The evolution of key South Hannibal business district

The brick storefront, photo contributed by Archie Hayden, shows the newly built Union Pharmacy at the corner of Fifth (Birch) and Union, (501 Union) completed at the end of 1906.

The frame building that is pictured was located to the south of the brick building, on Union Street. One man, with a mustache, appears in both photos. Research suggests that beginning in 1905, John Heavenridge conducted a drug store in the single-story frame building which originally stood on the site of the brick building. That frame building was torn down, and Heavenridge likely moved his drug store into the frame building, pictured, to the south on Union Street, during construction. Then when the brick building was complete, he moved his drug store into the corner storefront, on the southwest corner of Fifth (Birch) and Union - numbered at the time 501 Union.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

There was a flurry of business movement on Union Street during the first decade of the 20th Century.

In 1903, Harry T. Marseilles (1857-1924) operated a feed store at 501 Union St. The building was a single-story, frame structure, located on the southwest corner of Union and Fifth (Birch) streets.

In June that same year, Marseilles temporarily moved his stock of feed into the building of Edward Eales’ grocery store, located at 644 Union.

Then, in 1905, the Hannibal city directory carried an advertisement for a drug store operated by John Heavenridge (1868-1951), located in the same building which previously housed the Marseilles feed store.

The following year, in 1906, Edward Eales (1864-1941) purchased one fourth of Out Lot 31, from Mrs. Anna E. Picken (Lovett) (1858-1921). It consisted of land near Madison, Union, Fifth and Sixth Street, South Hannibal.

The building that previously housed the Marseilles feed store at 501 Union was removed, and work began on a replacement building - a two-story brick structure located on the corner of Union and Fifth (Birch) streets.

The replacement building will be remembered in 2026 by those of a mature age as the building where Larry Janes and his family operated Larry’s Bar in the 1960s, and where Frank and Martha Janes operated Union Bar prior to that.

Newspapers of the day chronicled this building’s construction. The address of the building was changed in 1912 from 501 Union Street, to 500 Union Street. (At that time, the address of South Hannibal’s fire station was designated 501 Union.)

May 24, 1906: The bricklayers employed on the new Eales building are pushing the work as fast as possible. Work on the second story was begun several days ago and in about a week’s time this part of the building will be finished, when the inside work will be commenced. New steel lintels between the first and second stories have also been put in.

May 30, 1906: The bricklayers completed the brick work on Ed Eales’ new building which is being erected on Union Street, yesterday. Robert Elgin had the contract for it and was assisted by four other bricklayers. The woodwork of the building will be started at once, as the contractors expect to finish it in a few weeks.

June 6, 1906: The gas company had a force of men yesterday at work connecting the gas main with the light system of the new Ed Eales building.

June 6, 1906: Yesterday the concrete foundation under the northeast corner of the new building of Edward Eales, on Union street, cracked from the pressure of the bulk of the corner entrance being too great for the side of the concrete base. It was necessary to secure blocks and jack the corner up to save it from falling. A large base will be constructed and remedy the present condition.

June 9, 1906: Charles Ragan was busy yesterday building a new corner foundation under the Eales building on Union street.

June 26, 1906: The South Side granitoid company yesterday commenced the construction of the walk around Edward Eales’ new building on Fifth (Birch) and Union Streets.

July 8, 1906: Work on Edward Eales’ new building is progressing rapidly. The building is now ready for the installing of the store front.

July 20, 1906: Rumor is the god of a curious public and it had certainly been at work in the Fourth ward. Yesterday and Wednesday it was widely circulated and the subject thoroughly gossiped about that Edward Eales had leased one of the storerooms in his new building on Union street, to parties who would start a saloon in the place. The report which seemed to agitate a number of temperance advocates on the South Side, was without any verification.

Aug. 28, 1906: John Heavenridge, the Union street druggist, was employed yesterday in arranging his storeroom in the new Ed Eales building preparatory to its occupation by him.

Aug. 31, 1906: John Heavenridge yesterday, moving his stock of drugs from the old stand on Union street (possibly 503 Union, in a frame building to the south of the new building under construction) into the new Eales building, on the same thoroughfare. Mr. Heavenridge has the corner storeroom of the new building and is arranging to furnish the room up in benefitting style.

Sept. 11, 1906: The new second hand store on Union street started yesterday. The building (503 Union) formerly occupied by the John Heavenridge stock of drugs has been rented by Harry Marseilles and Lee Hodge who will conduct the second hand store. Mr. Marselles will remain in charge of his teaming and feed business and Mr. Hodge will take the management of the new concern.

April 21, 1907: J. Heavenridge, proprietor of the Union Pharmacy, yesterday put up his new soda fountain. The fountain is a beautiful as well as a fine one, there being none in the city like it. It is the kind used in the big cities and is a great attraction to Mr. Heavenridge’s store. It will necessarily take a number of days to get the new fountain in running order, but the proprietor hopes to be dishing out the iced beverage some time this week.

1909: William R. Knight and his wife, May, proprietors of Union Pharmacy, 501 Union.

Dec. 18, 1909: W.R. Knight, the Union street druggist, received a letter a few days ago from John Heavenridge, formerly proprietor of the Union Pharmacy. Mr. Heavenridge states that he is doing fine at Pueblo, Colo., as proprietor of a grocery store in that city.

In the same newly constructed brick building:

1910-1912: Frank and Henry Owens.

1912-1929 (+/-) : Weatherford Drugs, Charles and Nannie.

1937 (+/-) : W.T. Hostetter grocery.

Note: John Heavenridge ultimately moved to Miami, Fla. In February, 1917, he mailed a coconut to his brother, Joe, who was living in Canon City, Colo. John mailed the coconut without any wrapping paper of any kind. He just affixed a piece of white paper with his brother’s address to the coconut husk and sent it parcel post. John’s wife, Zoetta Snodgrass Heavenridge, and their infant son, died in mid January 1917, in Miami. John Heavenridge died  in June 1951, at Palmyra, Mo.

Union Bar

Circa 1948: Frank and Martha Janes operated Union Bar at 500 Union, and later their son, Larry, operated Larry’s Bar for about another decade.

Pat Janes, Frank and Martha’s youngest son, believes his parents were living upstairs over the bar when he was born in 1948.

“Dad died in 1968,” Pat said, and after that, “Larry developed a very good luncheon menu and did delivery services, to Western Printing and shoe factories for lunch. Mom would cook it all up hot and I would jump in truck and deliver it.

“In the evening, Larry made pizza, and I would deliver it.

“When I was growing up, that was really the hub of the neighborhood. The fire station was across the street; Tucker had a shoe shop, then there was the Owens drug store, we were right across the street. Everybody came down Union or Fulton. That’s where all the teens hung out.”

Next week: The Owens pharmacy era.

John Heavenridge advertised his new drug store in the 1905 Hannibal city directory, accessed via the Hannibal Free Public Library’s website. The original store was torn down, and replaced by a two-story brick building.