the capacity of cashier in the Battle Creek Valley Bank were: John R. Witzigmam, G. C. Benning and in 1915 by Emil Winter; then in 1920 G. C. Benning came again when Mr. Winter fell ill, and finally O. J. Nelson and Kinley Hogrefe. In 1900, the Board of Directors included T. C. Osborn, J. W. Risk, G. A. Luikart, S. K. Warrick, Henry Massman, L. B. Baker, Fred Scheerger, F. H. L. Willis and Herman Hogrefe. The bank was located where the Madison County A.S.C. Office is now located. After the fire in 1930, it was moved to the Citizens State Bank building where the Doering Drug Store is now located. The Citizen's State Bank was merged with the Battle Creek Valley Bank in 1928. The bank failed in 1930.
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Railroad was built to Battle Creek in 1879 and then extended west. The Northwestern Line in 1900 was advertising that the F.E. and M.V.R.R. (Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad) was the only route to and from the Black Hills, Deadwood and Hot Springs. That was before automobile travel and after the stage coach lines had long gone into oblivion, even the horse and buggy era was due to fade.
First automobiles came about 1910 and became common about 1914, 1915, and 1916. Hot Springs was for many years a favorite vacationing and health spot. The Northwestern (C&NWRR as it was then called) would run special trains to the Black Hills.
L. B. Baker was still in business in the present Tietgen Lumber Company site. His elevator was situated between the lumber shed and the depot. He also still had his large barn to house his stock in the southeast corner to the south where the Rupert Arkfeld home is now situated. Not long afterwards the J. W. Risk family moved into town and occupied the residence now the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Schott. Mr. Baker also had feed lots on the land now owned by the William Mantey family. Mr. Baker always ran a lot of livestock. The old lumber yard and grain business by 1900 had already been in the hands of Howard Miller for about 10 years. His yard is where the present R.E.A. office and warehouse are presently located with the elevator where the Battle Creek Grain Company is now located. The coal shed stood west of the elevator and directly across the street from the lumber shed where the R.E.A. now has its pole yards, was Miller's hog buying yards. There were times of the year when all the perfume in Paris would not have helped dampen the perfume emanating from the hog yards. People evidently were accustomed to it and there was no ordinance against it.
P. F. Zimmerman and Company dealt in farm implements, tubular and drive wells, wood windmill towers, and cedar and oak posts. This was the old George Zimmerman establishment across the alley from the Doering Drug Store. George Zimmerman was then in business in the corner building where the Baker Hardware Store was recently located. George had a fine stock of Hardware and shoes. The Pet Zimmerman home was where the Ed Scott home now stands; the house was moved by Charles Zimmerman and is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Hoffman. The George Zimmerman home was the one where the Roy Schackers now live.
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