"George Stocker built the Union Block so many remember as Stommel's store (529 E. Third St.). Residences were upstairs and for many years the offices of Dr. Clara Faulkner. The building was razed and the Hobart Federal Savings and Loan building (555 E. Third St.) is now here. Next to this site was Charles Borger's harness shop with a residence above (525 E. Third St.). The House of Fabrics (525 E. Third St.) is now here and also uses the next building which was Charlie Gruel's meat market. Other butchers were Paul Schulze (Superior Market, 521 E. Third St.), Dollstedt and Uremovich. A barber shop once used a small room which is now the office of Gearhart Realty (519 E. Third St.). In the rear a locker plant operated until home freezers became common. Residences are upstairs."Images (links open in a new window):
♦ The "general merchandise establishment" of Stommel & Scheidt, inside and out, circa 1898.
♦ In this view of Third Street, the Union Block is at left (undated, but probably from the first decade of the 20th century).
♦ Stommel's store in the Union Block building in 1925.
♦ The interior of Charles Borger's harness shop in 1895.
♦ An undated view of the exterior of Charles Borger's harness shop.
♦ Charles Borger at work in his harness shop.
♦ This photo taken during Hobart's centennial celebration in 1947 shows Stommel's store in the background; at right is Carl Krause, the store's manager. We also have a photo of Carl (or Karl) Krause inside Stommel's; the photo is undated but by the calendar in the background we can guess at 1958.
♦ Several more photos of Stommel's on July 4, 1947, during Hobart's centennial festivities.
♦ A back view of the east side of Stommel's on December 27, 1950.
♦ Someone was busy with a camera inside Stommel's in 1957, and I have the slideshow to prove it (25 images — for hardcore Stommel's fans only!).
♦ An exterior view of Stommel's store, undated but probably from the mid-1950s to early 1960s.
♦ Hobart Federal Savings, 555 E. Third, in 1962; inside HFS in 1972.
♦ The Hobart Locker & Meat Market, 521 E. Third, in 1967.
