Commerce
Carrie Eilderts, 2012
 Mullarky's Blackhawk Store (c. 1854), 113 Main St. |  Site of Mullarky's Blackhawk Store (2012), 113 Main St. |  Behrens-Rapp Station (c. 1940s), 14th St. and Waterloo Rd. |
|---|---|---|
 Site of Behrens-Rapp Station (2012), 14th St. and Waterloo Rd. |  Behrens-Rapp Station (2012), 1st and Clay St. |  Black Hawk Hotel (c. 1917), 115 Main St. |
 Blackhawk Hotel (2012), 115 Main St. | ![Burr Hotel (c. 1870), [Black Hawk Hotel] 115 Main St.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8b3b9_5ff15a4ee0d84859894a325ea28f7385.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_119,al_c,q_90,enc_auto/a8b3b9_5ff15a4ee0d84859894a325ea28f7385.jpg) Burr Hotel (c. 1870), [Black Hawk Hotel] 115 Main St. |  Cedar Falls National Bank (c. 1893), 201 Main St. |
 Cedar Falls National Bank (2012), 201 Main St. | ![Blue Room Lounge (2012), [CF National Bank] 201 Main St.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8b3b9_728c4a37e63d48e297b2af8e18d29445.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_187,al_c,q_90,enc_auto/a8b3b9_728c4a37e63d48e297b2af8e18d29445.jpg) Blue Room Lounge (2012), [CF National Bank] 201 Main St. |
Early Cedar Falls commerce was concentrated on Main Street. According to an interview with Florence Clay Knox done in 1963, “Ever since I can remember, Main Street has dominated the town. It seemed impossible for any retail store to exist off Main Street. Cedar Falls ladies didn’t want to go around corners.”[1] Early businesses along Main Street included a wide variety of shops, such as meat markets, banks, groceries and clothing stores. Although the nature of businesses along Main Street has changed, many buildings that at one time were used for hotels, banks, meat markets, grocery stores, clothing stores and other businesses remain standing, adding to the character of this revitalized downtown area.
Of course, businesses did come to exist off Main Street. College Hill became a popular business district, catering to students of the University of Northern Iowa. Other neighborhood stores served people within walking distance of their homes. Cars made close neighborhood stores unnecessary. Many of these stores no longer exist, but a few, such as Bancroft’s Flowers and Lewellan’s Food Market, remain. Many of the buildings also survive. The year 1969 brought the opening of College Square Mall, putting many stores all under one roof along University Avenue. The opening of the mall, as well as the rising popularity of supermarkets, led to a decrease in the variety of businesses along Main Street. The popularity of the mall has since declined, as the far south side of Cedar Falls along Viking Road became the popular area for new “superstores.”
1. Mullarky's Blackhawk Store (1854), 113 Main St.
In 1850, Andrew Mullarky opened the first retail store in Cedar Falls at approximately 113 Main Street. It was called the Black Hawk Store.[2] When it opened, it was the only retail store in Black Hawk County. Necessities and frivolities the settlers could not make themselves were brought to Cedar Falls from Dubuque to be sold in Mullarky’s store. He was also custodian of county records from 1853 to 1855 and kept county records in the 2nd floor of his store, making the store, in effect, the first courthouse in Black Hawk County.[3]
2. Behrens-Rapp Station (1925), 1st and Clay St. & 14th and Waterloo Rd.
Right: Behrens-Rapp Station relocated to 1st and Clay St. (2012).
Center: Behrens-Rapp Station at 14th and Waterloo Rd. (c.1940).
Left: Site of Behrens-Rapp Station at 14th and Waterloo Rd. (2012).
The Behrens-Rapp Station is currently located at the northeast corner of 1st and Clay. The station was originally opened in 1925 at the southwest corner of 14th Street and Waterloo Road by brothers John and William Behrens. That corner is now Veteran’s Memorial Park. William’s son-in-law, Norris T. Smith, took over in 1945, and in 1960, John Rapp purchased the station. The station closed in 1990 as the last full service station in Cedar Falls, where customers had an attendant pump their gas, clean the windshield, and check the oil. In 1993, the station was moved from its original site to its current location in Sturgis Park to preserve the building. Today, the station has been incorporated into the Cedar Falls Historical Society and is used as a visitor’s information center.[4]
3. Black Hawk Hotel (c. 1870), 115 Main St.
Right: Burr Hotel (c. 1870).
Center: Black Hawk Hotel (c. 1917).
Left: Black Hawk Hotel (2012).
The Blackhawk Hotel, located at 115 Main Street, is the oldest continuously-operating hotel in Iowa and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Previous hotels at this location were the Winslow House, The Western, Carter House Hotel, Davis House and the Burr Hotel. The first hotel at this site, The Winslow, was built in 1853, but the current building dates to the late 1870s. In 1914, the building was redesigned in a combination of Second Empire and Mission style architecture the building still exhibits today.[5] Internationally known cellist Yo Yo Ma is one of the more famous guests to stay here.[6]
4. Cedar Falls National Bank (1893), 201 Main St.
Right: Cedar Falls National Bank (c.1893).
Center: Cedar Falls National Bank Building (2012).
Left: Blue Room Lounge, current occupant of the Cedar Falls National Bank Building (2012).
The Cedar Falls National Bank opened at 124 Main in 1888. In 1893, it moved to 201 Main. Local historian Roger Leavitt was its cashier. The building, now housing the Blue Room Lounge, is still standing but has lost most of its original ornamentation.[7]
A vintage Orange Crush sign hangs out front.
5. Israel's Clothing Store (1872), 207 Main St.
Right: Israel's Clothing Store (c.1872).
Center: Floor tiles upon entering the building (2012).
Left: Berk's, current occupant of Israel's Clothing Store Building (2012).
Israel’s Clothing Store opened at 207 Main Street in 1872 and closed in 1972 after 100 years in business. The men’s clothing store was opened by Marx (Max) Israel, a Jewish immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine. In 1900, Max’s son Harry took over the business. In 1958, Harry Israel turned the business over to Lawrence Johnson.[8] The building still standing here was built in 1917 and reads “Israel the Clothier” in tile outside the entrance. The tile also portrays the Star of David, a Jewish symbol. Tailoring was a popular occupation among Jewish immigrants, since garment work was one of few occupations open to Jews in 19th-century Europe.[9] Today the building is home to Berk’s Main Street Pub.
6. Union Block Building (1887), 212-214 Main St.
The Union Block building, located at 212-214 Main Street, at one time housed Nicholas Rodenbach and Sons, a store that sold groceries, crockery, fruits, and flour. Rodenbach’s name is still visible on the front of the building, built in 1887. After Rodenbach’s, Diamond Brothers Grocery opened here in 1920 and closed in 1955. Diamond Brothers was a grocery store chain in northeastern Iowa.[10] Today, the building houses iTech, the Masonic Lodge, and World’s Window.
7. Piggly Wiggly (1949), 220 State St. & 602 Main St.
Right: Piggly Wiggly at 220 State St. site (c.1949).
Center: Parking lot at 220 State St. site (2012).
Left: First National Bank, current occupant of the Main St. Building (2012).
The first supermarket to open in Cedar Falls was a Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Wiggly opened in 1949 at 220 State Street and closed in 1961. Even though it was not a big store by today’s standards, compared to neighborhood grocery stores, it was very large for its time.[11] The Piggly Wiggly chain, which is still in business, is famous for being America’s first “self-serve” grocery store. Unlike other grocery stores at the time, there were no clerks to shop for the customer.[12] The Cedar Falls Piggly Wiggly eventually moved to 602 Main Street. After Piggly Wiggly, Eagle Food Center and later Deel’s SuperValu were located at 602 Main. Today, 220 State Street is a parking lot, and 602 Main Street has been renovated to house the First National Bank.
8. Maid-Rite Shop (1947), 116 E 4th St.
The Maid-Rite Shop has been in business at 116 E 4th Street since 1947.[13] Maid-Rite is a franchise that has been selling its specialty loose-meat sandwiches since 1926. The franchise takes pride in individual owners who are well-known and well-liked in their communities.[14] This is true of the Cedar Falls location, where those who work in the shop know many of their customers by name. The Maid-Rite name has become synonymous with loose meat sandwiches in Cedar Falls and throughout Iowa.[15] The current owners of the Cedar Falls location are Allen and Penne Koeppel.
9. Bruhn's Meat Market (1926), 407 Main St.
Bruhn’s Meat Market, which was located at 407 Main Street, was established in 1864 and run first by the Earl Eiler family and then the Harry Bruhn family. When it closed in 1962, it was the last meat market in Cedar Falls. The use of refrigerators and the rising popularity of supermarkets eliminated the need for a butcher shop that made daily deliveries of meat.[16] This marked the decline of Main Street as a center of family-owned specialty business. This building, built for Bruhn’s in 1926, now is Tony’s La Pizzeria. The building still says “Bruhn” above the entrance.
10. Lewellan's Food Market (1949), 804 Tremont St.
Lewellan’s Food Market is located at 804 Tremont Street, across from Lincoln Elementary School. Originally a neighborhood store, this grocery store has been a staple of the neighborhood since 1949, when it was opened by Orlo and Katherine Lewellan. The store is a convenient place for children to pick up groceries for their families after school. The store also featured a penny candy counter very popular among school kids.[17] In 2005, the store closed for two months and was then reopened by Chris and Carol Lattimer. It is impossible for the store to compete with larger supermarkets, but it remains a valued part of the neighborhood.[18]
11. Bancroft's Flowers (1874), 416 W 12th St.
Right: Bancroft's Flowers (c.1880s).
Center: Bancroft's Flowers (2012).
Left: Bancroft's Flowers Sign (2012).
Bancroft’s Flowers, located at 416 W 12th Street, has been in business since 1874 and is one of the oldest operating businesses in Cedar Falls. It is possibly the oldest florist still operating west of the Mississippi River. The store building dates to 1880, and a new greenhouse was built in 2001. At the time of its centennial in 1974, Bancroft’s was being run by a third generation of the Bancroft family. Philip Batchelder, the current owner, has had more than 30 years of greenhouse experience. [19]
12. Hart's Food Center (1910), 115 W 16th St.
The building at 115 W 16th Street, built in 1910, was home first to Jensen’s grocery store, then to Hart’s Food Center. Hart Madsen and his wife Rigmor, Danish immigrants, purchased the store from Jensen in 1936. The store offered specialty meats and cheeses and also delivered groceries to the elderly, shut-ins, and people without cars, which is a service that many missed when Hart’s went out of business. In 1985, Madsen decided it was time to retire, and with no interested buyers, the building ceased to be a neighborhood grocery store.[20] The era of neighborhood grocery stores had come to an end. The building became Gilgen’s Consignment Furnishings, which is still in business today in the century-old building on a brick street.
13. College Hill Barber Shop (1915), 2216 College St.
The College Hill Barber Shop, located at 2216 College Street, is possibly the oldest continually operating business on the Hill. It was opened by Clyde Lewis in 1915, when the building was built, and managed by Merle Anderson for many years. Colleen Dietz purchased the business from Nate Reed in 1983 and is the current owner.[21]
14. Berg's Drug Store (1926), 2227 College St.
Right: Berg's Drug Store (c.1926).
Center: Copyworks, current occupant ofBerg's Drug Store Building (2012).
Left: Corner column upon entering the building (2012).
An expanded version of Berg’s Drug Store was opened on College Hill at 2227 College Street in 1926. There was another Berg’s downtown on the northwest corner of 4th and Main. Until 1963, Berg’s on the Hill featured a soda fountain popular with college students. Berg’s also featured a postal substation and a place for students to drop off laundry. After Berg’s closed in 1993, the building became home to Campus Copies.[22] Today, the building still serves students as a Copyworks, but the name “Berg’s” is still present on the tiling on the ground outside the door as well as on the corner column.
15. College Square Mall (1969), 6301 University Ave.
College Square Mall, located at 6301 University Avenue, opened in 1969. This shopping center was the first in Iowa to be completely enclosed by an air-conditioned and heated mall. Younkers, one of the anchor stores, was the first business to open. Other early businesses included several restaurants, three large department stores, a twin-screen theater, and nearly 50 other businesses. Some of these early businesses were Woolco, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Coach House Gift Shop, Country Cobbler Shoes, Singer Sewing Center, and Nobil Shoes.[23] The opening of the mall contributed to the decline of businesses on Main Street.
16. Walmart Supercenter (2003), 525 Brandilynn Blvd.
In 2003, a Walmart Supercenter opened at 525 Brandilynn Boulevard, off Viking Road on the southern side of Cedar Falls. There it joined Blain’s Farm and Fleet, several restaurants and strip malls. Target is also located along Viking Road. Walmart left College Square Mall to join this booming commercial center that continues to develop.[24]
[1] Herb Hake, 101 Stories of Cedar Falls as Told to Herb Hake (Cedar Falls Historical Society,1977).
[2] Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives. Photo Collections, Series IV, Box 5.
[3] CedarNet. “First Store in Black Hawk County.” Accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.cedarnet.org/tour/sites/003-firststore.html.
[4] Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives. Series IIA, Box 2C, Folder 1.
[5] “Our History,” Black Hawk Hotel, accessed September 20, 2012, http://www.blackhawk-hotel.com/history.asp.
[6] “Photo Gallery,” Black Hawk Hotel, accessed October 20, 2012, http://www.blackhawk-hotel.com/photo_gallery.asp.
[7] Brian C. Collins, Images of America: Cedar Falls, Iowa (Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 1998), 44.
[8] David Whitsett, “A Business Pioneer,” Cedar Falls Times, July 16, 2012.
[9] Howard Sachar, “Jewish Garment Workers,” My Jewish Learning, accessed November 26, 2012, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Modern_History/1700-1914/America_at_the_Turn_of_the_Century/Eastern_European_Immigration/Factory_Workers.shtml.
[10] Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives. Series IV, Box 5a.
[11] Rita Craver Congdon, “A Tour of Cedar Falls (As We Knew It In the ‘50s),” accessed November 15, 2012, http://classof1960.net/reunions/40th/index.shtml.
[12] “About Us,” Piggly Wiggly, accessed November 16, 2012, http://www.pigglywiggly.com/about-us.
[13] John Ericson, “Maid-Rite Shop Is a Familiar Downtown Stop,” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, March 22, 2007.
[14] “How We Maid History,” Maid-Rite, accessed October 20, 2012, http://maid-rite.com/history.php.
[15] Ericson, “Maid-Rite.”
[16] Barbara Gray, “1962 Saw the Last Downtown Meat Market Close in Cedar Falls,” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, September 18, 2012.
[17] Holly Hudson, “’Kids’ Remember Mrs. Lew,” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, November 4, 2011.
[18] Jon Ericson, “Lewellan’s,” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, December 11, 2005.
[19] “About Us,” Bancroft’s Flowers and Greenhouses, accessed September 20, 2012, http://www.bancroftsflowers.net/aboutus.asp?topnav=TopNav.
[20] Cedar Falls Historical Society Archives. Series IV, Box 7.
[21] David Whitsett, “College Hill Boom Era,” Cedar Falls Times, November 29, 2011.
[22] Deborah Blume. “College Hill Drugstore Closing After 70 Years.” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. April 11, 1993.
[23] “College Square Races Toward Oct. 1 Deadline,” The Record: Cedar Falls Progress, July 26, 1969.
[24] Jon Ericson, “Walmart Supercenter Construction Under Way,” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, March 27, 2003.