Harris Grocery 1920s

Harris Grocery, c1920? New Vienna Ohio, Irons Building, 

location later became Boyd Hardware then Daye Hardware, now Antique Shop. 

Pictured Hamer Rice, M.R. Harris, Fred Rulon, Stanley Harris (son of M.R.).  

Image Courtesy of Hayward Crone via Mike Whited.  

Who are these people?

Hamer Rice - Thomas "Hamer" Rice also known as T.H., 1892-1965 was postmaster in New Vienna prior to Russ Powell. He later was a rural mail carrier. The 1920 census shows him living in New Vienna and clerking in a grocery story, He is listed as postmaster in the 1940 census. Hamer was married to Clara and they had a son, Robert, born 1916 NVHS 1933, who died in WW2. At some point Hamer possibly had his own grocery store in the location which later became Masters and then Sweeney’s.

M.R. Harris - Manville R. Harris (1867-?)

• In 1910 he lived in Green Township and was employed at odd jobs.  
• In 1920 his employment is listed as a Grocery Store Merchant.  
• The 1930 Census shows him as a Hardware Merchant.  
• Probably died prior to 1940.

Fred Donovan Rulon 1895-1969

• Fred, born in 1895, was the son of William and Nancy Elizabeth Hastings Rulon.  He had two older brothers, Charles Hastings Rulon (1881-1962) and Robert Joseph Rulon (18871967).
• Married Mary "Addie" Bobbitt 1899-1982 (NVHS'19) in 1916 
• Was a veteran of WW1.  
• They were the parents of Fred Jr. 1920-1974 (NVHS'38), Betty (Charles) Thompson (NVHS'38), Richard Louis 1923-1997, and Joan (Damon) Hughes 1926-2009 (NVHS'44).  
• The 1920 Census shows Fred as a grocery store clerk, living with his wife Addie and mother Nancy "Elizabeth" Hastings Rulon on Main St. (Bernard Road?) in Green Township, next door to the R.J. Rulons.  
• The family lived in Norwood, Ohio (Hamilton County) where Fred was the manager of a grocery according to the 1930 Census.
• 1940 Census shows the family back in New Vienna with Fred working as a grocery clerk and Addie employed at a private home.
• Fred died in April 1969 at the age of 73.  Addie died in 1982 at the age of 83.  They are buried in New Vienna IOOF Cemetery, west side.

Stanley Harris

• Stanley Ellsworth Harris 1892-1952, was born in South Vienna, Clark County Ohio, the son of M.R. and Jessie Harris.  
• He married Madeline D. Arthur in 1914.  She graduated NVHS in 1910.
• He fought in WW1 1917-18 and his residence at that time was New Vienna.  
• In 1920 his employment is listed as a Grocery Store Merchant.  
• The 1930 Census shows him as a Paint Company salesman.  The 1940 census shows him living in Middlesex, Massachusetts and working as a Paint & Brush Co., Sales Manager.  
• On his mother-in-law's (Lettice Ann Denny Arthur) death notice in the Hillsboro newspaper, shown here:  http://nvhsmemories.blogspot.com/2012/10/1942-1882-october-news-from-hillsboro.html, he is listed as living in Boston, MA.  
• According to the Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s-2009, he died in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1952 at the age of 60.  His obituary was published in the Green Springs Echo, Green Springs, Seneca County, Ohio.  Stanley and Madeline both buried New Vienna IOOF Cemetery, west side.

Mike Daye provided the following info:

• The Irons building was a two story brick building. It had a general store then hardware store in it from the time it was built. Today there is a Block building that connects the brick one to a frame two story building.  In that frame building was where the U-B (Uible-Boyd) paint company was located.  In the frame building the top floor was where the ingredients for the paint were stored and they came down through chutes to the lower floor where the paints was mixed.  I was told that the paint company closed because they could not get ingredients during the war. My Grandfather Estel Glen Daye Sr. bought the two buildings and built the block building to put in a restroom for the store.  Before there was just an outhouse.  The Irons buildings top floor had a rich history from what people told me.  It housed Doctors, Lawyers, the first telephone switch board, and many other offices over the years.
  
  Estel Daye Sr. bought the hardware and paint warehouse from Boyds grandson in the spring of 1944. The story I heard was that CJ Uible was bought out by Boyd and when he died his grandson sold it off.
  
  Beside the hardware was the Monarch bar then the feed store I believe. All of the buildings had up stairs used for apartments and many things.
  
  The block building that Estel built was just one story. If you look at the picture of Harris store, the door that Stanley is standing in front of went in to the general store side.  The one in the picture below.  It had sundries, food, and general things.  The door M.R, and Fred are standing in front of went up stairs to the apartments.  The door behind Hamer was the hardware and tack side.

M.R. Harris Grocery Interior c1920, New Vienna Ohio, later became Daye Hardware.  Pictured Harry Curtis, M.R. Curtis & Bill Holmes - Image courtesy of Hayward Crone via Mike Whited.

Irons Building - Daye Hardware 1977 4th of July historic tractor display.  Monarch building to right of Daye Hardward boarded up.  Image courtesy of Mike Daye.

Irons Building 2012 - Name plate above middle top window reads Irons Block 1879,  Image courtesy of Roberta Uible King