Name This Peoria Landmark

A sign on the alley side of this building reads “Food Service Equipment, Corp. Wholesale Distribution Warehouse. Entrance In Alley.” They are listed in the phonebook as being located at 801 SW Washington.

David says: “The front door is on Oak Street… Washington is just to the left, and one of the greatest photographic alleys in all of Peoria is just to the right. And boy do I see lots of wedding shots taken here – and engagement shots. Maybe someday we’ll see divorce shots here too…” His photo of this building is [here]

The sign on the door identifies this building as the Jobst Bethard Company. According to the 1915 Blue Book Directory, this was owned by Douglas H. Bethard.

BETHARD, DOUGLAS H.
Pres. Jobst-Bethard Co., cor. Oak and Washington Sts. tel. M 3444. res. 145 High? St. tel. M 1024.—res. of P. 40 yrs.—Creve Coeur, Kickapoo Golf, Automobile and I. V. Y. Clubs, P. Assn. of Comm., Ass’d. Charities. Mrs. Harriet (Dougherty) Bethard. P. Women’s Club, Amat. Mus. Club.

The only other reference I could find to this business is a clipping from the New York Times archives, dated Nov 20, 1907:

“Fire, which resulted in losses estimated at $300,000, started early to-day in the Louthner Building, South Washington Street, occupied by Brownie & Brothers, agents for the Flint Wagon Company, the Kircher Carriage Company, the Peoria Implement Company, and by the Wheelock Wholesale Crockery Company. The fire spread to the two adjoining buildings on either side, occupied respectively by Jobst, Bethard & Co., wholesale grocers, and Arthur Lothman, wholesale liquor dealer. All three buildings and contents were practically destroyed. Ben Butler, a fireman, was seriously injured by falling debris.”

Interesting.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 7:45 pm and is filed under Historic Peoria, Warehouse, downtown. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.