munity was ever present. He served on the town board for many years.

George Venable was Justice of the Peace, real estate, loan and collection agent, with offices over the Battle Creek Valley Bank. Mr. Venable was an early day mason by trade. His first home is now occupied by the Arden Smiths. He built many brick foundations and a number of buildings in Battle Creek. He also built two brick houses for himself for his own home. One of them is presently the Marvin James home which he sold to Joseph Shipley, and the other stood where the Gus Praeuners now live. Gus had it razed a few years ago when he built their new home. This was Carl Prauner's family home when he retired. John Prauners when they retired, built the home across the street to the east now owned by George Schroeder.

Ahlman brothers were advertising the "Norfolk Bicycle Works" with chain or chainless "Ahlman Special."

In 1900, the card of Dr. I. J. Daniel, physician and surgeon, appeared as did also the card of Dr. Edward Tanner. The sick, lame and halt had the best of care. This was before the days of hospitals outside of large cities, so that surgery was often performed in the home and hospital births were unheard and unthought of.

It was about 1905 that W. L. Boyer opened a general merchandise store in the east part of the old Battle Creek Valley Bank building. By 1910 his business had grown so that he built the large building now occupied by Koudelka's Market. The Boyers for many years occupied the residence now the home of the Alfred Stuckwisch family. About 1919 they sold this house and built the large house across the street now owned and occupied by the Wayne Werner family.

E. F. Hans, the father of Nelda Brechler, whom we all know, had a saloon in the building now housing the Village Inn. T. L. White, a fine polished gentleman coming from Virginia, had a drug store where the Phil Hughes Tavern is now located and for many years served on the school board. The following ad appeared in the Enterprise before the turn of the century. They had a unique way of advertising, usually run as a news item. "Is your child puny, peeked and peevish? Does it fret and cry without seeming cause? Does it have convulsions? If so, it has worms and White's Cream Vermifuge will safely expel them and restore health. 25¢ at White Drug Company." When the Citizen's State Bank was founded, Mr. White sold his drug business to Thomas Morris who in later years sold to the Hoover Drug Company (Edgar and Jesse Hoover).

Mr. Morris married Jennie Avery, a daughter of one of the early settlers and depot agent. Mrs. Morris was one of the first telephone company operators when the telephone company was organized and built in Battle Creek about 1900.

Edgar Hoover married Bertha Nicolay, another early day telephone operator. Mrs. Hoover now lives in the home they bought and were remodeling at the time of Edgar's death. Jesse Hoover

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