BUSINESS IN THE VILLAGES FORTY YEARS AGO
Circa 1884

A list of the business men of Yorktown published forty year ago reveals the following persons who then were engaged in commercial or professional pursuits in the village:

Seth Allen, physician Thomas Allen, general merchandise William Brown, gunsmith W. S. Brundage, gen'l merc'dise & postm'ter Jacob Erther, blacksmith J. Hinne, drugs B. F. Hittle, physician W. W. Horne, physician Lydia Hugs, milliner F. L. Keener, cooper J. H. Koontz, gen'l merchandise Charles Mathew, blacksmith	Henry Overmire, harness maker Joseph Overman, blacksmith W. G. Patterson, furniture Mary Reelon, milliner D. M. Sherely, physician Hugh Shields, gen'l merchandise A. Sibring, carpenter G. W. Slack, physician G. W. Spann, druggist Charles Warfel, carpenter J. H. Williamson, flour mill Mrs. Williamson, hotel

At Eaton, before the gas "boom", the following were found in business:

W. A. Blair, undertaker Brant & Carter, gen'l merchandise George Brown, saw mill Carter & Stone, flour mill John Dragoo, general merchandise S. Echellman & Son, saw mill Endee & Carmichael, gen'l merc'dise A. N. Foreman, groceries Eli Foreman, drugs J. C. Ginn, physician C. O. Gunkle, blacksmith	M. Hyland, woolen mill William Keller, hotel R. M. Morris, blacksmith J. T. Sage & J. W. Sage, physicians E. Shideley, shoemaker S. W. Thomas, hardware George W. Thompson, hotel A. Younce, cooper W. H. Younce, attorney D. Young, hardware

At that period in the village of Albany:

John Baird, physician B. F. Binegar, saw mill Mrs. Binegar, dress making John Book, grocer J. M. Boots, druggist B. F. Carey, grocer A. J. Delong, hotel Mrs. Rhoda Devoss, milliner Otto Dowden, attorney R. Dowden, blacksmith French Bros., carpenters W. Henderson, barber F. M. Hobbs, carpenter Joseph Hunt, blacksmith Patrick Keating, shoemaker	Joseph Lefavour, drugs Lockhart & Straight, dry goods J. S. Long, stoves and postmaster Isaac Mann, flax mill Maxwell & Krohn, wagon makers Meeks & Smith, grain Gustavus Mills, painter L. Miller, carpenter A. P. Murray, physician David Nihart, drugs I. H. Powers, physician G. W. Shearon, livery Mrs. Shearon, millinery L. A. Starr, grocer Mrs. Wasson, dressmaker

At Granville at that time the following were in business:

William Bost, hotel C. Crooks, postm'ter and gen'l merc'dise G. M. Crooks, gen'l merchandise I. Duddleston, agricultural implements	William Edgington, gen'l merchandise William Pixley, painter W. H. Sherry, stonemason P. Thomas, grocer

At Selma:

William Bailey, saw mill L. R. Black & Co., drugs & groceries N. E. Black, carriages & harness William Bortsfield, carpenter S. A. Deckover, carpenter G. W. Furtick, physician J. W. Goings, gen'l merchandise William Goings, grain A. H. Good, physician Mrs. A. H. Good, millinery	Hervet & Clark, gen'l merchandise J. H. Hoover, undertaker William Miller, grain J. N. Orr, gen'l merchandise N. Patrick, groceries L. C. Roseboom, shoemaker Kate Simmons, millinery J. L. Simmons, postm'ter, grain & agricultural implements Z. L. Simons, blacksmith

At Daleville:

J. M. Baker, general merchant John Bender, shoemaker W. D. Brown, blacksmith D. M. Cottrell, physician G. W. Cock, confectioner J. Dellon, physician S. B. Garrett, druggist & postmaster Gray & Shoemaker, gen'l merc'dise & grain C. E. Helvie, flour mill	S. Laboyteaux, carpenter William Leonard, carpenter George Munick, plasterer John Price, carpenter H. Rader, blacksmith A. L. Stewart, saloon Stewart & Gray, agricultural implements H. C. Summers, physician.

At Wheeling:

O. A. Anderson, physician M. C. Braddock, justice of the peace Mrs. E. Davis, hotel John C. Deam, miller and grocer E. S. Fisher, hotel David Heal, notary public	Job Mattox, blacksmith Isaac N. Sleeth, grocer Ephraim Smith, general merchandise and postmaster H. A. Sutton, carpenter R. H. Trout, flax mill.

At Cowan:

R. M. Ball, postm'ter & gen'l merchandise J. S. Comstock, physician Hartley & Jefferson, tile mill Charles Johnson, blacksmith	Job Kirklin, cooper A. J. Nottingham, saw mill Isaac Tibbetts, saw mill D. T. Trowbridge, physician.

At New Corner (Gaston):

G. Brady, blacksmith Elijah Case, tile mill John Fadely, blacksmith James Hedgeland, postmaster Henry Higdon, blacksmith	Frederick Huber, flour and saw mill D. Linri, carpenter John Munsey, plasterer W. Needham, plasterer Thomas Stubbs, carpenter

At New Burlington:

George Coffin, cooper E. M. Grass, blacksmith S. V. Jump, physician George W. Shroyer, postm'ter & gen'l merchandise	J. H. Shroyer, carpenter Joseph Thackery, wagon maker Phineas Tuthill, shoemaker Peter Veal, cooper J. A. Williams, saw mill.

Haimbaugh noted how the successful local/rural mills (saw, flax, wool, flour) and two flourishing flour mills in Muncie, were extinct by about 1924, as the efficiency and improved methods of distribution by the big mills caused the millers to find other work. (Source: History of Delaware County, Indiana, Frank D. Haimbaugh, 1924, Vol 1, pages 409-411)