Shenker family set the standard for dry goods sales in Hannibal

The tombstone of Mary J. Shenker is located in section D, lot 11, Riverside Cemetery, Hannibal. The marker is located to the south of the flag pole. Photo by D.J. Fohey, Findagrave.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

A small tombstone located in Hannibal’s Riverside Cemetery serves as a lasting memorial to the young daughter of one of Hannibal’s earliest businessmen.

Mary F. Shenker was born in 1866 to Alvin and Mary Aspinwall Shenker. The child died on Oct. 26, 1870, at the age of 4. Her remains were laid to rest in Section D11 of the historic Hannibal cemetery.

Now, 155 years later, the tombstone is tangible proof of the family’s occupancy in Hannibal, which lasted from circa 1867, when Mr. Shenker, German born, first opened a dry goods store on Main Street. The residency continued until the family relocated to Omaha, Neb., in 1888.

New business

On March 21, 1867, A. Shenker and Co., advertised in the Weekly Courier a new dry goods business at 56 Main Street, Hannibal, Mo. Shenker took over the stock of J.H. Gibson’s old stand, and was offering that merchandise at bankruptcy-sale prices, plus was introducing a new selection of spring and summer merchandise.

(In 1866, in partnership with W.H. Jones, J.H. Gibson operated a dry goods business on the east side of Main, between Bird and Hill.)

Prior to moving to Hannibal, Shenker served with the Third Regiment, U.S. Reserve Corp, Missouri Infantry, for the Union Army during the Civil War, attaining the rank of sergeant.

He and Mary C. Aspinwall, a New York native, were married March 22, 1864, in St. Louis. She was the daughter of Esther M. Aspinwall, who was born 1812 in New York.

In 1865, Shenker was working as a salesman for Ubsdell, Barr, Duncan and Co., located at 4th, Vine and St. Charles streets in St. Louis. The Shenkers were making their home on Missouri Avenue, between Lafayette and Park Avenue, St. Louis.

(While Shenker’s business in Hannibal would carry his surname, a notation in the 1879 Hannibal city directory suggests that he was in partnership with William Barr, of the aforementioned St. Louis dry goods business.)

He operated his Hannibal business in at least four different locations:

1867

56 Main Street, the former home of J.H. Gibson’s stand, located on the east side of Main, between Bird and Center streets.

1873-1974

Northwest corner of Broadway and Third (300 Broadway).

1875-1885

112, 114 and 116 N. Main St.

1886-1888:

411 and 413 Broadway, across from Central Park.

Employees in 1885 included:

Willie Ainge, cash boy, boarded 314 S. Third, South Hannibal;

W.R. Baskett, clerk, boarded Seventh and Center;

Mrs. M.S. Fletcher, clerk, home 107 S. Fifth;

Jonathan T. Glaves, clerk, resident of  207 7th, South Hannibal;

C.J. Lampton, clerk, boarded Planters House;

James Lampton, clerk, boarded Planters House;

Simon Liese, clerk, resides 314 S. Fifth;

Wilson Plowman, clerk, resided 300 N. Seventh; and

Jonathan Sydney, cashier, boarded 214 N. Third

Man of means

Alvin Shenker was a man of considerable means, listed in the Palmyra Spectator in 1869 as among the 38 Marion County men who reported an income, in excess of all tax exemptions. Prominent names on the list, besides Shenker, were J.L. Robards, A.J. Stillwell, C.O. Godfrey and J.J. Cruikshank Jr.

Stately house

In 1888, the Shenker family, including his mother-in-law, Mrs. Esther M. Aspinwall, was living at 403 N. Fifth, in a large two-story brick house on the northwest corner of Hill and Fifth Streets. According to the inventory nomination form for the Central Park Historic District, the house was built in the 1880s by Frederick Dubach, as a rental property. 

Omaha

In 1888, Shenker sold out his Hannibal business and moved with his family to Omaha, Neb., where he went to work as co-manager of the new Wm. Barr Dry Goods Company, located on the southwest corner of Sixteenth and Douglas. According to a newspaper report in the Omaha Evening Bee on Sept. 17, 1888, Shenker had been employed by the  Wm. Barr Co., for “a great many years.”

In 1889, Mr. Shenker experienced a frightening encounter with a store employee, as reported in the Jan. 22, 1889 edition of the Omaha Evening Bee.

Mr. Shenker informed an employee at the Omaha store that his services were no longer required. That employee followed Mr. Shenker back to his desk. 

The now former employee took exception to Mr. Shenker’s explanation, “and applied offensive epithets to Mr. Shenker, who was seated within his railed office. The abuse became violent, and Mr. Shenker walked out into the cloakroom to try to locate,” the man,  “when still more offensive epithets were applied. Mr. Shenker offered no resistance, but (the man) moved back and drew a revolver from his pocket and swore that he was going to shoot. Mr. Shenker, however, remained composed, and looked squarely into Franklin’s eyes with the effect of deterring him from raising his revolver; but it was for a moment only, because (the man)  jumped a few feet away to a pillar which stood near by, and raising the weapon, aimed at Mr. Shenker’s head. Mr. Shenker was unarmed, but steadily continued to look Franklin in the eye with the determination that if the latter should fire he would grab and disarm him.”

Mr. Shenker’s coolness “unnerved (the man), who put up his weapon and made a hasty retreat from the cloakroom to the street, and succeeded in eluding some of the clerks that started in pursuit.”

San Francisco

By 1891, the Shenker family had relocated from Omaha to San Francisco. Mr. Shenker worked for a large wholesale house based in that city, Murphy, Grant and Co. Mrs. Shenker’s sister, Ellen (born 1839) was married to Abijah Pond Everett, who had been a commission merchant in the city since 1872.

Alvin and Mary Shenker had one daughter who survived to adulthood, Nell Shenker, who was married to F.W. Brake on Aug. 23, 1894, at the home of her aunt, Mrs. Everett, 816 Sutter St., San Francisco.

Mr. and Mrs. Brake later had one daughter, Katherine A. Brake, born circa 1905.

Hannibal visit

Mrs. Shenker made at least two trips back to Hannibal to visit with friends, in 1900 and again in 1903. She was the guest of Mrs. Frederick L. (Louisa Zelie Grisard) Dubach, 300 N. Fifth St.

Mrs. Shenker died in 1909, and Mr. Shenker died in 1916. They are buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, Calif.

Business sites

Hannibal buildings where Mr. Shenker conducted business were later occupied by:

* 300 Broadway

1881: M.E. Huston, grocers

1885: Henry C. Graham, cigar manufacturer

1888: Armstrong and Elgin, book sellers

Circa 1912, Couier-Post

* 411 Broadway

1888: Hannibal Daily Courier, Labor Tribune

1925-37: Chocolate Shop confections and restaurant

2025: Elks Lodge

* 112 N. Main:

1937: Green Drug Co.

1985: Peg’s Winning Look

2025: Twisted Juniper Yoga

* 114-116 N. Main:

1937: Bowles’ Clothier

1970s: Lampton Clothiers

1985: Rampy’s Clothiers

2025: Savannah’s

Mary Lou Montgomery, Suburban Newspapers of America Editor of the Year, Dailies, 2010, retired as editor of the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post in 2014. She researches and writes narrative-style stories about the people who served as building blocks for this region’s foundation. Books available on Amazon.com by this author include but are not limited to: "The Notorious Madam Shaw," "Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’” “Oakwood: West of Hannibal,”  and “St. Mary’s Avenue District.” Montgomery can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com

The Hannibal Clipper newspaper carried this advertisement for A. Shenker & Co., in its June 6, 1874 edition. At this time, the business was located on the northwest corner of Third and Broadway.  newspapers.com

In 1908, A. Shenker was in business with his son-in-law, F.W. Brake, at 1006 Fillmore Street. This advertisement was published in the San Francisco Call on April 12, 1908. newspapers.com