Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
SCHROEDER-KLEINE GROCER COMPANY
SCHROEDER-KLEINE GROCER COMPANY. Started in 1853, the company incorporated and merged with J. P. FERRING AND COMPANY and F. A. Rumpf in 1892. (1) The business occupied buildings located at 90 to 104 and 70 to 78 South Main Street and employed twenty-seven people. Strictly a wholesale grocer, the company had seven representatives traveling Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In addition to staple and fancy groceries, the company carried many items such as wrapping paper, broom racks, butter tubs, egg cases, scales of various sizes, and a large line of delivery baskets of different materials and sizes.
The Schroeder-Kleine Grocer Company supplied a diverse assortment of goods to grocers throughout the upper Midwest region. Similar to the M.M. Walker building, the Schroeder-Kleine Co. building was fully electrified and each floor was readily accessible by freight elevators. (2) Popular brands carried by the firm included Tiger, Post Boy, and Western Chief.
The nearly identical brick buildings were designed in the Romanesque style. At the turn of the 20th Century, the two grocer companies were considered to be most prominent wholesale food distributors in the upper Midwest region. The M.M. Walker Company was a wholesale fruit distributor and was said to have the cold-storage capacity to store 14 rail cars. It had a refrigerated first floor, ice room on the second, and warehouse space on the third floor. (3) Both building when constructed were near the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul and ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD side tracks giving them definite advantages when ordering or shipping. (4)
The Riverworks Building, 40-44 Main Street, was the first downtown rehabilitation of warehouse buildings. The warehouse buildings were constructed in 1894 for the Schroeder-Kleine Grocer Company (44 Main Street) and the M. M. WALKER COMPANY (40 Main Street). The building’s owners, Chris Miller and Patrick Duffy concluded the two year rehabilitation effort in 2011. The project was undertaken with United States Green Building Council LEED principles in mind and certification was under consideration. The rehabilitation included the restoration of storefronts, millwork, interior beams, brickwork, and flooring. The building also received new efficient windows and mechanical systems on all three floors.
The owners created 50 market rate apartments and commercial space. To finish the project, a 1,300 square foot rooftop terrace with views of the Mississippi River was built. The buildings are listed on the City of Dubuque historic register as well as the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. The project was an example of how well sustainable development and historic restoration projects come together to create places where people want to live and work. (5)
The 1884-1885 through 1890-91 Dubuque City Directory listed 394 Main as the address of this wholesale grocer.
The 1899-1900 and 1915 Dubuque City Directory listed 90-104 S. Main as the address.
The 1922 and 1923 Dubuque City Directory listed 44-48 Main.
The 1939 and 1941 Dubuque City Directory listed 40-42 Main for this wholesaler.
The officers were Frank SCHROEDER, president; Fred A. Rumpf, vice-president; John H. Kleine, secretary and treasurer; and John P. Ferring, assistant secretary and treasurer.
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Source:
"Dubuque's Wholesale Grocers Among the Oldest Concerns in Iowa," Telegraph Herald, March 10, 1910, p. 1
1. "A Consolidation," Dubuque Daily Herald, October 20, 1892, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=_OG5zn83XeQC&dat=18921020&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
2. "10th Annual Ken Kringle Historic Preservation Awards Announced," New Release. City of Dubuque, Online: http://www.cityofdubuque.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2759
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.