This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: farwellwalter Surnames: VanEaton, Chappell, Greenwood, Mann, Johnson, Simons, Bothwell, Sweeney, Cole, Opelt, Wightman, Liggett, Ligget, Sayre, Classification: deed Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.iowa.counties.fremont/7462/mb.ashx Message Board Post: THE SIDNEY ARGUS-HERALD. September 5, 1929. "LANDMARKS MOVE IN MARCH OF PROGRESS." -- A deal has been consumated whereby the Standard Oil Company will soon become owner of the VanEaton and Chappell property at the northwest corner of the square, embracing business buildings which are landmarks in the history of the town and one of which, the VanEaton building, has been built nearly seventy years..... It is interesting to note the early day value of this location as compared with the consideration involved in this most recent transaction. Records on the abstract will show that Thomas Greenwood, county judge of Fremont county and "agent" of the county, sold this lot for the first to Archilbald Mann for $35, Mann to pay for it in three payments if he so wished. That was in 1851. Mann sold it in 1854 to Isaac Johnson for $37.50, a profit of $2.50. J. J. VanEaton acquired the north half of the lot from Hannah Simons in 1892 for $600, and the southhalf in 1890 from L. Bothwell for $2,500, which price included the building and a stock of goods. That is some different than the sum paid to VanEaton by the oil company, $7,000 and to Chappell $4,000. The VanEaton building, as nearly as can be learned, was built in 1860 by Isaac Johnson or his heirs. Following Mr. VanEaton's acquiring the store it was conducted as a general store for many years, with an express office, headquarters for the Bell telephone company and a restaurant combined. For the past twenty years it has been a grocery store only, conducted by J. J. & W. W. VanEaton until the death of J. J. within the past year, and since that time by W. W. VanEaton and T. M. Wightman. The Chappell property was formerly the home of LeRoy Liggett, a civil war veteran, and his maiden sister, the latter conducting a millinery store therein for years upon years. It was here that Mr. Liggett compounded and obtained patent upon what he called "hoky-pokey" ice cream, which formula some believe to be the forerunner of that present day brick cream. Ask any of the old boys about this confection, which was widely sold at all public gatherings in this section a half century agone. Business firms which will have to seek new quarters when these buildings are torn down to make room for the new order of things are the VanEaton & Wightman grocery on the corner, Sweeney's meat market, David Cole cream and poultry sub-station, the Sidney tailor shop, Opelt's barber shop. The new oil station, which those in the know say is to be what the company calls its super-station, will occupy a strategic point at the intersection of Nos. 3 and 4..... N.B.: Leroy Liggett's "maiden sister" was my mother's great aunt Emoline Ligget (sic) who had operated a millinery store in Sidney every since her widowed mother, Mary (Sayre) Ligget, and one other unmarried sister, Rachel, had come to Sidney just after the Civil War. "Opelt" is the name I remember hearing in connection with the Liggett's. My mother stayed at "Aunt Em's" while attending high school in Sidney. George Biglow Ligget, the brother of Em's and Rachel's, married a daughter of Judge Thomas Greenwood. Thomas Greenwood was Fremont county's first County Judge, and as such in 1851 was probably fulfilling the job of the present County Recorder. The duties of a county judge were many, and in some counties this caused BIG problems, and that position in many ways was soon replaced by the County Board of Supervisors -- perhaps before the Civil War!--Walter Farwell Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.