City Directory help needed - 1800's

[Ray1936]

The store at Clay and Oakland was completely different, so it wasn't the same. I'm guessing it wasn't too far away from the original, though. Here's the later Volkert grocery store.

[Mikeg]

Ray, I took a fresh look at this and it includes identification of his very first location on Milwaukee.

Conrad Volkert first shows up in 1885 [[pg 1146), as a clerk for Thomm Bros. He boarded at 606 Sixth with Elizabeth Volkert, widow of John [[laborer/plasterer, deceased abt 1880).

He boarded there thru the 1890 Directory, clerking for JG Weitzel in 1888 [[pg 1335) and Henry Hayball in 1889 [[pg1367) and 1890 [[pg 1098).

In 1891 [[pgs. 1095 and 1421), he was living at 253 Milwaukee E, NE corner of Jerome [[between St. Antoine and Hastings, identified with a "1" on this map). He was in the meat business at that address, sharing it with John F Halleen, who is listed as "grocer".

In 1892 [[pgs. 1713 and 1753) his meat business is still listed at that address but he is also listed at 306 Pallister under "grocer" and "rooms same".

In 1893 [[pg 1845) he is only listed at 306 Pallister. In 1894 [[pg 1313) he is listed at 306 Clay for "meats", "grocer" and "home"; this is when the street re-naming [[mentioned above) took place. This address was at the SE corner of Hastings, identified with a "2" on this map [[1899, pg 1694). According to this 1904 map, this section of Hastings had later been re-named Melrose and Clay had since been vacated between Woodward and Oakland.

Conrad's information remained the same through the 1903 Directory, except that the 1899 Directory [[pg 1516) adds the telephone number: "Tel Det N 116" and in 1902 [[pg 1917) the number changes to "Tel North 773".

Conrad is not listed in the 1904 Directory. In 1905 [[pg 2617), there is only one entry: "116 Melrose, Volkert Conrad". This is the same location at the SE corner with Clay and indicates the structure was given an address on Melrose instead of Clay.

Conrad made big changes in 1906. On pg 3248 "Volkert & Co., 306 Clay Ave." is listed under the "dry goods" section. On pg. 2606 is listed
a) "306 Clay, Volkert & Co., dairy"
b) "271 Clay, Volkert Conrad"
c) "273 Clay, Volkert & Blosser, meats"
271 and 273 Clay were at the NE corner of Oakland, one block to the west of his location at 306 Clay.

On pg 2119 of the same 1906 directory, it indicates that
a) Conrad and Henrietta Volkert made their home at 271 Clay
b) "Volkert & Bloeser, grocers" was at 294 Oakland and was operated in conjunction with Frank C. Bloeser. This address puts it at the NE corner of Clay and Oakland and is presumably the same building described on pg 2606 as being at 273 Clay.
c) "Volkert & Co., 306 Clay, dry goods" was operated by Henrietta Volkert and Lena Mundt.

In 1907 [[pgs 2581 and 2316) Conrad and Jennie Volkert were living at 271 Clay, but the meat market at 273 Clay was being operated by Eugene W. Crandall. 306 Clay was "Volkert & Co., dry goods and notions" and was operated by Jennie Volkert, Lena Mundt and Freda Croxon. Perhaps Conrad was having health problems that caused him to retire from retail business?

For 1908, pgs 2137 and 2385 indicate the only changes from the previous year is that Conrad is now employed as a clerk for John W. Keys.

[1885 and 1895 sources and 1889 map] Ray, I have downloaded images for most of the page numbers given. They are about 1 MB each. Contact me to let me know which ones you want.