(16) 538 – 534 E. Third Street

"The Guyer Building, built in 1897, had living quarters upstairs and downstairs housed a variety store and grocery. From 1910 until 1923 the Hobart Post Office was on the east side and Sauter and Mackeldy, then Brand and Fleck, and later Sothmans ran a grocery store on the west side. Peter Bates used the east side as a candy store before he moved to Main Street. Then W.B. Mitchell had a hardware store here before he moved to Illinois and Georgianna. Now Streight's T.V. and Appliances uses the entire first floor. A dentist office was on the second floor and a chiropractor had offices here."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ The Guyer Building was new when this photo was taken in 1897 or 1898. (That image was printed in May 1898 along with this biographical sketch of Mr. Guyer and his building.)
♦ A street view that includes the Guyer Building as post office. The image is undated, but the scarcity of autos on the street suggests it was taken closer to 1910 than 1923.
♦ The Brand & Fleck grocery store circa 1928.
♦ The Guyer Building as it appeared in an advertisement in 1962.
♦ A photo of the installation of new traffic lights downtown caught a nice view of the Guyer Building in July 1968.

(49) 237 Main Street

"The large brick building on the corner was built by James Roper. There Rob Randhan had a meat market in the downstairs rooms. This was later Roper's Market and then Carstensen's market. Remodeled, it became the American Trust and Savings Bank. When banks closed during the Depression, Peter Bates opened a saloon and candy store. Into these rooms the Hobart Federal Savings and Loan moved from space in the 300 block of Main Street. Now Matt Seling's Jewel Shop is here."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ Views of the building and its interior as well as a portrait of James Roper, Jr., all circa 1898.
♦ This image is undated, but must be prior to 1926 (when the building was remodeled with its current Neoclassical façade).
♦ A 1971 newspaper article that talks about the soda-bottling works operated in the basement of the Roper building by Hugo Zobject (or Zobjeck) between 1904 and 1908. (I do not have the photograph that accompanied the article.)
♦ Photographed outside the Bates restaurant and candy store, this float took second prize in the Labor Day parade of 1931 (according to notes on the back of the original).
♦ A bank on the main floor, the Peddicord law offices upstairs, in 1964 and 1965.
♦ A 1973 street view that includes The Jewel Shop at 237 Main; an interior view of The Jewel Shop in 1971.

(70) 314 Main Street

"The Orcutt Building, now Bates Tavern, replaced the Mander Building where John Mander had a store and at one time the post office. Orcutt was Mander's son-in-law and opened a restaurant and hotel in the new brick building. At one time Fred Baumer had a bakery and catering business here."

Images (links open in a new window):
♦ I'm not sure about this one but tentatively placing it here, pending further research: the drugstore of Gordon & Buchanan in 1898, and a 1900 street scene showing the A.D. Buchanan drugstore at mid-block or slightly south. (As a point of reference in that street scene, the Strattan building can be seen at right of the man on horseback.)
♦ The Orcutt building housed the Hobart Café in 1929.
♦ A street scene from Hobart High School's 1967 yearbook, showing Bates Grill & Hotel in the Orcutt building; also, an undated menu and 5¢ token from the Bates business.