interest (7%) on    stock    investment............$112
total expenses..............................$1112
sale of cheese from    40    cows.................$3000
net profit..................................$1888

The Northern Iowa Times of McGregor published, a story about Ossian in Sept. of 1867. The article follows: "This town, located in the southern part of Winneshiek County, is in one of the finest agricultural sections of Iowa. It has been known as a stopping place for teamsters for many years. The proprietor, C. E. Brooks, reports that he had never expected it to amount to much as a business point, and indeed, prospects were poor until the McGregor & Western RR completed its tracks about two and one half years ago. It then took off, and has been growing ever since. Last year, 28 new buildings were constructed; town lots are in strong demand. Prospects are excellent for business this fall. This is the point where Lecorah receives most of her goods and ships much of her produce. The freight charges at this station were over $200,000 the past year.

The following are Ossian business agents: dry goods & groceries—Rowley and Bros., A. Patterson & Bro., E. J. White & Co., H. A. Baker & Bro., B. Webster & Bon; hardware—Rowley & Bros.; stoves and tinware—C. Eilers; drug store—W. W. Stow; billiard parlor—C. B. Cornell; bakery—F. Figge; milliner & dressmaker—Mrs.E . Webster; boots & shoes—Charles Bowen; harnessmaker—C. Langbien; Hilton House —L. F. Hilton; Weeland House—John Weeland; physcian—M. J. Conley; blacksmith & vagonmaker--John Banning; Justice of the Peace—E. Pennington; produce dealers--P. H. Mills, J. C. Shadbolt, P. Lynch, A. L. Patterson, J. M. Faust, W. W. Stow and C. McNeil. These firms shipped 275,000 bushels of wheat and 1500 head of livestock in 1866. Lumberyards—Seeley & Shaw, P. Lynch, W. & J. Fleming and Stauer _ Dauberger. These four yards stock over 1200 M. feet of lumber. Lynch, Mills and Shadbolt have built new warehouses to handle the 1867 crop of grain; storage for 75,000 bushels of wheat will be available."

By the next month, my father's uncles, Levi and Edgar Freeman, both recently discharged Civil War veterans, had started businesses in Ossian. Levi began a general merchandise operation on West Street, at the present site of Bernard Rose's property. Edgar entered the grocery business with an establishment on Railroad St. behind the Opera House. The Baker Bros. store was then on the north side of Mechanic Street. An article in the Centennial issue of the Bee tells that their profit :for their first year of operation was under $25. The Bakers, evidently, were later:quite successful; they are credited with building the brick structure on the corner of Main and Lydia, now the home of Mrs. Sarah Bohr. This store, constructed in 1873, must have been the largest general merchandise establishment of this period.

Levi Freeman's enterprise was described in Wail Allen's historical account: "He, like Erick Anderson, apparently extended too much credit; and his store,like the one run by Abe Lincoln in his youth, 'winked out' because of too liberal credit.

This Rose property, on the northeast corner of West St., has an interesting history. It was first purchased by H. B. White in 1866. Mr. White was probably the secand merchant to locate in Ossian. He sold to Aaron Patterson the next year, and Mr. Patterson, another prominent pioneer, operated a business for a short time at this location before selling to Levi Freeman. The Freemans did business at this location until 1871 when John Kreuger bought the property.

The Kreuger Bros, built a pop factory on the site; perhaps the earliest soft drink bottling plant in Northeastern Iowa. Up till the time stone bottles were unearthed while digging the sewer lines, this enterprise was a forgotten page of Ossian's past. Several more ceramic bottles, some with "Ossian" embossed on their surface, have been found. They have become a valuable antique collector's item—selling for up to $80. We have a glass bottle marked "Kreuger Bros., Ossian." So glass must have been used near the end of this operation in 1881.