This branch of the Austrian Hesch family is descended from Johann Hesch and his wife Marya (Schlinz) Hesch, who came to America from Oberschlagles, Bohemia with three sons: Paul, Mathias, and Anton. +++Johann & Marya settled in Buffalo County, Wisconsin but moved to Pierz, Mn in about 1885. .+++Mathias settled in Waumandee, Wisconsin and moved to Pierz in 1911. +++Anton never married but farmed with his dad in Agram Township, where he died in 1911.+++And Paul, my great grandfather, settled five miles away, in Buckman, Minnesota. He died there in 1900.

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Hesch Dry Goods Store

You know all those warnings about meeting people you've only talked to online? Well, I'm here to tell ya, sometimes it works out just...ahem...FINE...lol

Sue (who I'd never heard of before April, but who I MET in May) had lunch with her cousin Pam the other day. (She's also John and Ket's great grandaughter). Pam brought a photo she had of the interior of the store, but it's a couple years later than this one from August, 1914:

They've advanced some, but it's getting a little overwhelming. Paul's a head taller now, so this would be 1915-1916. There's definitely more stock, and they have a coffee grinder now (on the counter to Ket's right). Their wholesaler was in Duluth (one of the crates says so), and look, they sold almost all those brooms!
I talked with Aunt Eileen last night, and she was pretty sure the Hesch store was where Sev's Bar is now, which would make it the front part of the house they lived in! So, the door in the pictures goes to the house. Wow. That WOULD make the most sense, huh?

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Ok, I know you want to compare the two views, so here they are, clickable.

One book we found referred to the Hesch Store as a "racket" shop. I was a little insulted till Larry found it meant a five and dime, or a general store.

BTW, the dude in the mddle was a customer who just wanted to be in the picture...lol

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Just for the fun of it, see if you can find these items in the store:

a scale...an oil lamp...at least 14 lamp chimneys...a beer bottle...cans of tomatoes...a stack of overalls...galvanized pails....seed rack...Sunshine Biscuits...dustpans...teapot.

Hmm, was that the Hesch Lending Library in the corner?

THANKS and YAY, SUE...and PAM!!

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