J. M. Hyde ~ Davis City, Iowa
The Davis City Advance, Davis City, Iowa
Thursday, January 7, l897
'DAVIS CITY and DECATUR COUNTY'
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'G.W. KELLER'
Is one of the leading and most prosperous business men of Davis City. Mr. Keller is proprietor of the corner brick store which is 24x80 feet, two story, and a fine building in every particular and a credit to any city. Mr. Keller owns his store room which is a great item to a business man, having no rent to pay he can better afford to sell goods cheaper. We find
'DRY GOODS and DRESS GOODS'
In great profusion and he carries all the latest shades and designs in woolen fabrics and calico; also a fine stock of clothing and gents furnishing goods. He enjoys a very large trade in this department. All kinds of home furnishing goods can also be found here besides a large stock of notions, boots and shoes and can please the most fastidious. Buys direct from the manufacturer and can sell cheaper than his competitors. In the grocery department you will find a full line of family groceries. This store is also agent for the Iowa Steam Laundry. A picture of this store building can be seen elsewhere in this paper. The I.O.O.F. hall is above. Mr. Keller owns a good residence and a 160 acre farm of timber bottom land three and one-half miles out.
A.J. Sparks is a very exemplary young man who was practically raised in this town and is head clerk in this store and is manager of its business during Mr. Keller's absence. Mr. Sparks is a young man with many years' experience and is popular with all. Mr. Keller has recently purchased this property from Mr. J.M. Hyde and with his son-in-law, Mr. C.W. Jones, who will assist him in the store, is moving here from his former home in Colony, Kansas.
'WELLS and BEDIER'
Among the numerous industrial enterprises which goes to help make up Davis City and makes her popular and prosperous, is the saw mill owned and operated by the above named gentlemen and which ranks among the worthiest institutions Davis City affords.
C.A. Wells, the senior member of this firm was born and raised in this county and owns a good farm. Mr. Wells formed partnership with Lewis Bedier last June and together they are enjoying a prosperous business. They own three hundred and twenty acres of timber three miles east of this city and their mill has a capacity of 8,000 feet per day of hard lumber and theirs is the leading saw mill in this vicinity. They employ from five to twenty men and supply the Keokuk and Western Railroad with bridge timber and have also furnished the county with its bridge lumber, also Mr. Leeper the most extensive contractor in the county.
Charles Wells, a brother of the senior member, is a fireman and all are old and experienced hands at the business. They also have a good local trade and when in need of lumber of any description, give them a call and you will get exactly what you want at a reasonable price.
'E.S. GRIMES'
What looks worse to a thrifty business man or farmer, who delights in seeing a neat "turn out," than a broken down rusty set of harness. When you see such as this, just stop the man and say to him, "Go to E. Grimes and get a new set of harness. He will sell you one so cheap that you would be surprised and really ashamed to think you had compelled your poor dumb brutes to carry on their backs such a shoddy looking affair, and call it harness."
E.S. Grimes was born in Indiana, and came west in l869. Prior to twenty years ago he was engaged in the farming business, coming here ten years ago, and establishing a harness shop, which is the oldest and largest in the city. Mr. Grimes handles nothing but "Old Fashioned Oak Tanned Leather", and high grade goods in his harness department, and if you are in need of anything in this line, it will certainly pay you to call and inspect his stock of saddles, bridles, whips and blankets at his shop next door to the post office. His son, O.E. Grimes is the chief cutter and head clerk, and is an industrious young man with lots of friends and acquaintances. They are both good workmen, and turn out the best of goods.
We now wish to speak of
'JOSEPH THARP'
The Real Estate and Loan and Insurance man, who is the eldest Real Estate agent in the city, and is the owner of 6,000 acres of land, and about one hundred acres in this county. This agency now has listed, thousands of acres of land in Kansas and Nebraska, prices ranging from $l5.00 to $60.00, and select southern lands from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre. He also has farms to exchange for stocks of merchandise and, vice-versa, and is always prepared to furnish patrons with anything in his line. Correspondence is solicited, and will be promptly attended to. He also carries on a general farm loan business and has plenty of money which he can place upon real estate security, at a very low rate of interest, and the money is always ready as soon as the necessary papers are made out, therefore causing no delay to the borrower. A loan of $l6,000.00 was made to one farmer and these loans are being taken out by well-to-do farmers who want to buy more land while it can be gotten cheap, or to buy cattle to use as corn cribs. Mr. Tharp probably has as large a list of lands for sale as any other real estate agency in southern Iowa and the real estate transfers amounts to several thousands of dollars monthly. He also writes insurance in all the leading and most reliable companies and all losses by companies represented by him are promptly and satisfactorily settled.
Joseph Tharp was born in Marion County, Ohio, and was raised on a farm, and came to this county in l853. He was a farmer and school teacher, received a college education at Iowa City, and has taught twenty-five terms
of school in various counties. He came to Davis City in l878, and in l88l opened up a real estate, loan and insurance office. He is agent for the Interstate Land and Excursion Company of Clinton, Iowa, an institution calculated to assist in finding homes, and is also agent for home loan companies. Mr. Tharp has also informed us that he has several bargains in town property for rent or trade, and also owns a good house in the city and has his office there too. This agency is strictly honorable in all its dealings, never misrepresenting the condition of things or the productiveness of the lands they have for sale, and all letters of inquiry will be promptly and correctly answered.
'IKE EVANS'
The worthy subject of this sketch was born and raised on a farm in this county and owns one hundred and twenty acres and also some good residence property in town. His farm adjoins the city on the north and is well improved.
Mr. Evans is the leading and extensive stock raiser and has been eight years in the business, buying and selling from three to six car loads per week and pays out from $8,000 to $10,000 per month. Mr. Evans is one of the pioneers of the county and a more model stock farm is not to be found in the State. Farmers wanting feeding cattle will always find some bargains with Ike Evans. He is not only an extensive stock buyer and raiser, but also a prominent business man whose hand, word and pocket-book are always ready toward the upbuilding of this substantial city. His liberally and enterprising spirit have made him a universal favorite with every body, and his honesty and upright dealings as a business man are beyond questioning.
'AS A PLACE OF RESIDENCE'
Davis City offers unusual attractions. The social, religious and educational advantages of a town or city are first inquired after by those looking for a home. To these questions the answers are of a gratifying nature. The surrounding country is peopled by an industrious class of citizens, and enjoys the trade of a very widely extended country, and is being greatly benefitted by the increased accumulation of agricultural wealth, the result of increased development of one of the richest and most productive regions of Iowa.
The several people whom we have mentioned in the description of Davis City and country are among our most enterprising class. They are instrumental in making the city what it is. Their word, hand and pocket-book have contributed toward her upbuilding, and their work is daily seen in the many business blocks, church steeples and school buildings, in short, figuratively speaking, they have breathed the breath of life into Davis City and were the means of transforming these once vacant fields into the bustling little city that you now have.
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
September 14, 2003
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Davis City Iowa; 1897 by Geo. T. Williams