Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-07
Big Wholesale Drug Firm
Buys Main Street Prop
erty and Will Build Four
Story Business Block.
FRANK RE WILL ALSO
ERECTNEW BUILDING
Work on the Project Will
Immediately Commence
Will Complete Block with
Four-story Structures.

A real estate deal was consummated
today between ]. w. Edgerly & Co.. E..
A. Manchester and Frank Re, whereby
the wholesale drug concern takes pos.
session OF the Manchester and Re
properties on West Main street, and
will start Immediately to erect a four
story modern building to house the
large stock of wholesale drugs and
sundries that is carried by this firm,
which Is one Of the biggest and old
est in Ottumwa.
The negotiations have been pending
quietly for some time and were just
concluded today. The consideration Is
not stated, but 1t is known to have
been good one, as the property Is the
most desirable for jobbing business to
be found in the city. The purchase OF
the properties OF Mr.. Manchester and
Mr.. Re will give the Edgerly firm q
frontage of sixty-six feet with depth
of 144 feet. The structure to be
erected will be at least four stories,
according to the present plans, and
the construction will be modern IN
every way. The purchasers have not
determined as to the materials to be
used, whether Of brick or stone. but
they will -use the best of mater
ials as the building Is to be erected to
supply the fast growing needs Of this
old firm that has constantly acquired
additional space In Its present quar-
tiers to meet the demands of grow
ing business. The sale of the build
ing now used by the firm to w. +.
Hall & Co. made it impossible to Sc.
cure sufficient room for the firms
needs and plans under way for long
time past. looking toward a new loca-
ton. were prosecuted with greater
vigor, with the result that the Main
street property was acquired.
Re to Build Also.
The. Frank Re confectionery and
fruit stock will be removed and the
building razed to the ground to permit
of the beginning OF construction by
Edgerlys of their new project.s Mr.. Re
owns number of the business lots
opposite from his present quarters,
and one of these will be utilized by
MIN for the erection of q two-story
building for his business, which will,
when complete, be located between the
Friedman store and the little barber
shop on West Main street Thus the
deal insures the erection OF two busi-
ness blocks and the tearing out of
portion of those smaller buildings that
have Jared in the scheme of building
in that block.
Complete the Block.
The new building will also afford the
drug firm the working room that IL has
needed for sometime past and which
was not possible in its present quar-
ters It has another advantage in that
it will have trackage at the rear Of the
building and thus eliminate a great
amount of the drayage and hauling
that is at present a large item IN .he
immense amount of shipping the firm
does. When erected the Edgerly drug
building will complete the block with
four-story buildings between Court and
Washington streets. with the excep-
tion of the two-story structure that fits
into the l. made by the J. H. Merrill
CO.. wholesale grocery. It will fill the
gap between the Hutchison and the
Merrill wholesale groceries.