-
senting the drug trade: c. Speidel and
John Bengston. C. a. Benser, who is
succeeded by T. H Thomas and DR..
c. Glenn. long since passed beyond.
The stationery business was in care
of n. c. Blackburn, W. s. Gates and De
Voc x Champion. Banding Brothers
were the crocbery men. SWider <
Spencer sold stoves, Harper * Co,
succeeded by McAllfster & Stewart,
and H A. Smyth, furnished the hard
ware. John Aster and l.. Range ran
the bakeries. c. p. Hengstler, cigars
and tobacco; Lazari & Son sold the
fruits and Copp Bros, George and
James, kept the livery. But as | have
been associated more with the grocery
all these years than any other, perhaps
have kept in closer touch with it
than with the rest and remember
among others the following well known
names of men engaged in that branch:
c. X Bard. Welch & Gregg, Blanchard
& Bailey. F. A Babcock, J. C. Gansert.
J. Mosenfelder, William Shearer, Jacob
Wollenhaupt. Justus Zeis. Charles
Hausgen, Schneider & Lothmeyer. W.
b. Sargent. No doubt there were 9th
ers but | do not recall them.
4 Great Advertiser.
Perhaps the one most widely known
at that time was G. K. Bard, as he
was a great advertiser. His store was
in a frame building, which stood where
the Peoples National bank now stands
then at the corner of Illinois and
Washington streets, now Second av-
enue and Eighteenth street. He did
business under the name of The
Painted Barrels" and his sign, which
stood on the outside of the sidewalk
was a pyramid of barrels commencing
with a cask and running up 10 a five
gallon keg and all painted in bright
cOlors. 1t was u unique sign. but I'M
der our present ordinance would not
ward moved to the stand now occu-
pied by Passig Bros.
Henry Dart & Sons were then occu-
plying the store now used by the Rock
| Island Hardware company, and lately
! by J. w Stewart They had just
changed their business TO exclusive.
wholesale and sold their retail depart
ment to W. c. WEIGH and Joseph X.
Gregg. who under the name of Welch &
Gregg occupied the storeroom under
Darts hall, now used by Helpenstell.
the furniture man The next room
east. occupied by SOmmers & LaVelle
is in the site of a building which con
tanned the livery stable of Copp
Bros. their stable occupying the lot
now covered by II. Darts Sons whole
| sale grocery Welch & Gregg. follow
| ing the lead of Mr.. Bard. named their
store The Big HOgshead," and their
sign was the largest hogshead they
could find placed on post in front
and duly painted. J. q. Gansort was
located at the present corner of Fifth
avenue and Twenty-first street:
| Schneider & Lothringer was located
on block east at what is now the cor
ner of Fifth avenue and Twenty
] bllN Stittis dlLtI " al q NOV III one DIOCIN
north to the corner Of what is now
| Fourth avenue and Twenty second
street They were succeeded by
| George Schneider. Sr.. then by George
Schneider. Jr.. then by Charles Os-
wald viii nm Shearer was located
on the present corner of Third avenue
and Twelfth street. where \. F. Hartz
now is; Jacob Wolienhaupt was at the
present corner of Third avenue and
| Tenth street in the building now occu-
pied by O. J. Sala W B. Sargent was
| located in the west room under the
| Rodman house. where j. =. Sexton has
| his cigar store. and when the hotel
burned. he moved into a temporary
| building across the street where the
| Spencer * TrefZ express barn stan Is.
Julius Mosenfeider was near his pres
ent place Of business on Seventeenth
street, and is the only one of the list
/ still in business
1 Draw Lessons From Past.
/ But have made this communication
/ too long already. and will close. hoping
| that the looking back may make us all
realize our present advantages and
Icall to our remembrance the noble
| pioneers in the business OF our city.