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Stores in New Knoxville of the Past

Reflection No. 10 -- New Knoxville

By Arnold W. Meckstroth

New Knoxville has had its various stores in the Past Years that have served the community in a wonderful and helpful way.

The Vennaman store was before my time but it opened the way for other stores to be established. As far as I know it was the first store in the community.

The William Duhme grocery store was on North Main street adjacent to the Herman Kuhlman store and next to the town's creek. The building is no longer standing. Being reared on the farm nearly two miles west on what is now State Route 219 it was always a special time to go to this store first with my parents and later alone. It had the various groceries and items that the town and farm folk needed. For some years the New Knoxville Post Office was also located in this store building.  This store had two clerks besides Mr. Duhme as I recall; they were Emil Schneider and the "Duhme" daughter. I think that sometime later the latter two were married. Am I right ? From this store you cold walk directly into the Herman Kuhlman store which was south of the Duhme store. The Duhme store is no longer standing today. Somewhere along the line the store went out of business.

The Herman Kuhlmann store was for clothing which served men and women and the family. I can recall that two or three of the Kuhlman daughters were clerks in the store and the son, Henry, worked in the store too. I can faintly remember that some "banking activity" was started in the store and later a special bank building was built immediately west of the Kuhlman store. This was the beginning of the "Peoples Savings Bank" that later moved to its present location and served the community for many years and is still serving the community today under the name of "Fifth Third Bank."  This former Kuhlman store building is now the D-K Gun Shop.

Going across the creek on North Main Street north of the Duhme store was the New Knoxville grain elevator operated by the Detjen Grain Elevator that had its base in nearby Moulton. I remember it especially for the year that Oliver Horath was its manger.  It catered to the needs of the nearby farmers in grain , implements, etc.  When farmers had need for implement repair a service man from this elevator would come out as the trouble-shooter.

The early Venneman store was acquired by Ben C. Cook and later a new brick building was built across North Main street which served as this store till in the 1930s. Later this building became the place for Adolph Henschen's restaurant which served here for many years. As many of you know this building is still there with the first floor empty and the second floor used for apartments etc. Adolph Henschen came to this building from the old Star restaurant which he had owned and operated for some years which was located a little south of the Cook store on East Bremen Street.

Across from the present Post Office you find the Eversman Meat Market operated by Henry Eversman and his family. It may have changed hands several times. It served the entire community in its meat-market items and some grocery items too. This building is still standing there today unused. We have a memory related to this place since the time when our son, Ned, was still a child he fell down the outside cellar stair steps related to this building and had only limited injuries. This happened around 1935 or near that time.

On East Bremen street soon after passing the Town Hall there was the H. K. and K. Roofing Company (for Hinze, Katterhenrich, and Kattman, I think) that served the community in its many housing and repair needs. I remember working for this company for a short while in 1926 or 1927 and in that time I helped roof the new school building in nearby Buckland.  This business led to what is now the New Knoxville Supply Company in the same place.

In the building that is now used by the Post Office had the activity of a shoe repair shop with _________ Huckreide as the owner. Later this shop was owned and operated by Herbert Katterheinrich who had been a World War I veteran.

These are the stores that I remember the best. There may be others that I have overlooked.

Wedding Ring Lost in Swimming Pool, 1931

Reflection No. 9 -- New Knoxville

By Arnold W. Meckstroth

I am sharing with you another personal experience. On October 12, 1930 Martha (Katterheinrich) and I were married.  The wedding service was conducted by LeRoy Sims, the Methodist Pastor in Marysville, Ohio, who had been recently transferred from the Methodist Church in St. Marys, Ohio (now the Wayne Street Methodist Church).  Our marriage service was conducted in the parsonage of the church in Marysville.  An important part of the marriage service was the "Giving of the Rings."  Of course we treasured the rings that we gave to each other.

Almost a year later, in the summer of 1931, I was swimming in the pool in New Knoxville which was located adjacent to the present American Legion Hall (at that time it still may have been a part of the Kramer and Dickman Creamery operation) with some of the local friends.  Martha did not use the pool at that time because she was pregnant with our son Ned who was born that coming October 9,1931.  In the swimming experience and playing with the water ball in the pool I lost my wedding ring which I had worn for nearly a year.  We made all the efforts to find the ring at the bottom of the pool but without success.  My precious wedding ring was gone till some time in 1934 or 1935.

In either the year of 1934 or 1935 plans were carried out to clean the swimming pool by removing the old sand and replacing it with new sand.  My retired uncle, Lewis Maneke, was one of the persons to remove this sand from the pool.  He took his sand to his chicken park on his property on Bremen street several blocks west from what is now the First United Church of Christ.  Uncle Lewis Maneke had his mother, Sophia Elizabeth Maneke (my grandmother), who lived with Lewis and his wife, Ricka, help him in spreading the sand in the chicken park.  Yes it did happen!  In the process of spreading the sand my grandmother caught on two teeth of her rack a ring. Yes, it was my Wedding Ring.

What happened then?  Of course my grandmother and uncle Lewis knew about my lost wedding ring.  They were surprised of course. My grandmother cleaned up the ring and then called my mother since we were living in Springfield, Ohio at that time.  At that time my grandmother was nearly 95 years of age and what an experience for her to find the wedding ring of her grandson in such an unusual way.  My mother called us at Springfield, Ohio and reported the finding of the ring. This ring is on my finger now. When I am writing this Reflection we just are a few days away from celebrating our 72nd Wedding Anniversary

(October 12, 2002). What a treasured experience all of this has been for Martha and me. We both still have our wedding rings since October 12,1930.

Reflection No. 8 -- New Knoxville

By Arnold W. Meckstroth

Today it is difficult to imagine that there was a time in New Knoxville and other places too that there were a large number of places where horses could be hitched to hitching-posts or in hitching-areas and even stabled in a horse-stable while doing business in the village, attending worship, or even visiting a friend.

Prior to 1920 before automobiles and other conveniences became common in visits to the village people came by wagon or with horse and buggy and therefore needed hitching-posts or even a horse-stable.

To accommodate the need the necessary hitching-posts or hitching-racks were established wherever needed.

In this same period of time horse-stables were established at various places in the village. These were needed for school children and youth, for those attending church services, and for those who were in the village for business purposes etc.

I personally remember some of these experiences. When attending High School the first years the horse and buggy were used. In some of my Confirmation-Instruction years I used the horse and buggy too.  Later in my High School years I was given the use of an early Ford car.

These horse and buggy years were also a time for several Blacksmith Shops, (Shusters, Sundermans, Solms) that served the community in "Shoeing Horses" and other related work for the farming community in particular.  Now this is all history. The automobile and other advancements made the Blacksmith unnecessary and in due time the Hitching-Posts and Racks, and the Horse-Stables were removed from the scene.

Where were these hitching posts and racks ??  Wherever people went for shopping, visiting, gatherings, at stores, banks, schools , churches, town-halls. Where were the Horse-Stables??  In the strategic places in the village, near the stores and the churches.  I remember some were near the Kuhlman/Duhme store area near the Reformed (now First United Church of Christ) and Methodist churches.  Note: I was more acquainted on the western side of the village and I am sure there is someone who can add to this and other information. There were individuals who owned these horse stables and had a rental fee for them.

Some personal commentary:  Soon after my High School graduation in 1927 I was driving a car.  A certain night when I was driving home, west on what is now State Route 219, leaving what was then the City Restaurant (Beickmans) and turning west at the Kuhlman/Duhme Store my car ran into the Hitching-Rack located adjacent to the store area. This was my personal encounter with a New Knoxville Hitching-Rack.

Time marches on.  No more Horse-Stables or Hitching-Posts in town.

The Three Churches in New Knoxville

Reflection No. 7 -- New Knoxville

By Arnold W. Meckstroth

When New Knoxville had its beginning in the 1830s it also had its beginnings in its church life.

In the very early days the first church gatherings were in the homes of the first settlers in the community.  This experience brought into existence the First Reformed Church.  The first church building was a "log-church" in the area where the first New Knoxville cemetery is located. Later a frame-church was built on what is now Bremen Street, immediately west of the present First United Church of Christ.  In the early 1890s the first unit (which has the spire) of the present church was built.  Later in the 1910 period the Educational Addition was added on the West Side.  Then in the 1920 years a larger addition was built on the East Side.  This new addition provided space for around 200 persons to be seated.  Some years ago this church was recognized as one of the twelve great churches in the United States by the Christian Century magazine.  The present building is recognized as one of the historical buildings in our State. In the history of the congregation since 1838 over 70 men and women have been called to the Christian Ministry and Service.  At the present time 2 persons are preparing for the Christian Ministry.

The second Congregation established in New Knoxville is the present United Methodist Church and its beginnings are in the early 1840s.  It has its roots in the Methodist Movement in our part of the State of Ohio and then some members of the then First Reformed Church and a few others in the community formed the group for the early Congregation. Its first building was a Log-Church located diagonally from the Reformed Church on a nearby alley.  It established its own cemetery nearby and later built a Frame-Church on this same property, one block south of the First United Church of Christ.  Later in the 1890 period the Methodist Congregation purchased a brick church building that had been established by the Emmanuel Lutheran Church located where the present Methodist Congregation is today one block south of the Town Hall on Main Street.  Later around 1916 the present church building was built where the old church stood.  A few persons from this congregation have been called to the full-time Christian Ministry also.  Today it is a vibrant and active congregation in the community.

The third church established in New Knoxville was the Emmanuel Lutheran Congregation by some of the members from the First Reformed Church in the early 1890 period.  It was this congregation that built its brick-church one block south of the Town Hall on Main Street. This church building was sold later in the 1890s to the Methodist Congregation after Emmanuel Church disbanded as a Congregation.  In the few years of Emmanuel's existence the congregation had its own cemetery which is still serving the community today as the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery.  In the early 1890s First Reformed Church built its new church building and this suggested to many of the Emmanuel-Members to return to First Reformed Church.  The result was that all members did return to First Church except two families. These persons transferred to the Methodist Congregation and became active members there.

It should be noted that in all these years other religious activities took place.  Some in the community affiliated with some other nearby congregations, and also "The Way Movement" under the direction of Victor Wierwille became active near New Knoxville, where it still has its activity and ministry today.

Here are a few commentary notes:  First Reformed Church remained an independent congregation till later in the 1800s when it joined the "Reformed Church in the United States."  Because of church-mergers, in the 1930s its name changed to First Evangelical and Reformed Church, and later in the 1950s its name became First United Church of Christ which name it has today.

The Methodist Congregation has had its name-changes too, from German Methodist to Methodist Episcopal to United Methodist Church which the name is today.  For some time the word "Salem" was also used in the name structure.

Attending The Country Schools

Reflection No. 6 --- New Knoxville

 By    Arnold   W.    Meckstroth

In the New Knoxville area there were many country schools in Washington Township, St. Marys Township in Auglaize County and in nearby northern Shelby County. The school buildings as I knew them were all of the same brick structure and design, a one room school house usually located two miles apart from each other. Today some of these buildings are still in evidence, some have been converted into home-sites and dwellings for people.

Usually each school had the first eight grades and after serving many years these schools became a part of a school consolidation program for the community. This finally led to the consolidated and centralized school in each community or area like we have in New Knoxville and other nearby communities today.

Since my family's home was in St Marys Township I attended the Wierwille -School and the Poppe-School in St. Marys Township. My first two years and two grades were in the Wierwille-School located on what is now the Southland Road. This road is off of the New Knoxville- Bremen Road, one mile and a half west of New Knoxville, turning west and going nearly a quarter of a mile. This was the place of the Wierwille-School. The building is no longer there. This land is now owned and occupied by the Manbeck Nursery. I attended this school with my brother Clarence and when he attended the New Knoxville High School my parents arranged for me to attend the Poppe School which was located on the Plattner Road.

In attending the Wierwille School my brother and I traveled mostly across the neighbor's fields to get to this school, our father having built steps over some of the farmers' fences. Frances Cook (later Mrs. Elmer Katterheinrich) was my teacher there. I also recall that in these two years I had a few classes in Beginner's German. I attended here the school years , 1914-1915 and 1915-1916.

With the 1916-1917 year I attended the Poppe-School located a little more than a mile from our home , which I walked each day. I attended here for my third through eighth grades. In the 1916-1917 year, my first year at the Poppe School I failed the third grade. As I recall my teacher for the first few years was Catherine Buss from St. Marys and after that my teacher was Sophia Reed, a married woman and a mother, through the eighth grade. Her maiden name was Snethkamp and a distant relative of our family. In the spring of 1923 I finished my grade school work and in the fall of 1923 I started my four years at the New Knoxville High School where I graduated in the spring of 1927. Our high school class at graduation had 17 members.

I remember in my years at the Poppe-School we had box socials at the school for the community. I learned how to diagram a sentence which helped me many years later when I went to college; and I still have the ends of two of my fingers "stubbed" by running into the wall of the school building in "hide and seek" games. These fingers have never been straight since that time. Here at Poppe School I learned to play ball and other games too. I have many fond memories of attending these two country schools.

William Fledderjohann - Lumber Business

Reflection No. 5 --- New Knoxville

  By    Arnold   W.    Meckstroth

The Fledderjohanns came on the New Knoxville scene in 1835 with the coming of Herman Heinrich Fledderjohann and his wife Anna (nee Holtkamp) and family from Ladbergen, Germany. One of the second generation Fledderjohanns was this William Fledderjohann. He was reared on the farm area west of New Knoxville.

As time went on he acquired additional land area west of New Knoxville along what is now State Route 219, including a large acreage of woods on this same road nearly a mile west of New Knoxville which became known as the "53 Acres " of woods and is still known like that today but is owned by John Hoge or the Hoge Lumber Company.

William's activity and interest led him to have his own lumber company located on what is now State Route 219 east of New Knoxville several blocks east of the present American Legion Hall on the north side of the road. He employed a number of the local men to work in the mill area or in getting local tree-lumber to the mill. This activity also led to providing lumber needed to build new houses in New Knoxville. My father, Benjamin L. Meckstroth, was one of his employees prior to the year 1906. His employment with William Fledderjohann was for over a ten year period.

My father told me that at a certain time Herman H. Hoge also worked for William Fledderjohann and then decided to start and developed his own lumber business (which is now the Hoge Lumber Company) and Herman Hoge invited my father to join him in his enterprise. Instead of doing that my father and mother and their four children at that time (my birth was not till May 25, 1909) rented an 80 Acre farm from William Fledderjohann two miles west of New Knoxville and moved there and lived there till in 1944 after my mother had died. After renting this farm for some years my parents purchased this farm from one of the Fledderjohann's daughters after she had inherited it. Following my mother's death my father sold the farm to a Mr. Herman Henschen and much of this farm area is still in the Henschen name today. The area where the house and barn are located belongs to Douglas Heidt who was reared in this same neighborhood.

William was a highly respected citizen of the community. I remember his son, the Rev. Ernest Fledderjohann, and also two daughters, Mrs. Ed Rodeheffer, and Mrs. William Settlage. I am sure there other members of this family too.

When our forefathers came from Ladbergen, Germany to the New Knoxville area they brought with them some necessary items including two German languages, the High German and the Low (Platt) German. We can take for granted that only a few necessary words in English were known or used by them, if any.

The High German was learned in school, and used in the church. It also was the written German. The Bible used was in High German. In the early New Knoxville churches the High German was used in the teaching, preaching, and singing.

For myself I remember having some German in my first and second grades when I attended the Wierwille country school on what is now the Southland Road, a little north of the Bremen Road, two miles or so west of New Knoxville. The school building is gone and this land area is now used by the Manbeck Nursery of New Knoxville.  Later in my Confirmation instruction years at the then Reformed Church (now United Church of Christ) I received my instruction and did my work in German. After two years of this my rebellion was enough for my parents that they permitted me to have the last two years of instruction in English. My Confirmation was in 1924.  As a note to this experience let me share this with you: Later I was so grateful for some of this instruction in German. It helped me as a pastor to conduct worship services in German and also other Services like Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings, and Funerals in German when necessary. What a joy to remember this.

In the beginning all church services were conducted in the German language. Gradually the English language became the dominant language in the church life and activity, and finally it became "completely English" as it is today. Today only a few persons can use the High German and probably only around 40-50 persons use the Low (Platt) German to some degree.

It should be noted that in the 1890 Church of the First United Church of Christ and its 1910 addition the High German is still seen in the stained glass windows.

While the High German was used in church and school the people in their home and community activity used mainly the Low (Platt) German. This still happens in only a few homes today and among a few older people.

The Low German was usually not a written language. There are some limited writings in Germany today in this Low German. A dear friend of ours, the late Friederich Hunsche, has offered quite a few interesting writings in the Low German. The Low German differed a great deal from area to area in the old German regions. The "old Ladbergen" Low German is very much like the Dutch language in today' s Holland.

CEMETERIES IN NEW KNOXVILLE AREA

Reflection No. 3 --- New Knoxville

  By    Arnold   W.    Meckstroth

When the early settlers. in the 1830s and a little later, came to New Knoxville area they no doubt came by way of Cincinnati, then traveled north by way of Minster (Stallotown) and Bremen (later New Bremen) and then what was to become Knoxville (later New Knoxville).

We can understand that it was a real primitive experience in this kind of traveling. One of these experiences was to have a place for the burial of those who died. Before New Knoxville had its own burial places burials were made in private property or in nearby cemeteries in New Bremen or other nearby cemeteries that had already been established. My great great grandmother Meckstroth in early 1837 was buried in the New Bremen cemetery for this reason. As soon as possible the first cemetery was established in the area where the first Reformed Church was built. This was in 1838 or near that time. Today this cemetery is still there but no longer in use.

When the Methodist Church had its beginning in the early 1840s this church also established its own cemetery. It is easily seen today just one block south of the First United Church of Christ but it also is not used today. When the Lutheran congregation was established around the 1890s it also established its own cemetery south of the town across the street from where the Hoge Lumber Company is located today. When the Lutheran congregation disbanded later in the 1890s this cemetery continued to be used. Today this cemetery called the Evangelical Protestant Cemetery is managed for the community by the Township Trustees. It should be noted that it is located outside of the present bounds of New Knoxville.

In the 1890 period it was decided to have a new cemetery outside the town limits. This resulted in the Pilger Ruhe (Pilgrim's Rest) cemetery nearly a mile west of New Knoxville on the Bremen Road. The land for this cemetery came from the William Meckstroth farm located immediately west of the cemetery (where Mr. and Mrs. Dwayne Meckstroth live today). The largest number of burials take place here today. Having this cemetery available closed the use of the Reformed and Methodist cemeteries in New Knoxville.