Re: [CBQ] Industries "Around the Horn"

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

In Earlville (about 10 miles east of Mendota), my grandfather, Albert Frey, operated the George Frey Produce Company, a "Chicken and Wholesale" business almost direct opposite the depot and slightly west. A siding served this business. I think a similar business called "Strong & Strong" just to the east was served by the same siding. During the 1950's, in addition to the mainline, there were at least (I think) 2 siding tracks on the north side of the mainline. 

There was also a large grain elevator on the west side of Earlville. Marathon Electric (Wisconsin) built a small manufacturing plant west of the grain elevator in later years. 

All, except for the elevator, are abandoned now.

The Frey Produce business had an interesting variety of business operations;

1. The main business was located in a 2 story cement block (?) building as described above. Over the years, they sold sugar and flour and in later years cake mixes, etc. I distinctly recall being in a box car (1950s) that was being coupled to a locomotive. Quite a jolt when you were not expecting it. I am sure my Uncle Allen Frey arranged it for my edification! 

During the 1940s, sugar was rationed, and was in high demand. By this time, the Frey Company had purchased a Mack Truck, which was used to transport sugar to or from Chicago (probably picking up sugar in Chicago and transporting it to Earlville. My Uncle Allen was the driver and was hijacked twice during that period!!

2. The Frey's built a "Poultry House" parallel to the CB&Q mainline and opposite the main warehouse. A City street ran between the two buildings. The Poultry House had two functions-I'm not sure of the exact timing, however.

a.) At one point, they raised chickens which were sold in the Chicago Market on Maxwell Street. Initially the chickens were shipped in Poultry Cars (see https://www.hoosiervalley.org/history/photo-galleries/live-poultry-cars) with a "rider" who fed and watered the chickens enroute. 

In later years, the chickens were killed and defeathered in Earlville, and were then shipped to Chicago, presumably in a refrigerator car. My Uncle insists that the chickens were shipped with the entrails intact! I asked him several times and he gave the same answer each time.

b.) During the late 1920's, the Frey Produce Company kept the chickens as laying hens, selling the eggs in the Chicago market. At the time, there were large refrigerated multistory warehouses in Chicago, which were referred to in the trade as "Cold Storage". The eggs would be coated with a preservative, and then were placed in cold storage during the egg laying period (fall-winter-early spring), and would be sold when the chickens stopped laying eggs in the late spring-and summer. The idea was that the supply of eggs would be low when the chickens were not laying eggs, resulting in higher prices. The higher prices more than paid for storage leaving a tidy profit. This was the way things went until  the Great Depression beginning in 1929, when the Frey business found that their cost basis (for illustration purposes) was a $1.00 a dozen, while the market demand had fallen to ten cents a dozen! This predicament was not unique to the Frey family. Any business that dealt with inventory was faced with the same problem.

Earlville also was the terminus of a number of branch lines that were operated by a Gas-Electric car or by a steam train. In either case, the train had to be turned in Earlville. A wye was built on the far west side of town, running through my Grandfather's property (south side of the mainline). His house was the last house on the west side of Earlville. The wye has since been removed.

The wye connected with the C&NW "Spring Valley Line" at Earlville which ran from DeKalb (I think) to Spring Valley. The line was constructed to supply the C&NW with coal for their steam locomotives. An interlocking tower was located at the junction of the two lines. At one point, there was passenger service on the line. My mother rode the C&NW from Earlville (the station was on the north side of the mainline half a mile or so from the junction) to Northern Illinois State Teachers College (now know as Northern Illinois University).

For additional information on the Spring Valley line see

https://guitarjourney.tripod.com/rayslasallecountyonlinemuseum/id37.html

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