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It will be a good addition to Howard.  It is a good thing Julie Perkins is as young as she is. Maybe the store will be around for awhile.

Anyone know the status of the grocery addition at Batsons?

•   At one time in Howard, one could purchase a new car manufactured by any one of the Big Three. Howard had three new car dealers as late as the 1950s. Looking back, Howard seemed to be in its prime in the mid fifties, although realistically it probably peaked well before that.

•   Hebb Pontiac was located where the Lanning garage is now at Wabash and Adams. He could get one display car into his showroom in the sales area where the Lanning's now have their cash register. It was a tight squeeze. I recall seeing the 1955 Pontiac for the first in his little showroom. It was a red and white two-tone model. Two-tones were the cat's meow back in the fifties. Lots of chrome detail separated the two colors. Later on, in the decade some models even had three colors and the 1957 Hudson was introduced as a four-tone which included a gold colored plate on the rear sides. Hebb's service area was in the Lanning garage. I do not recall where his used car lot was located but it may have been further south on Wabash after the lumberyard where the pizza place is now.

•   Bryan's Ford was located where the bank is now on the southeast corner of Wabash and Randolph. It seems to me he could get two, maybe, three cars in his showroom. His service area was where Signer's is. His used car lot stood across the alley where the post office and parking lot is. My mother lives in what used to be the Bryan family residence.

•   Garrison Dodge was in the brick building on Pine Street across from the courthouse. I can recall going in there but do not recall much else except his used car lot was at the same location.

•   If you did not like Pontiac, Dodge or Ford, you could go to Moline and purchase a new Chevrolet from Ames or a Chrysler from Square Deal. In Moline, when you turn south on 160 to go through town, I think the Chrysler dealership was on the northwest corner as you turn The Chevrolet place was up at the corner where 160 turns west again.

Hitching Rail in Grenola in 1915

Does anyone besides me remember the long hitching rail on South Wabash?

The rack was three or four feet high and used for tying up horses when their owner visited town. It looked like a hitching rack in the western movies but was thinner and made of iron.

It was located on Wabash across the street from the pizza place and was not used very often, but I recall seeing both saddle horses and teams tied there.

I want to say the rack disappeared in the 70's but not sure.

A modern hitchng rail - town unknown

I can recall in the late 40's that during the summer when I was visiting my Granddad's farm on Junebug Road southwest of town, every time it rained hard the county roads were a quagmire. Cars were almost useless getting around after a good rain but some people tried. I recall my Granddad hitching his team up to pull out at least one neighbor driving by and getting stuck—it was that bad. It took a while and the horses struggled but they got the car going again. I vaguely recall some talk about farmers having to have mud tires on their sedans.

My grandparents never missed going to Howard on Saturday afternoon and staying late shopping and visiting. There were a number of sidewalk park benches on both sides of Wabash. The men would sit and talk while the women shopped. I recall the women talked also but it usually occurred while they were shopping.

My grandmother would leave a grocery list with one of the town grocers (located in the now vacant lot area next to the old bank). Before going home, she would go back to the grocery. The grocer had all the items she wanted waiting for her in boxes or brown bags with the bill itemized by pencil and totaled. Many times while all this adult visiting was going on, I would walk down to the Plaza Theater and pay my 12 cents to see a western movie.

On one particular Saturday, it rained so hard and the roads were so bad, I remember my Granddad mentioning he would hitch up the team to get to town if that is what it took. I cannot recall what happened that particular day, but I know I never came into Howard in a wagon pulled by a team and I don't think I was ever in a car that got stuck. I think we missed going to town that week.

Scratch that request. I found the site at http://www.route56.com/highways/highways.cgi?hwy1=11&hist=1                  Thanks again.

In looking over the site, K-99 highway covers 233 miles, while O-99 covers 240 and N-99 covers only 13.

All Right!

Can yolu tell me where you found the information?

Cooley's Barber Shop was in the basement under or next to the bank.

There is a short reference to K-11 in the Elk County history book. I have searched KDOT and cannot find.

I have heard that K-99/K-11 was not paved until after WWII being gravel up until that time. On the one hand that does not seem correct, on the other, the state highway program did not begin until 1917 and it probably would have been impossible to pave all the state roads in such a short time, particuarly with the depression and WWII. I saw a web site once that stated K-99 is 231 miles long.

I have an uncle who is a Howard City councilman and we both have been trying to find out about K-11.

W. Gray

Does anyone know when K-11 changed to K-99?

Glad there seems to be a reprieve for this site. I am not sure if there are many other towns with this kind of setup.

Howard City became Howard in October 1877 at which time it became a third class city rather than a village. A. B. Steinbarger was the first mayor with the new name. The Howard street scene on the homepage seems to be looking north towards Washington Street.

The first Elk County courthouse, a flattop two story stone building completed at the end of 1878, could be the second from last building at the far end of the street. The courthouse was not on the corner. The large building to this side with the hip roof could be the Howard House, a hotel known to be located adjacent to the courthouse. The Howard House later became the Welbourn House renamed for the owner's son who died on his way to Kansas.

The courthouse became a hardware store in 1886 in trade for a farm, which became the county poor farm which went away around 1967. The well-stocked hardware store went by the name of the Temple of Justice. A huge $50,000 fire destroyed both the Welbourn House and the Temple of Justice in 1896.

Elk County, a Narrative History of Elk County and Its People, shows a front view photograph of the former first courthouse. In the photograph is a building to the left which has a lower profile flattop roof rather than a hip roof. So the book photograph does not agree with the home page 1879 photograph.

However, I am guessing the picture may have been taken after rebuilding from the fire. The hardware store bears no identification as the Temple of Justice and the adjacent building appears to be a new retail store complete with show windows and has stairs leading up between the two buildings.

The first courthouse was originally designated to be on the southeast side of Wabash where Doug's place is currently located.  The Howard Town Company donated the lots for the courthouse and the citizens of Howard pledged in August 1875 to build it but the effort ran into three and one half years of trouble. Chautauqua County citizens built their donated courthouse in six months.

Elk County finished the donated courthouse on the inside and the second floor courtroom was carpeted.

Around 1878 to 1880 the Howard Town Company gave Howard town lots away free provided the owner agreed to build a residence and live on the lot for a minimum number of years.

I found a book store on the internet that had a copy of Elk County, a Narrative History of Elk County and Its People for sale.  The store wanted $137.50. I think they are still available at the musuem for around $30.