The Marne Business Community

The prosperity of the business district reflects the vitality of any community, and Marne has displayed an active business area since the town was established one hundred years ago. The number and size of Marne's businesses have fluctuated with the size of the town and the prosperity of neighboring population. The recent researches by the Marne Historical Committee have shown that the first merchant in Marne was probably Edwin Wheeler, who opened a grocery store on the townsite on July 1, 1875, before less than two dozen lots had been sold in the town. His store building was only 18 x 24 feet and he had to extend the rear of his store and add a warehouse behind it. Ed Wheeler was one of the minority of the pioneer Marne merchants to remain in business for an extended period of time. His store was on the east side of Washington Street between Main and Second Streets. The Marne House Hotel was constructed on the northwest corner of Main and Washington Streets to accomodate passengers on the Rock Island line. The harness shop in the basement of the hotel was later converted into a restaurant operated by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Lastine for many years. The hotel also included a dining room and an icehouse on the premises. The Marne House was demolished after World War I. North of the Marne House stands the building which housed the first meat market in Marne. It was established by Ed Wheeler in March, 1876, but the business was moved north one block in 1881 by C. Krull. Hans Simonsen bought the building and sold agricultural implements from it for a number of years. A German school was conducted on the second floor in the 1880's. The Marne Central office switchboard was located on the second floor in the 1900's. The first floor later contained William North's barber shop and the Marne Post Office until the 1950's. It is now a residence. The present Marne Town Hall was originally known as Simonsen's Hall. It was used for fraternal meetings and social events in the early years of the town. The property was later owned by E. C. Thompson, who operated a drug store for a number of years. Harry Eusden bought the property in 1889 and operated his general store at this location until after the First World War. J. A. Johnson then operated a hardware store in the building for many years until his death in the late 1930's, when the building was acquired by the Town of Marne for use as Town Hall. On the half-lot north of the present Marne Town Hall stood the building into which Rudolph Lorenzen moved his general store in 1883. The building was destroyed in the 1890's and W. E. Simpson, pioneer private banker, built his "Bank of Marne" on this location in 1898. The bank was sold to a stock corporation which changed the name to that of the Marne Savings Bank in 1905. This bank, organized under the Iowa Banking Laws, operated until 1924, when it passed into receivership. The building later housed a barber shop in the 1930's, and was demolished in 1974. The first general store opened on the northwest corner of Second and Washington Streets in the fall of 1875, but two months later moved to the southwest corner into a new building. This was the firm of Langefeldt and Lorenzen and housed the first Marne Post Office in 1876 for one year. Lorenzen's store remained here until 1883, then moved one door south. The building on the southwest corner became the Perkins general store and later changed hands and was known as Rodgers general store until 1898, when Harry Eusden bought it and used it as a warehouse in conjunction with his main store until after World War I. The building was torn down and the Marne Bandstand was constructed on the site. Band concerts and programs were presented here for many years until the structure was finally removed to the ball park and converted into a concession stand. A new building was constructed on the site housing the Parkway Market, a modern grocery operated by Mrs. Lucile Goeken. On the northwest corner of Second and Washington Streets was the building where Langfeldt and Lorenzen opened their general store in 1875. George Scholotfeldt then operated his business from this building until 1889, when Humerick Bornholdt took over the property. Jurgen Greve then acquired the building in 1898 and operated a wagon-shop and implement dealership for a number of years. The Marne and Elk Horn Telephone Company later constructed the concret-block building which served as the telephone office. This is now the site of a modern office building housing R. L. Goeken & Company, Inc. and the Marne-Brighton Insurance Agency. Proceeding northerly, the Marne Post Office is the next building on the west side of Washington Street. This had been a vacant lot for many years when the Post Office was built in 1957 by R. L. Goeken & Company, Inc. Mrs. Thelma Voss has been the postmaster for nearly twenty years. North of the Post Office stands the modern offices of the United Benefit Society, by far the largest benevolent society in Iowa. Walter Hoegh had originally built an implement shop at this site about 1910. The business was shortly sold to Andrew C. Fredrickson, who remained in business at this location for several years. Tom Sorenson later sold Buick automobiles here for several years prior to World War I. Lester J. Sampson later operated a garage here for many years. Earl Namanny purchased the garage in 1936 and conducted a trucking business here for a number of years in connection with the garage. In 1881, C. Krull located his meat market on the north half of the present site of the United Benefit Society. C. F. Dierks bought the business in 1891 and operated it until 1903, when A. E. Harris bought it. He conducted his stock buying operations here and sold the building to Austin McFadden in 1907. Austin and Fred McFadden ran the meat market until about 1912. The building was later torn down. North of the United Benefit Society stands the home of Bobby Reason, built about the time of World War I by A. C. Fredrickson from materials salvaged from the Marne House Hotel. Next is the home of Mrs. Edna Brindley, and on the corner stands the Olof Remien home, built in 1890 and now the home of Mark and Ruby Winters Andersen. On the southeast corner of Third and Washington Streets stood the George Lasker blacksmith shop, built in 1880. George Lasker had opened his shop south of the railroad in the late 1860's. The Lasker home was east of the shop on Third Street. George Lasker turned out fine work here form many years. This is now a vacant lot. Three lots south was located the Rooker Millinery Store. This was operated by the Meeks' in the 1890's, later reverting to Rooker. This business operated well into the 20th century. There was a small harness shop adjoining this building for some years. The next building south, where Mike and Thelma Voss' home now stands, was the site of the Marne Free Press, published by John Wayne around the turn of the century and later run by Dirk Tollenaar. Later the Marne Record published by S. Towley was also based at this location. A cream station, operated by Scott and Charles Harvey, was located here in the late twenties. On the present site of Ben Cranston's home was the Werzinger Hardware and Furniture store. Fred Werzinger owned and operated the business from around the turn of the century until the 1920's. The various Marne fraternal lodges and town hall meetings were held upstairs for many years. Patrick McCord operated a restaurant in the first floor in the early 1930's; the building was torn down shortly thereafter. Olof Remien operated his general merchandise store on the southeast corner of Second and Washington Streets in the late 1890's. This was a complete grocery, clothing and dry goods store offering a large variety of merchandise. Lester O. Wheatley became associated with Remien in 1912 and subsequently assumed full ownership of the business in 1920. His son Vernon Wheatley took over the store in 1949 and discontinued the general store business in 1958. Earl Namanny moved his agricultural implement and repair shop here in 1965 and remains here at the present time. South of Remien's store for many years stood the drug store and office of Dr. C. H. McClees. He was one of the first doctors in Marne and stayed here until well into the 20th centurn. E. C. Thompson operated the drug store for many years. Ed Wheeler opened his grocery store on July 1, 1875, in the building south of the drug store and was the first merchant in Marne. He remained in business here for many years. His son later operated the store. The building was torn down in the early 1940's. South of Wheeler's Store stood a building which housed a number of early businesses of Marne from time to time until the Nagle Shoe Store opened here in the 1890's. This store remained in business for many years. Dr. Giles had his offices in the rear of the building. The structure was later torn down and a drug store was built by E. P. Smith on the site. The Post Office was located in this building for many years. M. E. Jackson was postmaster. His son practiced dentistry on the second floor. This building has been a restaurant-tavern for a number of years and is now operated by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Burk. South of this building stood a small building which housed George Pardee's barber shop for a number of years. South of this was a pool hall operated by Leonard Smith in the 1910's and 1920's. [MARNE BUSINESS CONTINUES, PAGES 16-17]

PREV <== Continue Reading ==> NEXT

Transcribed from "The First Century, A History of Marne, Iowa 1875 - 1975", published in 1975, Marne, Iowa: The Marne Centennial Historical Committee, pp. 13-15. Transcribed (2015) by Cheryl Siebrass and contributed September, 2019.