|
Merchants
Between 1875 and the early 1900’s Byron really boomed. The brick
stores on the West Side of Main St. from Maple Avenue south were built
in 1887. Ida Campbell’s father, Charles Fritz, had the brick building
south of the present bank built in 1898 using brick from the Brick Kiln
south of Byron back in the lane on what is now the J.W. Pratt farm,
owned and operated by Fred Meier, an uncle to Gene. The brick cost $7.00
per thousand.
Jabez Close was a successful merchant, wool and grain buyer, followed by
his son W.F. and he in turn by his son Fred. J.B. Whitney operated a
foundry with Byron Rossiter his able assistant. A Mr. Southerland was an
Attorney at Law and also kept a toy and notion shop. Mrs. Southerland
made hoop skirts and bustles to order. Dad Elliott was a shoemaker;
Charles Lemon a dry goods merchant; H.L. Cook was a hardware dealer; E.B.
Welch and Norma Leland were partners in the drug business. Also selling
drugs were Frank Van Lyle and Orville Fuller. Charles Bennett ran a
monument works; a cooper shop made barrels; a hop store took in hops
from the hop-yards of Eddy’s and Fisher’s. They were used for medicinal
purposes and making yeast. There was a sorghum mill in the area of where
Herbert Bennett lived and Ellsworth Burlingame ran a cider mill south of
Byron. Later this was torn down and moved north of the Race Bridge on
the East Side of the road.
Owen Knapp was a pioneer cabinetmaker and undertaker (mortician). He
made his coffins of black walnut, first going to the home of the
deceased and taking measurements. Frank Savage succeeded Mr. Knapp in
the undertaking business and ran a furniture store. He was followed by
his son-in-law Herbert Whitehead (Harry’s father). How many can remember
the horse-drawn hearse – the big black box – like vehicle that conveyed
the dead to their last resting place, with the seat in front for the
driver of the team? |
