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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 134 W COOK ST |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia |
| City/Village | Portage |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1867 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1992 |
| Historic Use | small retail building |
| Architectural Style | Italianate |
| Structural System | Brick |
| Wall Material | Cream Brick |
| Architect | |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | Parapet; corbeling; round arch lintels; windows partially closed; first floor store front altered; oriel and round arch windows at rear elevation along DeWitt. Ketchum Shoes occupied the location of Barbara's Shoes. William R. Ketchum was Barbara's father (Eulberg 1993). Sanborn-Perris Map Co.: 1929: store 1918, 1910: boots and shoes 1901: shoes, office second 1894, 1889: groceries and fruit, offices second 1885: variety, offices second 1868: building may be present (Rugen). Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- 1920-30: Gadsen, T.H. 1915: Lizzie Kiefer to T.H. Gadsen 1910: Lizzie Kiefer 1885-1905: Andrew Kiefer 1880: Mary Janes Norris to Andrew Kiefer 1866-1880: Mary Jane Norris The rise in valuation of the property is gradual and indicates construction between 1867 and 1870. Directories: 1955: (134) Ketchum Boot Shop (Johnson Printing Co.) 1948, 1937: (134) Ketchum Boot Shop (Commonwealth Telephone Co.) 1929: (134) W.R. Ketchum shoes and Gadsen's Neurological Institute office and August Mathiessen, tailor (Smith-Baumann). 1917: (134) Ketchum's Boot Shop and August Mathiesson, tailor and other offices second (Farrell). 1910: Ketchum and Parry, shoe and shoe repair (Voshardt). 1908-09: Ketchum and Parry, boots and shoes (S.H. Moore). 1905-06, 1903-04, 1897-98, not 1895-96: Ketchum and Parry (William R. and William H.), shoes (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1895-96: ANdrew Kiefer, r eal estate and insurance and F.L. Kiefer and Co., with Frank L. Kiefer and John Versen, groceries (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1893-94: Kiefer and Helmann (Andrew and Valentine) real estate and insurance and F.L. Kiefer & Co., grcoeries and crockery (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1890: Kiefer and Helmann are not at 134 W. Cook and Frank Kiefer is a laborer. William Ketchumn opened his boot and shoe business as a salesman of shoes, hats, and handbags at 134 W. Cook in 1895. He may have served as the boot shop for Bresse, Loomis and Co. By 1901 through 1910, he operated under the name of Ketchum and Parry. His daughter, Rhea Ketchum continued his business until 1976 at teh same location. In that year, she sold the store to Barbara Kaeiser a shop which continued to sell ladies' shoes through 1993. The business became Barbara's Inc. of Portage in 1981 (Portage Centennial Committee 1952; Columbia County Historical Society 1982; Portage Dailt Register 10/8/70). Frank L. Kiefer ran his grocery and crockery store known as F.L. Kiefer & Co. betweeb at least 1893 and 1896 with several different partners. He may have operated at 134 W. Cook, a building then owned by Andrew Kiefer who operated a real estate and insurance business. August Mathiesson began as a tailor working for Loomis, Gallett, and Breese in 1868. He established his own shop in 1892 in the Emporium Block. After it burned, he moved to 134 W. Cook between about 1915 through 1929 (Register-Democrat 11/17/1923). |
| Bibliographic References | (A) Portage Centennial Committee 1952. (B) Columbia County Historical Society 1982. (C) Portage Daily Register 10/8/70. (D) Register-Democrat 11/17/1923. (E) Sanborn-Perris Maps. (F) Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- (G) Directories. (H) Dave Eulberg (1993). |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Portage Retail Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Apr 27, 1995 |
| State Register Listing Date | Oct 24, 1994 |
| Contributing | Yes |
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