#28: Facing Division Street
This lot was originally owned by Mr. Schwartz. Jake Bayles’ harness shop located here and was destroyed by fire. Later Graf’s men’s shop was housed here; clothing alterations and cleaning were upstairs. Afterward it became Knepel Electric; Trimborn Electric, then Rotier Electric. For a time it was also the local police station. The upper floor held the offices of Dr. Camright; followed by Dr. S. G. Meany. Dr. Meany performed some operations right in the office. The East Troy State Bank bought this lot and tore down the building in 1965.
#29: Paved lot
Sid Woodworth had a dime store here. The other part of the building was a grocery store run by Carl Rather, Later Adam Diest also had a grocery here. “Cash and Carry, Tote the Basket and Cash is clean” was his motto. At one time Arnolds Barbershop and a millenary shop were in this building. Harvey Maeller ran a Gamble Store here. It later became a beauty shop and the Charlie’s Barber Shop. Still part of the building of the present bank is the structure where George and Bernard Schwartz repaired radios and did some experimenting here. As a matter of fact they managed to blow up the building when Mary Fraser (daughter of Tillie Fraser who worked here) was mixing fireworks with a mortar and pestle. At one time it was a drug store of sorts, and later became an attorney’s office. The East Troy State Bank used this area as the bank drive through.
#30: 2905 West Main Street
The bank that once occupied this building was organized November 19, 1892, by several leading East Troy businessman: Henry Austin, John R Chafin, W.T. Donaldson, Alexander and Frank Fraser, Perry O. Griste, Harold Rodgers, Charles and George Smith, Ed Rohleder and W.C. Hatley. It opened for business on January 3, 1893, with eight depositors and total monies of $9,190.67. In 1911 a savings department was initiated and in 1933 a bank vault was installed. The bank first bought the old East Troy News building for expansion; the the grocery store, junkyard, and an old house, In 1965 they bought the drug store, barber shop, grocery store, and Graf Clothing Store, and put in the drive-up window. The West End of the present building once housed the Badger Butter Company. In the 1940’s Dr. Roach had his dental office in the office above the bank.
#31: Paved lot on West Main Street
The first local paper, the East Troy News, was published here hin 1878 by Francis Craig, who continued the paper until 1882, when Mr. Wilbur, publisher of the Delavan Republican, put out an East Troy edition. In 1892 Samuel K. Adams published the East Troy News. O.R. Kurzrok succeeded him in 1986, who continued until 1900 when the building was destroyed by fire. Mr. Kurzok rebuilt in 1901 and continued publishing the News until 1936, when his son, Glenn, took over, followed by Floyd Zimmerman in 1951. The East Troy News had remained in the same location for its first 64 years, when Mr. Zimmerman recocated it to the newly built East Troy News office on Mill Street. The Coburns Jewelry store once stood between the old News office and the site of the grocery store, but it was destroyed by fire.
#32: Paved lot on West Main Street
This site was a meat market and grocery store called Michael Grocery. It was run by Kaske and Klett; then Fred Benning; later Emil Palenshus; followed by Killian Dick (Dick’s IGA). They were followed by Bob Hardy; Bill Schaefer; and finally Gerhkes. Killian Dick owned it until the bank purchased and demolished the structure for a bank parking area.