Fire destroyed the three wooden buildings on the northwest corner of the square (shown on page 40 of the Pictorial History of Monroe) on October 8, 1871. A week later Treat & Co. and Henry Durst announced that they planned to build a new brick block on that sight, hoping to lay the foundation for the block yet that fall if the weather cooperated. E. P. Treat and John M. Fillebrown had purchased the north 44.5 feet of that property from Edward P. and Alice Hassinger on January 1, 1869 for $6,500, less than two years before the fire. Work on the new building must have progressed fairly quickly.
The Sentinel reported on December 13 that bricks were being hauled to that corner. By May 22 the building was “prospering finely,” with the “Blastedest” foundation of any block in town. The editor predicted that it would be “the finest structure on the Square.” Workers had commenced laying brick the following week. Work had again commenced in early July after a “few days delay for white brick.” The cornice was being put up on August 8. “This block is, in many respects, the handsomest and best in Monroe.” The plasterers were busy at work by the end of the month on “Treat & Co. and H. Durst’s new block.”
It was announced at the end of August that F. S. Parlin had leased the new store in the Treat Block that belonged to H. Durst, “one of the largest and best rooms in the State.” Parlin announced on October 2 that he planned to move in by October 14. The following week he said that he would have the second largest “stock of new goods for this season, which for good goods and low prices will be unsurpassed in the State.” Two weeks later he said that he would “be happy to wait upon his customers who will receive all the attention it is possible to bestow upon them.”
The Sentinel shared in the March 19, 1873 issue that “Parlin is always up to time with new goods, which are now arriving daily.” Parlin’s ad said that he carried bargains in dress goods, shawls, scarfs, cloths, white goods, and cotton goods. He also had new styles of both white trimmings, and notions. His ad concluded that this was “making our stock the largest and most complete we ever had at this season of the year and at prices that are inducements to buy for future wants.” He added an awning in front of his store in May 1873. The editor added that “the Square would look much better if all the stores would follow suit.”
Parlin started to sell ready made clothing in 1874, selling a suit for $5.00. He announced in 1878 that he was going out of business and having a sale. Some people believed that was a scam to try to get more business. He did have an auction on January 11, 1879 to close out all of his stock. The business was finally closed up on March 12 with S. C. Cheney and J. A. Barling purchasing his final stock and closing it out.
Treat & Co. was located in their “new and elegant” store in the north part of the building by November 6, 1872. They had also moved their hay scales to this corner by that date.
Business was good for Treat that year as they had bought and shipped more than $2,000 worth of Green County cheese during the fall/winter season, paying an average of 10 cents per pound. One day during the last week of 1872 they had sold 1,213 muskrat skins to one man. They shared in January that they had shipped more than nine and a half tons of turkeys and chickens to New York and Philadelphia. By the first week of January they had also shipped about $500 worth of rabbits to New York so far that winter. Treat shared in September 1873 that they had purchased “100 excellent cheeses from Woods’ Mt. Pleasant factory, which are to be shipped east this week.”
An ad for Treat & Co. on January 7, 1874 said that they carried the best line of sugars, the best selected syrups, the best and cheapest teas, the best rio and java coffees, the best canned and dried fruits, provisions, crockery, “to those having eggs, cheese, butter, lard, tallow, furs, and other merchantable articles to trade with us.”
It was announced in March 1873 that J. M. Fillebrown would move his drug store into the Treat Block about March 15. He then sold his business to H. N. Bradshaw and Jacob Adams, Bradshaw & Adams, in January 1874; they continued to operate in the Treat Block. An advertisement in the June 10 issue of the Sentinel said that they carried a “large and complete stock of drugs, medicines, paints, toilette goods, wall-paper, dyes, stationery, perfumery, cigars, oils, glass, &c. With low prices, and competent salesmen should insure a large trade to the firm.” It was announced two weeks later that they had been granted a license to sell liquors and spirits for medicinal purposes. “They intend to restrict their sales to these purposes entirely.”
Bradshaw & Adams continued to operate in this location until they sold the business to Stearns & Smith, who also continued to operate in the Treat Block. Bradshaw & Adams thanked their “old friends and customers for the liberal patronage bestowed upon them during the past five years and feel they can cheerfully recommend the new firm to their friends and the public generally as worthy of their confidence in all respects.”
The second story in the Treat Block now contains apartments, but it was built with office space on that level. By early November 1872, H. Medberry had rented rooms upstairs above the center store for his law office, “the best office rooms in the building.” District Attorney (and future Mayor of Monroe) A. S. Douglas had moved his law office to Treat’s Block by early December
— Matt Figi is a Monroe resident and a local historian. His column will appear periodically on Saturdays in the Times. He can be reached at mfigi48@tds.net or at 608-325-6503.
