THE WAUPACA COUNTY POST

November 4, 1993

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

            Back at the turn of the century, H.P. Peterson purchased the old brick Lutheran church that stood on the corner of Badger and Division streets.  This is the present location of the Dairy Queen.

            In the early days of April 1902, Alvin Cartwright entered into a contract to move the building to the south lot owned by Major Robert N. Roberts, on South Main Street, where Mr. Peterson was to erect a one-story flour and feed store.

            On April 10, 1902, William Peterson entered into a five-year lease agreement with Mr. Roberts for the south 34 feet of Lot 4, in Block L, with the privilege of erecting, or moving this structure, if at any time Mr. Peterson decided to sell the building would be appraised and Mr. Roberts would pay the appraisal price.

            Soon this ad appeared in the Waupaca Record: “New Flour and Feed Store opened on the corner of Badger and South Main streets.  Flour-Fed-Bran middlings.  Call and get prices before buying elsewhere.  H.P. Peterson, phone 523.”

            According to an article found in the Waupaca Post for September 4, 1902, the H.P. Peterson flour and feed store existed about six months, because Ole O. Hole had moved his store into the flour and feed store in September 1902.

            Major R.N. Roberts passed away January 11, 1903, and his holdings were sold to settle the estate.  George Lines of Milwaukee purchased the south 22-1/2 feet of Lot 1, all of Lots 2, 3 and 4 and the north one-third of Lot 5, all in Block L, on July 12, 1904, from the Roberts estate.

            To make this more clear, Lot 1 in Block L is the present location of JRs True Value Hardware Store, and the south two-thirds of Lot 5 was the location of Miles Loberg’s garage.

            By 1906 E.B. Knapp and Company was located in the former flour and feed store that was referred to as the corner store, that was located two doors south of the Post Office.  The Post Office was then located where Culligan’s Water Conditioning Company is located today at 212 South Main Street, and the building next to the south at 214 South Main Street, now occupied by Team Outfitters, was the Gordon Meat Market.  Then there was a large vacant lot before you got to the corner store.  This has since been filled in by the Rosa Theater and Katie’s Restaurant.

            E.B. Knapp was a licensed embalmer and sold furniture in 1906.  He also sold crockery, lamps and housekeeping goods.

            An ad in the Waupaca Post, July 2, 1908, showed that E.B. Knapp had taken the agency for Chase Hackley pianos.  He was the sole agent for Columbia graphophone and cylinder machines and Victor talking machines and records.  His was the only music store in town.

            In 1909 E.B. Knapp had added a line of clothing and started a new five and ten cent store.  Due to the lack of space, E.B. Knapp moved his store to 106 North Main Street.  This is now the location of the Paca Pub.

            On September 12, 1914, George Lines sold William and his wife Lunetta Moon the south 13 feet of Lot 4 and the north 21-1/2 feet of Lot 5.  The Waupaca Record Leader for October 14, 1914:  “I have just opened my place of business for the purchase and sale of all kinds of second-hand goods. W.R. Moon, 222 South Main Street.”

            On October 10, 1916, after only a couple of years, William and Lunetta Moon sold the property to Will and Christine Peterson; this then became known as the Peterson Potato Warehouse.  The building extended to the alley to the west where farmers could unload their potatoes and grain which was elevated by an elevator to the second story.  They operated a grocery store in the front where they may have handled butter and eggs, and vegetables and fruit in season.

            In 1922 the Peterson Potato Warehouse was sold to A.C. Larson, who continued on in the grocery business.  J.L. Greene operated for a time at this location.

            Mr. and Mrs. Wayland N. Simpson came to Waupaca in 1923, and he cooked in various restaurants in Waupaca.  Since coming to Waupaca, he became a prominent figure in the Midwest’s many hunting domains. He and his Irish Setters became well known in both field and water bird hunting. Mr. Simpson and Rusty the second made their last hunt to South Dakota in 1964.

            January 31, 1923 Wayland N. Simpson was married to Viola Feutstel in Oshkosh. They became the parents of three children:  Bernedine, W.N. Jr., and Dale C.

            Ola and Simmy, as they were called, worked in Ernie Woolever’s Restaurant.  Simmy did the cooking and Ola waited on tables.  In the fall of 1930, they were out of work and it was at this time that Mrs. Simpson rented the then vacant half store next to the Red Front Grocery and started a restaurant.

            On August 2, 1933 Wayland N. Simpson purchased the south 13 feet of Lot 4 and the north 21 feet, 10 inches of Lot 5 from J.L. Greene.

            Charles W. Russell, the proprietor of the Quality Hardware Store, had to move his stock of goods from 220 South Main Street to his residence on Royalton Street to make room for a tavern under the proprietorship of W.N. Simpson, who was granted a liquor license by the Common Council September 5, 1933.  The restaurant and the tavern went under a major change and on December 7, 1933 Simpson’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge held their grand opening.

            Again in 1949 Simpson’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge took on a new look with the beautiful front wit these words “Simpson’s Indian Room.”

            Simpson’s Restaurant and Indian Room held their grand opening Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9, 10 and 11, 1949.

            The back portion of the building, that was at one time a part of the Peterson Potato Warehouse, was removed.  Donald Clayton has in his possession some of the bricks taken from the back wall of his grandfather’s (Will Peterson) Potato Warehouse.

            By 1972 Simpson’s was ready to expand again. Dale C. and Virginia Simpson purchased the adjacent building to the south, from Mrs. June Loberg on or about January 13, 1972.  The old Loberg garage was torn down to make way for the enlargement to the south side of the Simpson building.