Memories of 1928 Downtown Grove City - Part 2

(The following was written by Paul Grossman and is reprinted from “Reflections II”, a collection of local stories available at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. Any opinions made in the article are from the author.)Jap Stump was a real estate developer and his daughter, Margaret, married a man named Russell, who is connected with the movies in Hollywood. His son, Jasper Russell, starred in some cowboy movies under the name of Rex Lease. To my knowledge, this is Grove City's only movie star. At the north end of town was the Franklin Kennel Club that opened in 1926-1928 and then again in 1933-1934. This was built on land acquired from C.F. Neiswander and was part of a large apple orchard.At this time, a small canning factory was operating on Columbus Street to can apples and tomatoes. Connected with the cannery factory was John Corzelius, the father-in-law of John Leach. Also, behind the Lutheran Church, there was a tile factory operated by Ira and Ollie Maxton.  The digging of clay created several ponds that children used for swimming and ice-skating.Now, we start side of Broadway across from Kingston Avenue again going north. The big white house (still standing) home of Helen Kropp Karns. The house of Dr. Frank C. Wright, the Melvin Martino home, the W. C. Grossman home and work shop. The Swartz family and the L.C. Reibel home. The Ed Emmelhainz garage and, in the rear, the A.C. Grooms Trucking Garage. On the corner of Broadway and Grove City Road the Grover Davis Shoe Shop, that he opened after World War I. Later, O.G. Ranke opened a Texaco Service Station. Going west on Grove City Road across the railroad tracks stood the H. G. Grossman coal yard and coming east on the North side was the Fred Hensel blacksmith shop.On the northwest corner of Broadway the Meadows Brothers, Charlie and Jess had a grocery store, later H. L. Whitteman's Meat Market. H. L. was the father of Hulda Rader. Then came the Guemie Vaughn Barber Shop, Hoover Drug Store (Dr. Hoover was one of Grove City's earliest doctor's). Next was a brown brick house the home of Buchholtz and, later, Oscar Miller. Going west on Park Street, the Johnson and Grant Lumberyard. They street car was parked here overnight so we had car tracks on Park Street. Across the street, a W. C. Grossman building that housed the Van Isle Pipe Organ Factory, where Kenny Wade was employed.On the northwest corner of Park and Broadway an Old Ladies Home, later torn down, a Sohio Service Station operated by Oscar Miller. The Grove City Savings Bank was next, then the Otto Galle grocery, Don Hanna’s Drug Store and L. J. Mulzer Ford Agency.He had been an aviator in World War I and he brought the first airplane to Grove City. He flew out of a large field south of the Grant home place at the end of East Park Street (later the home of Ruth Jividen).(The continuation of this story in the next blog entry.)