Tom Wilson of St. Louis wrote to say his grandparents purchased the home that was pictured in last week’s paper being moved to make room for the new Casey’s store.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Mr. Wilson wasn’t sure when his grandparents bought it. His grandfather was Thomas Humphrey Wilson (known by many as “Uncle Tommy”) who also served as a deputy sheriff. Some of the family story has him hauling produce up the hill from the train station by wagon. Tom’s sister, Ida Mae Tolen, remembers that, too. As she recalls her grandfather owned a livery stable, located south of the square on the west street. He owned the stable before he served as deputy.
Tom said their grandfather probably owned one of the first vehicles in Gallatin, which Ida Mae recalls as a Model T. She said she remembers riding in it many times. Their grandmother was Ida Thompson Wilson (known as Aunt Ide). Thomas Wilson was born in Daviess County on July 9, 1863 and Ida Wilson was born on Nov. 11, 1864. After Mrs. Wilson died Thomas continued to live there until his death on Aug. 9, 1942. His son, Harry Wilson (wife Mae) then moved to town and occupied the home until Harry died in 1963 and Mae continued to live there prior to selling the home and moving to the Mary Arlene Apartments. Mae served on the Gallatin City council for several years and was active in local politics. Tom said he lived in the home while attending Gallatin High School (graduated there in 1948) and added that many people in Gallatin know of the home as the “Wilson home.”
Mrs. Tolen said she wasn’t sure when the Wilson family sold the home, but her best guess would be in the 70s. She thinks the house is well over 100 years old. The home has had several owners since then. Mrs. Tolen said she remembers seeing pictures when there was a church and a blacksmith shop near the house and said it used to be a thriving corner.
More memories of Fitterer’s and the square
The Fitterer Grocery and Bakery was founded by Enos Fitterer in 1877. He and his wife started the grocery and bakery business when their son Frank was four. Oscar Fitterer, the younger son, became a member of the firm and, after the death of their parents, the two Fitterer boys formed a team to keep the store and bakery in operation. The new store was named the M.E. Fitterer’s Sons Grocery and Bakery.
Once –– when this community was bustling as the crossroads of two railroads –– this store, located on the southwest corner of Gallatin’s business square, was a busy bakery producing some 5,000 loaves of bread each week!
Slick Hanes, 94, Gallatin, remembers the bakery where he used to work. Slick moved to Gallatin with his family in 1925. He graduated from high school in 1930, so he must have been between age 16 and 20 when he worked at the bakery. He worked nights and went to school by day.
Uncle Frank and Oscar Fritter would work in front. The baker’s name was Gus Hornyak. The dough was mixed in a mixer and put on a big table when it came out of the mixer. Each loaf was weighed to equal one pound. Then the dough was rolled and placed in pans. Each pan held four loaves, about 30 inches round.
The pans were placed on a rack and steam was shot over the pans to make the bread raise. During the summer the bakery would get plenty hot and Slick remembers they used one fan to blow the air in and one fan to blow the air out.
The pans were shoved back into oven with long wooden paddles. “The loaf was pretty good-sized around when it got done,” Slick said.He recalls helping make between 100-125 rolls each night.
Slick’s father owned a shoe shop on the west side of the square (Later he’d buy a harness shop down the street in a bigger building). Mrs. Mussleman had a ladies dress shop, and there were also a real estate office, and a barber shop on the square. A.R. Mayfatt’s insurance company was by the shoe shop and there was a café there.“When we first came to town, there wasn’t an empty building on the square,” Slick said. Slick also remembers, Places, Winns Grocery Store, C.L. Shelton’s clothing store and the First National Bank. He also remembers a store where they sold caskets.
Frey Ayres, 76, south of Winston, was a little boy back in the 30s. His father owned a restaurant on the other corner of the square from Fitterer’s. He remembers that you could get bananas at the bakery for a nickel. Next door was Gann’s where you could get a Butterfinger or Baby Ruth candy bar, also for a nickel.
As Fred recalls it, the bakery was upstairs on the second floor of the building, and there was a stairway at the back.Fred also remembers Karls Hardware on the square and Davis Drug.Fred remembers 50 gallon wood drums inside Fitters, full of potatoes, onions and carrots. “More than anything, I remember the smell of bread.”