This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/Am.2ADI/240.1 Message Board Post: I have spoken with my 83 year old uncle who was born and raised in the Blue Mound area and he has given me quite a bit of information on the store that you are talking about. However, the names Green - Badgerow and Jennings meant nothing to him. He told me that the store that burnt was so far as he knew always called Patterson's. He was unsure of the date, but somewhere between 1928 to 1930. He said that at the time Blue Mound was a good sized town and actually had three stores. Patterson's being the largest, Wiles across the street and on owned at the time by Vern Stark (s), later purchased by the Townsley family. He said on Saturday's farm families came into Blue Mound for the day, to shop, men to get hair cuts, and just visit with friends and neighbors that they normally didn't see other than on Saturday. He said that there was a theatre, not open all the time, but sometimes in the summer there were tent show. Patterson's had some unique features. He said that in the front was a "ladies reception room" where mother's could go to nurse and change their babies." He siad that Patterson's was a two story building and carried everything but the kitchen sink. He said you went in and presented the clerks your order and this was a store that had the ladder that rolled along on the track and they would crawl around selecting the items you had purchased. They had a cashier cage and the tubes that ran along the cables with the cannisters that the money was put in. He railroad ran behind Patterson's where cars of grain, clothing, groceries were unloaded. He said that a man by the name of Todd Edgerly worked in the clothing department and after the store burnt some of them went across the streeet to work for Wile's. The fire occurred during the night, and burned other businesses as well at the store. It also burnt Motor Inn Garage, that sold cars and would have probably had gas that would have added to the fire. Somerson's (think that is the name or close to it he told me) Hardware, Moe Miller's Barber Shop and Reebe's Restaurant. The fire consumed at least half the block, and with the buildings being either brick or concret hit a fire wall of sorts that stopped it. He said that it may have smoldered for a few days, but actually din't burn for that long of time. Eventually the area was cleaned and all this stuff was dumped about 2 miles east of Blue Mound, as he said the kids used to rummage through it for wheels and things to make kid things with. He said that at the time of this fire there had been a number of home and barn fires around the area. So many in fact he said that he was scared to go to sleep at night. He said that there was talk of arson or someone setting the fire to collect insurance. This portion of the town that burned was located where during the 50's the quanset hut, The Blue Moon Theatre was. He said that there was a little Mom and Pop type store along the highway that ran north and south called The Sales Barn. If you or anyone else needs questions answered get them to me as he probably would know.................. Hope this helps someone...