100 years ago: Cash-and-carry grocery comes to O’Fallon

100 years ago, Jan. 28, 1926

Another Cash and Carry grocery store is to be launched in O’Fallon on February 1.

John F. Rock, the hustling West State street grocer, has leased the Tiedemann building at the corner of State and Vine streets and is having the interior redecorated preparatory to opening the new store. The new business will have no connection with the present grocery store which will be conducted as heretofore, with the exception that Mr. Rock will manage both places.

Miss Willa Behrens, who has been a clerk in Rock’s store for several years, will have charge of the new Cash and Carry store.

Mr. Rock in an announcement on another page of this week’s Progress states that by establishing the new store and eliminating credit and heavy expense of delivery service it will enable him to sell merchandise at considerable savings.

Merchants in a number of nearby cities are operating similar stores and find it a profitable venture, the general opinion being that eventually all small town stores will be compelled to adopt the cash plan of doing business.

The Tiedemann building that the Cash and Carry store was in still stands at 129 E. State Street. It’s now home to Three Sisters Crafts and Gifts.

75 years ago, Jan. 25, 1951

The O’Fallon Hatchery announced it has acquired a small farm two miles east of this city to be used to expand the firm’s broiler production.

T.W. Trammel said the new property will be the slaughter house and that the present 500 weekly output of fryers will be greatly expanded. A cooling locker and dressing plant, all modern, are on the new property.

“We expect to show that raising of broilers for market around here can become a major business,” Trammel stated.

With the expanded facilities, Trammel said he believes there will be an enlarged market for chick production in this area.

All processing will be done at the new place, Trammel said, with sales of chicken being made at both the farm and at the hatchery which will be made more efficient by the change.

The hatchery was in what is now the Salvatore Cincotta Photography building at 226 W. State Street.

50 years ago, Jan. 29, 1976

Plans are officially underway for the construction of a new township building for the township of O’Fallon according to Supervisor John Anheuser.

The township has hired William G. Potter of Belleville to draw up the plans for the new building which Anheuser estimates will cost approximately $180,000. The architect’s fee is six per cent of the total cost of the building.

The land is owned by the township and located on E. State st., just east of the O’Fallon city limits.

The building will be paid for, Anheuser said, completely out of revenue sharing funds.

The new structure will house six offices, an assembly meeting room and a full basement. There will be approximately 5,000 square feet of space in the building. The architect is scheduled to complete the design drawings of the building within 30 to 60 days.

Anheuser said construction of the building would start as soon as bids were received and a contract awarded. Anheuser added that future construction calls for the raising of a township equipment storage building to be located next to the new township office building.

The new building at 801 East State Street was completed in 1977 and is still home to O’Fallon Township government.