Jerseyville, Illinois History

Jersey County Page     Jerseyville History

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Jerseyville To-day

Remer & DuHadway

The above gentlemen are among our leading business men and have a large and lucrative trade. Mr. REMER, the senior of the firm is a native of New Jersey and came to Jerseyville in 1856. His first experience in the drug business was with White & Van Horne in 1866 with which firm he remained seven years. In 1873 he formed a partnership with Mr. KRUMPANITZKY, occupying the old building of Wallace LEIGH on State Street, which partnership continued until 1879 when Mr. Krumpanitzky retired. In October 1885 the firm of Remer & DuHadway was established, occupying thier present elegant store room in the Wiley building on North State Street. Mr. Charles DuHADWAY the new partner brought to the business a ripe experience, he having served as prescription clerk for Mr. Remer six years, and prior to that time with Mr. George WARE a former druggist in Jerseyville. This firm carries an extensive stock of drugs and drugs sundries and makes a specialty of the prescription business. They also make a specialty of wall paper and carry a large and well assorted stock of this commodity, also a complete assortment of stationery and school books. Next year the firm will build and occupy a commodious store room on the old Remer stand on State Street, the lease on their present quarters expiring in October 1890. They are popular druggists and have a substantial trade steadily built up since they commenced business.

G. R. Smith & Co., Druggists

G. R. Smith & Co., leading dealers in Drugs, Books, Stationery and Wall Paper are doing business in the oldest established Drug and Book House in the county. By continually adding to their stock they have acquired one of the largest stocks carried by any house of its kind in the West, and have spared no pains or expense to provide for their customers the best class of goods attainable in the markets and have succeeded in building up a trade from which they derive much satisfaction. In the drug and medical line they employ special care in making selections of the very best goods, taking only in consideration – quality – deeming it a great necessity that such important articles should only be of the purest form. In their Book & Stationery department by buying in large quantities directly from publishers and manufacturers they are enabled to give their customers the benefit of low prices. In their stock of Wall Paper will be found the most complete assortment of Brown and White Blanks, Micos Bronzes, Velvets and heavy Gold Embossed papers. They make a speciality in ceiling decorations and room adornments. Mr. Gregory R. SMITH, the head of the firm is a native of Greene county, Illinois, and had special training in the drug business for a number of years at Carrollton, Ill., under the supervision of his father and older brothers, prior to coming to Jerseyville. He is an eterprising business man and popular druggist, and has for his assistants Messrs. Will S. PITTMAN and Ralph VANDENBURG, two of our most popular and competent young men. Mr. Smith has been honored with a number of positions of responsibility during his residence in Jerseyville. He was elected city Treasurer on the democratic ticket in 1887-88, and is now president of the Jersey county Gun Club, treasurer of the Citizens Association and secretary and treasurer of the city Fire Department.

Scheffer & Son, Boots and Shoes

Mr. Henry SCHEFFER the senior of this firm was born in Prussia in 1827, and came to Jerseyville in 1858. He was apprenticed, in his native country, at 14 years of age to learn the shoemaker’s trade and pursued this business until he attained his majority, when, according to the custom of the country, he entered the Prussian Army, and served the allotted time, three years. He then followed his trade until he immigrated to America. Upon arriving in Jerseyville, he went to work for Wm MAHLER and after nine months service with him, he opened a shop of his own in 1859 in the old Herdman building on north State street. He prospered in business and put up a building on the opposite side of the street, and took possession of the same in 1866 and that year formed a partnership with his son Frederic, and enlarged the business adding to his custom work general merchandising in boots and shoes. Here a fine business was established, Mr. Fred SCHEFFER giving his close personal attention to the salesroom, while his father looked after the custom work. In 1887 more room and better facilities for carrying on the business were imperative, and the business stand was moved to Wyckoff’s building on State street where it now is. Messers. Scheffer & Son occupy the whole of their present building, the upper portions being devoted to custom work, manufacturing and repairing, of which they do no small amount as many of our citizens are regular patrons of the custom shop. They carry all the leading brands of boots and shoes and buy directly from the manufacturers. They are among our most enterprising merchants, being liberal advertisers, and liberal in their dealings with their customers, and receive in turn a liberal support. People know when they buy of Scheffer & Son that they are getting just what is represented, and if they buy a high priced boot or shoe they are sure to get their money’s worth. They are here to stay, and handling as they do the best of goods, they are not afraid to meet any competition either from St. Louis or home dealers. Being a practical workman, Mr. Scheffer, Senior, inspects all work, and the firm is ready and willing to remedy any defects found in their good by their customers.

E. Cockrell & Co., Grain Dealers

What is now known as the Cockrell elevator at Jerseyville was built by George C. COCKRELL in 1867. It was originally 25 x 40 feet, but has been greatly enlarged in recent years and is now one of the most complete and capacious steam elevators in this part of the state. In 1870 a partnership in the grain business was formed between Geo. C. Cockrell and Elias COCKRELL, which continued until 1871, when Mr. George Cockrell disposed of his interest to his partner and left him sole proprietor. In 1884 Elias Cockrell sold the property to J. M. VALENTINE, who continued the business until 1888, when Mr. Cockrell re-purchased the property and took for a partner Mr. W. H. COULTHARD, an experienced grain merchant, and present manager of the business at Jerseyville. Mr. E. Cockrell is a native of Jersey county, born in 1838, and upon attaining his majority in 1859 he went to Denver and other points west, and after nearly three years absence, he being a portion of the time in Old Mexico, he returned to Jersey county, but only for a short time as again in 1862 we find him on his way to Montana, where he remained until 1869, when he came back to Jerseyville and embarked in the grain business, as noted above. Mr. Coulthard is a native of Ohio, born in 1842. He came to Illinois, locating in Greene county in 1869 where he resided until 1874, when he came to Jerseyville and took charge of an elevator in which business he has since continued in this city, with the exception of one year spent at East St. Louis, in the same business. E. Cockrell & Co. have an elevator at Kane with Jesse COCKRELL as manager, one at McClusky with George C. COCKRELL as manager, and do a warehouse business at Nevlin’s landing with John YOUNG as buyer. They are the most extensive buyers and shippers of grain in this section of the state and always pay the highest market prices for their grain. Jerseyville is noted as a grain center and grain shipping point, and E. Cockrell & Co. have contributed greatly to this reputation and have thus been active promoters of the welfare of the city.

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