Re: [CBQ] Galva, Illinois Depot, Tower, and Stockyard Plans

["cbqbill1x" <kybillhusb@gmail.com>]

Brandon-I notice your territory extended from Aurora to Earlville. I grew up in Oswego, a few miles from Aurora. My grandfather owned a business in Earlville, almost directly opposite, and slightly west of the station (Geo Frey Produce Company). The Frey business sold food supplies, and sugar locally, and in the early days had the products shipped in by box car-there was a CB&Q siding there (I think it was part of a small yard). The business also bought chickens from local farmers and raised them. The eggs were shipped to Chicago. Some of the chickens were slaughtered locally and shipped to Chicago for sale and others were shipped live to Chicago in "Poultry cars". My uncle told stories of how the chickens that were slaughtered would be defeathered in Earlville, but were sold in Chicago with the entrails inside. I asked him several times about that, and he always had the same story. The Frey family was German, and perhaps that reflected a tradition of the times.  The Frey family also operated a similar business in Mendota in the early 1900's.

The business was closed in the late 1950's, so you probably never were aware of it. But for its time, it was an interesting business, typical of other businesses that relied on the railroad in the first half of the20th Century. 

His house was the last house on the west side of Earlville, on the north side of the tracks. The C&NW wye ran through his property-my mother "commuted" to Rockford (Northern Illinois Univ) on the C&NW in the 1920's-probably on a gas-electric that ran from Rockford to Spring Valley. 

_._,_._,_

---

Groups.io Links:

You receive all messages sent to this group.

View/Reply Online (#59784) | Reply To Group | Reply To Sender | Mute This Topic | New Topic

Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [archives@nauer.org]

_._,_._,_