The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-10-22
Albert DahIen1, the city's
Oldest Merchant, Passed
Away Tuesday Morning

founded a barber shop and saloon.
1t was in May, 1868, that Albert Dab
lem arrived in this community and
took active steps to engage in business.
he purchased piece of ground on
Third street from Joseph Capser and
erected little 12x14 frame building.
York Cigar Store" and in keeping with
the times a wooden Indian Queen"
that trade mark of the old tobacco
store fraternity. was erected in front
Of his place of business.
Speaking of this Indian Queen. -,
MI. Dahlem said recently that express
of this bit of furniture" from New
York, cost him $50. His first stock of
goods was shipped by express from
New York at a cost of $117.
Recollecting the advent of Mr. Dab
lem in Sank Centre, ex-congressmar
Frank Eddy this week addressed the
foiioWlng letter to Mr. .Dahlem:
Il recall the fact that Monday, June
the sixth will be your fifty-third an
nual anniversary of the inauguration
OF your business in Sank Centre.
Few Fif mot three years Years.. is a long time.
ffty-three years in the same line at
the same stand.
well remember the day you OPP
en- ened d the old New, York Cigar Store on
thrill that comes only once in a life
time, when 1 assisted, or thought /
assisted, In unpacking the Indian
front Of your store
since that long ago time I have
gazed upon some of the most beauti-
ful statuary in both the old and the
new world, but never have l gazed
upon a work Of sculpture that appear
ca TO me half as wonderful and beau
tlful as did that wonderful Indian
Queen of my boyhood days,
.do,, Ihe world has changed tremen-
the changes that have been wrought
Stagger the imagination, but the DAN
lem store has kept pace with the
Times and developed with the develop
vo "Yop p,, have a right to be proud OF
VIII be spared to celebrate many
more anniversaries of the same"
cigar store, the New York Cigar store
was also a news depot, and all of the
national magazines, st. Paul, Mime
ana at N hs 1e stere nasa
shipped by express to St. Cloud, and
Ghence by stage, coach to Sank Centre.
Lney Were often late in arriving here
o put thedr coming kept the settlers vers.
penings of the big world outside
The first bill of goods received by
Mr. Dahlem came here in stage coach
from st. Cloud, the cargo" requiring
TOUR stage coaches to handle.
postng sof goods in those days" said
ME-. Dahiem. "as it was to get them on
the ground -. ~ va
OFTEN delays were long in delivery
from st. Cloud, and Mr.. DahIem cites
one instance where it required 16 DAYS
to receive a bill of goods from the
county seat. Il had given a teamster
a $40 bill with which to pay express
charges on bill of stock at ST. Cloud
ana deliver to me at Sank Centre. The
"trip usually required four or five DAYS,
put In this instance, it was eight days
De1ore L heard from my driver On the
9TH day his boss walked into the store
ana said that the teamster had spent
my twenty dollars on a spree in st.
Cloud, but that he had sobered up and
would deliver the goods-he did, but
was sixteen days in completing the
transaction" -
AS business in the community de-
manded it, Mr.. Dahlem branched out
In trade and gradually took on the
handling of groceries and dry-goods.
In 1884 he erected a fine new brick
building, added groceries and an as
sortment of drygoods In 1895 he
again found it necessary to enlarge
MS store and erected a building at
the corner Of Oak and Third streets
where he continued until 1914 when he
built the fine new department store he
now occupies on the site of his first
store building.
Mr.. Dahlem has had associated with
him in his enterprise, his sons and
daughter, who with him, have helped
to give Sank Centre one of it's finest
business establishments.