Lew Cambell's Confectionery Store, known best as “Sim's Inn” served meals, short orders, ice cream and other confectioneries. Tables and booths behind the lattice work accommodated the public and was always well filled on Saturday evenings before everyone left town for home. After John Foster moved his drug store to Durand, Lew handled drugs and Patent medicines.
Byron really boomed between 1875 and the early 1900. 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?
