July 20, 2020
#327

Thank you, Barbara Schock, for sharing your extraordinary gift of these vignettes of Galesburg & 19th century American history.

Avery Bros & Brooks Co. Advertisement Provided by the Galesburg Public Library Archives

The following article appeared in the Galesburg Republican-Register on March 4, 1882, on the first page. It was not labeled as an advertisement, but reading through it certainly makes clear the proprietors are ready to serve those in need of transportation or farm equipment. The newspaper was providing information about a new business in the city and the kinds of merchandise which were for sale. Sending a reporter to cover the new business would hopefully mean more advertising revenue for the newspaper.
 
“Wednesday we visited the agricultural warehouse of Avery Brothers and Brooks, on North Prairie Street, in the new building recently erected for this firm. We found them willing to give any information in regard to their business which we desired. After taking a look at the building, which is 38 feet wide by 107 feet long, we passed through the various rooms on a tour of observation. The southeast corner of the ground floor is occupied as an office by the firm, the remaining room is filled with Studebaker wagons, Buckeye harvesters, with Appleby’s improved twine binders, Adam’s corn shellers, New Department Cultivators, a full line of Canton and Grandetour plows, Avery’s cornplanters, and other agricultural implements. In this connection we would refer to Avery’s new walking cultivator. This cultivator is an improvement over the cultivators now in use in this, that in the old the horses have control of the cultivator, but in this the driver has control, that is, the arrangement is such that the driver by shifting handles moves the wheels and thus keeps the shovels in line with the corn, while in the old way the horses had to be turned in order to control the running of the cultivator. Every farmer who has looked at the cultivator is perfectly delighted.
 
“We next visited the upper floor of the establishment. Here we found a large room occupied by carriages and buggies, the make of L.& M. Woodhull, Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Queen Phaeton in this room pleases the eyes of all beholders. The room immediately adjoining the carriage room is to be filled with grass seeds, and the room next to this is filled with harness, both light and heavy, of which this enterprising firm will always keep on hand a full line.
 
“Here we terminated our visit and took our departure fully satisfied with the information we gained. If our readers want anything in the line of cheap, durable buggies and harness and agricultural implements it will pay them to call on Avery Brothers & Brooks. We assure them that they will be courteously treated even if you should not make a purchase.”
 
The newspaper reporter wrote a good description of the agricultural and transportation equipment available for sale at Avery Brothers & Brooks. We can note the Grandetour plows were the beginning of the John Deere enterprise, another agricultural implement manufacturer which still exists today.
 
Next week the history of the Avery family will join the list of stories in the “Sandburg’s Hometown” series.