Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
The FIRM Of AOB[0'
One OF The Pioneer Establishments
Of The Village.
IN FOR BUSINESS Is YEARS.
r. E. Noble Game To RIverdale when II Was
Just a Hole in the woods.

uibtOfy ID W tuin odeh q Achb ~
almost back to the very beginning OF
the town Picture, If you will, a lit
tie half cleared settlement nesting
down In a big pine forest. Near the
edge of the forest, and covering what
is now bare river bottom. was big
mill pond, its surface covered with
floating logs. Close at hand stood
big saw mill, humming with busy in
dustry. Off at the southeast corner
OF the present Riverdale is what
constituted the settlement of River
dale This comprised a general store
and about half dozen houses. The
present main street of Riverdale was
flat piece of stump land. recently
numbered and partly covered with un-
derbrush. This was the Riverdale of
over a quarter of century ago.
1t was to this outpost of the Mich
igan frontier of that day that r. e.
Moblo, the present senior member Of
the firm of X. K. Moblo & Co.. and
his good wife, Isabella Noble, came.
This was the spot they chose for their
here they have remained until today,
the firm of Moblo is one of the sur
viving business firms of that early
day and the only one to remain con-
tinuously in business since that time.
In this time the name Moblo has be-
come a synonym of the word Riverdale
or vice versa so that the mention of
either name suggests the other.
Mr. and Mrs. Moblo came to River
dale from Calhoun county to go into
business-and, after looking over the
settlement, they chose the site of the
present store occupied by Moblo & Co.
Here they erected soon after a wooden
store building 50x75. feet in dimen-
sions and two stories in height. Into
this building they put in a general
line of merchandise and the firm of
Noble came into existence.
Those were strenuous days for Mr.
and Mrs. Noble. The latter worked
even harder than her husband for
besides helping in the store. she had
her many household duties and the
rearing the family. Jack Moblo
the present junior mHpber of the firm
was then a lusty. bowling youngster
of two years.
But Mr.. and Mrs Moblo were per-
severing and slowly they began to
prosper and the business began to
grow The village was growing too
but Moblo & Co. kept pace with the
village and gradually more stock was
added and the variety of the stock
increased until the store became well
known for miles about as the best gen
eral equipped store in this section of
prospered but Noble & Co. kept the
lead at all times.
Few go through life without some
set-backs and Moblo & Co. met theirs
in 1897. when a fire, which started in
an adjoining store owned byD. Elem
ing laid their store and home in a
pile of smoking ashes.
But old bob" Moblo was not the
man to be daunted by an adverse turn
of fortune and soon a new and bet
ter store building was rising on the
ruins of the old one. This building
was also 50x75 feet in dimensions and
covered with steel sheathing inside
and out to eliminate the danger of
fire. Into this store, as soon as it
was completed, came load after load
of stock, groceries, dry goods, shoes,
erything that can be found in any up
hardware, furniture, stoves and ev-
verything that can be found in any
up-to-date store OF today.
About this time, JOCK, the eldest
son. came into the firm, taking charge
of the grocery, dry goods and shoe
department and succeeding his father
in the undertaking business which the
latter had started five years previous.
And so down through the last ten
years the firm has expanded and been
enlarged. Today people go miles to
trade with Moblo & Co. In fact it is
almost a safe to say that in 26 years
every man within the territory that
turns toward Riverdale as trading
center has had occasion to trade at
their store
Everyone knows Bob" Moblo and
everyone knows Jack" Mablo They
are both hustlers. None of us go
through life without meeting with
some little troubles and disagree
ments. And to be frank, both of
them are able to put up a good argu-
ment and many who have tried conclu
sions with them know this to be only
too true. But summed up in a nut
shell, the firm OF Moblo & Co. give
man a square deal, only asking the
same in return. Riverdale is
to be congratulated In having them
for citizens.
Bob" Moblo is a man of resourse
and action when the occasion demands
This was amply illustrated in the
Records news columns two or three
years ago. A saloon at Riverdale was
fast becoming a nasty smirch on the
village. IL came time for the better
citizens of Riverdale to assert them
selves. And in ringing public let
ter published through the Record, he
set forth the facts as they were-call
ing on the Gratiot county officers to
enforce the law there and blazing the
way to the eventual baniabment of