Looking west towards Main and Second Street, c.1925. Points of interest — note the Ford Dealership with the gas pump out on the sidewalk, the hardware store to the left of the bank, and the candy store in what is today Francesca's Restaurant.

History of the Building

It was built in 1905 at half its current length as a hardware store known as Hoxie Hardware. It sat in to the lot some 60 feet back from its current location and was flanked on either side by two banks.

The business was sold to another hardware owner and was renamed Grace Hardware. That owner sold out to Eichler who also continued the hardware business, and in 1941, when he bought it, set out to lengthen the building out to Main Street along with the other structures next to him.

Mr Eichler exhibited some great negotiation skills in that he figured, since the building was sided by two exiting brick walls, he would ask his two neighbors if he might forgo building his own interior walls and just tie into theirs. thus saving him the cost . So, after the agreement was reached, he then completed the addition to the building and doubled the size of the building to 5000 square feet.

The upstairs was the toy department and glass and screen repair. The back upper half of the building became a residential apartment, while the 2500 square feet on the lower level remained the retail hardware store.

In 1962 Dundee Paint started in business across the street on Main Street. It soon grew to a point where more space was needed and it found 115 W Main Street. Mr. Kestner was the first to own it, then it was sold to two additional owners: John Walter and Judy Buening. So, in 1987 the current owners Harvey and Pat Scheffler began the Dundee Paint store and are in operation to this day.