hydrant to pump water through the mains to fight the fire. The businesses in the building at that time were the banking rooms and the Shaffer Grocery on the first floor, the Battle Creek Mutual Insurance Company and Zimmerman Insurance Agency offices and also the Dr. F. X. Radloff and the Dr. Frank Lund offices on the second floor. This site is now occupied by the Clemens' building which houses the Madison County A.S.C. Office.

Battle Creek Valley Bank Fire, January 14, 1930

Fred Brechler married Dora Tiedgen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Tiedgen, early homesteaders. Joe Brechler married a young seamstress, Mary Haman, who lived with her brother, Charles Haman, a druggist, who came to Battle Creek for employment from Clearwater. Joe Brechler passed away in 1888. Mollie Taylor wrote a very poignant story of Mr. Brechler's passing as he, in the few short years he lived here, had shown such great interest in the public school.

Among other people who came from Wisconsin was George Zimmerman, who went first to Humphrey and in 1884 came to Battle Creek to engage in the implement business on the site across the alley south from the Doering Drug Store corner. George, with his cousin J. F. Miller, first settled and took land in the late seventies near the town of Humphrey. The east part of that town is now situated on a part of the Zimmerman land. George Zimmerman was the father of Elizabeth Zimmerman, Minnie Roemer, the late Julia Tillotson and the late Gustav Zimmerman. The brother, Peter F. Zimmerman, came in 1886 to engage in business with his brother George. Peter F. Zimmerman was the father of Charles C. Zimmerman. A sister of the Zimmerman brothers came to Battle Creek with her husband and family about 1895. This was the Chas. Lambert family. Mr. Lambert engaged in the implement business with his brother-in-law Peter Zimmerman and later farmed southwest of town, still later moving to Ewing about 1913. Mrs. Chas. Praeuner, Mrs. Herman Bierman, and Mrs. Clyde Osborn were daughters of the Lamberts.

In the late eighties came another cousin, L. F. Merz. He first

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