The Business of ‘Ol Hiram

1890 - 1950

A slide show exhibitOf

Hiram College Archives

All images and slides viewed here are the property of Hiram College Archives Any reproduction must receive the approval and permission of Hiram College Archives

March 2008

1963-1964 Frosh Handbook

Attention Ladies!From the 1963-1964 Freshman Handbook, page 37

Those who came to Hiram after it’s “business boom” may be surprised to read such a statement about the “downtown” area. You may even ask yourself, “WHAT downtown?”

In the first 3 decades of the 20th century you could find any number of businesses including…

grocery stores, meat markets, barbershops, livery stables,

restaurants, a laundry, bookstores, shoe repair,

souvenirs and novelties, apparel and accessories, print shop,

photographic supply and development, jeweler, baker,

hardware store, tavern, garage, and the YMCA.

The following is evidence of those long ago business interests.

This map was drawn for The Spider Web 1901, the yearbook of Hiram College. Created by Vachel Lindsay, it shows a number of businesses in the Main St area near and around the East and West Avenues intersection– Kent’s, Everhard’s [in the Beaman Block], the Stone Jug, YMCA, and the hotel. Today this is the intersection Routes 82 and 700.

Main St., Hiram, ca. 1900 (looking north) The building to the left was the YMCA and was located where the current Bates Hall sits today. It was destroyed by fire in 1935.

The Icehouse ca. 1895 -- This building was located on the southeast corner of what is now Routes 82 and 700. It served a variety of functions in its time, including a saloon known as The Stone Jug.

Ca. 1900 – Note the location just south of Town Hall which was south of the intersection of Routes 82 and 700.

Ca. 1900 – no location given

Built by D. H. Beaman, the “Beaman Block” was home to the post office for several years. There were also 6-8 other businesses there at any one time. It was located where the Gray Hall section of the Quad sits today. The building was demolished in the 1920s.

A business in the Beaman Block, which was misspelled in the

advertisement.

Beaman Block in later years

Hiram Post Office early 1900s The post office was moved from the Beaman Block to a building across the street and south of the YMCA. A cobbler was located on the second floor. Today this is a grassy area between Bates Hall and Hiram Inn.

Mantle’s Store 1919Located on the west side of Main St.

Barbershop, Food, and Photography: Hiram had it

all!

“Ye Hill Top Tea Room” occupied the building that would later be the “Play Shop”. This is now the site of Peckham Hall.

A map of Hiram, 1937 – By the 1930s most businesses were located in a central business block on Hayden Ave. Highlighted in yellow from left to right, The Hub, meat market, a barbershop, Hurd’s Grocery, and the Post Office. Directly across the street was the Telephone Office and the Fire Department.

“Downtown Hiram” in the 1940s

Business Block, ca., 1950. Left to Right: The Hub, Meat Market, and Co-Op

On the corner of Rt. 700 and Rt. 82, Hiram Garage was also known as Hurd’s Garage and the Sohio Station.

Hiram, ca. early 1950s and the businesses of Main Street had become but a memory.

Archival Resources used for this presentation:

• Spider Web yearbooks of Hiram College, 1890 – 1950

• Freshman Handbooks of Hiram College 1895 – 1965

• The Hiram College Photograph Collection

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