Compare where Highland businesses were a century ago to where they are today

C.W. Hirschi purchased Lot 5, in Block 33, just south of the public Square, from Louis Blattner in 1917. Cy Hirschi built a frame building, electric shop on this lot. He operated from this building with his electric shop until his retirement, when he sold to Joe Drda.

Drda Electric started in this building, but after the fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1953, Drda moved his business to the former Jerry Center Drug Store at 900 Broadway. Drda sold the old electric shop to Shell Oil Co., which was able to expand the size of its station. Jerry Center built his new drug store, where the Kuhnen & Siegrist building had been before the fire, at 1020 Laurel Street. Today, it’s the China Restaurant.

Richard Mueller purchased the C. Kinne residence at the southeast corner of Ninth and Pestalozzi in 1917. The two remaining Kinne daughters built a modern, white brick home on the east lot. Later, the C. Kinne residence became Petite Floral of Bill & Mary Balke.

Dr. Joseph Kempff occupied the office rooms above the old First National Bank at 907 Main St., formerly used by Dr. W.W. Everett. Later, Dr. Kempff moved into his building at the northwest corner of Main and Laurel. Today, it’s the office of the Highland Geek computer repair and service.

Also in 1917, Hugo Hagnauer of Highland won a new Chevrolet that was given away by the German Protestant Orphans Home in St. Louis.

Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Maloney moved to Highland, as he was in charge of the new laundry that was erected by carpenter Emil Mueri.

The “Saengerfest” of the Harmonie was held in St. Louis and the following men attended: C.J. Jost, J. Metzler, Mike Matter, A.J. Katt, J. Hebrank, E. Koch, Gus Siegrist, Arthur Koch and Joseph H. Seitz.

Drilling for oil on the Ed Holden farm near Sebastopol was abandoned at the depth of 970 feet, as a strong flow of salt water was encountered. The drill rig was moved to the George Kline farm north of Jamestown to put down a second test hole.

The 15th annual meeting of the Egyptian Hustler Club and magazine, was held at Lindendale Park and was very successful, with an estimated 10,000 people attending. There were parades and music galore at the hilarious three-day picnic. All passed without a single incident, accident or arrest to mar the pleasure of everyone.

A very good wheat harvest was in progress.

Fred Stocker, founder of Stocker Gravel & Construction Co., retired. His son Clarence “Tabby” Stocker would take over being in charge.

At the Lund-Mauldin Shoe Factory, Adolph Brockmeier replaced Ray Discher as office manager. Also that year, the company received a large order of men’s shoes for the soldiers of the Russian government.

Sam Leutwiler’s large barn at the east end of Highland was struck by lightening and burned to the ground.

William Winter resigned his position as salesman at Highland Store Co. and became the railway express agent at the Pennsylvania Railroad depot. The railroad office was in new tile block building behind Seitz Jewelery Store.

Hug Lumber & Construction Co. was awarded the contract for 4,800 linear feet of concrete for a state aid road in the Grantfork timber, Saline Township.

Maggie Trautner purchased the Alfred Wildi residence on East Ninth Street for $4,000.

Sam Michael purchased the old saloon building of the Highland Brewing Co. at the northwest corner of Ninth and Cypress and turned it into his meat market.

Mrs. Tillie Ulrich was employed as a saleslady at the East End Mercantile Co. store., which was located at the southwest corner of Main and Cypress streets. (I have a wooden board from the lid of a box that has the store’s name and address. Mrs. Ulrich and the lid board may have been about the same time frame. This board, with address, is on display in the Highland Home Museum, above the “E” cabinet in the museum office.)

The Harmonie and Damenchor, the ladies choir, enjoyed an outing at Simon Bargetzi’s place, near Silver Creek.

This area where the Harmonie held its picnic in 1917 is today Silver Lake Park and Holiday Manor. I visited this site with Leonard Keeven, when he was starting Holiday Manor and saw these old buildings before they were destroyed. There was a house was on the south side of Memorial Court and the milk house with the big spring was on the north side of Memorial Court. This spring is still producing, but not at the 60,000 gallons a day, as was written at the time.

The area was purchased in 1830 by my great-great-great-grandfather, James Reynolds. After he and his wife both died, the 160 acres was purchased by Simon Bargetzi. The Reynolds had built two log cabins and gave the Suppiger and Koepfli Swiss party their first meal in the Highland area, on Oct. 15, 1831. Then, the Swiss party went to their cabins that they had purchased from the McAlilly families, atop the hill, where the Highland Cemetery is today.

I have a photo in the Highland Home Museum is from the Simon Bargetzi family, thanks to Gary Bargetzi. The photo shows a weather board building in the rear. This is probably a part of James Reynold’s log cabin, which the Bartgetzis used as a kitchen. It is attached to the Eggen brick, 1  1/2 -story front building, also built by James Reynolds, and the attached two-story, eight-room brick portion built by Simon Bargetzi.

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Compare where Highland businesses were a century ago to where they are today."