by Betty Jane Wilson, society president
Part I
Busy as cats on a hot tin roof could well be related to the citizens of Valley Falls in the year 1881. Every day resembled moving day for one or several of the dwellers.
G.D. Ingersol, editor and proprietor of the 1881 Valley Falls New Era, kept the pages of his weekly news source filled with a running account of the here's and there's of the "restless cats."
Jan. 11 — "A.G. Patrick has moved into Miss Ring's house. The store room occupied by E.B. Strickland & Co. will soon be for rent."
Jan. 18 — "CONTEST! Drawing April 1, 1881, Brick house valued at $1,000. Elegant residence secured at low figure by Catholic church and all profits will go to benefit church. Buy your ticket now!!"
Jan. 22 — The Grange store has purchased the stock of groceries from Strickland and Parker. Fred Diehl and J. Cramer have purchased J.A. Newlan's Blacksmith Shop. Legler and Lewis will build large, two-story business houses in the spring."
Jan. 27 — "A new billiard hall has opened up in the basement of Hiller's Bank."
Feb. 1 — "Messrs. Bliss & Co. erecting building 25' x 75' on Maple Street for storage of agricultural implements."
"A.G. Patrick — Made arrangements to go out of the grocery business on 1st of March."
Feb. 26 — "The store building occupied by A.G. Patrick, as a grocery store, and by Strickland and Parker for a dry goods store, was purchased by C.C. and T.C. Lord. The brothers will operate an extensive boot and shoe business and a large grocery business."
March 5 — "Patrick (A.G.) will build on Sycamore Street. Gallison is moving his machinery into Weinek's new building and will use steam power in manufacturing."
March 19 — "The building on the corner of Broadway and Maple will be occupied as a millinery and dressmaking shop by Miss Frank Hillyer. Mrs. Strickland and Miss Watkins have purchased Mrs. Bound's millinery stock and will run a millinery business in connection with their fancy goods store. Mel Legler is getting out rock for his new building block. The building will be 40x60 ft. and two stories high. One room for Mel and grocery busness and one for Geo. Lewis for a barber shop and bath room. Gallison & Co. will retire."
March 26 — "D.Y. Gallison has gone out of the furniture business. A.G. Patrick has bought the Kellogg quarter, north of town. The barber shop owned by D.C. Shirk and Henry Webster has moved two doors west of the French Hotel. Patrick is building a fence around his Sycamore Street property."
April 2 — "A.G. Patrick is putting out a nice lot of shade trees on his lots on Sycamore Street, where he will erect a residence soon. A.G. Patrick is agent for the iron turbine wind engine of Mast & Co. of Springfield, Ohio (windmills). Mrs. D.Y. Gallison will have a choice lot of greenhouse and other flowering plants in the next week or 10 days in the old stand of D.Y. Gallison."
"NOTICE: the drawing for the brick house and lot has been postponed until June 1 because all tickets have not been sold."
April 9 — "Patrick (A.G.) has purchased the building Geo. Lewis has been using for a barber shop and will move it to his lots on Sycamore Street.
"Removals fashionable this week? C.C. Lord moved his boot and shoe store to the room recently occupied by R.B. Strickland & Co.; Mel Legler moved his grocery stock into the room vacated by Lord, and Patrick has taken the post office to the same location; Mrs. Strickland moved her millinery and fancy goods store and her residence to the building formerly occupied by D.Y. Gallison & Co.; I.M. McCully vacated his old stand and has gone into the room vacated by Mrs. Strickland. E.J. Farrar moved into the Strickland house and Geo. Kuran into the house vacated by Farrar.
"A host of others changed abodes, including L.D. Woodbury's moving into his new house on Broadway. The New Era joined the 'restless cats' and moved to the rooms on Sycamore Street two doors north of Thomas' Furniture Store, first floor."
April 16 — " Geo. Lewis has moved his tonsorial quarters into the building two doors west of the French Hotel."
May 7 — "Fred Doolittle moved into the N.E. Parker house on the corner of Mary and Elm streets."
May 14 — "C.C. Lord has moved into his new residence on Frazier Avenue (Riddle's house)."
May 21 — "Mel Legler is fixing up his house on North Sycamore and fencing it in. Mr. Geo. Hontz has moved his residence to the Bound's house on Sycamore. Mr. James Bounds and family started last Tuesday for Colorado. Will be away six months. John Brown has leased the billiard hall over Doolittle's Store and now 'John Brown's body is marching on' around those Brunswick's to the merry click of the ivories from early morn 'till late at night."
May 28 — "Maj. Benjamon Simon bought the house on the corner of Mary and Sycamore streets, opposite Miss Ring's residence."
(continued next week)
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