Haarig District aerial in detail

This aerial photograph, above, by G.D. Fronabarger shows the Haarig business district. South Sprigg street, in the foreground, connects with Good Hope street. The steeple of St. Mary Cathedral is seen at the left with St. Mary's School next to it. The photo looks to be from the 1940s.

The photo above shows a building with the sign, Bamby Baking Co., on the wall at 533 Good Hope, as listed in the 1949 city directory. A gas station is across the street on the corner of Good Hope and Frederick street, listed as Wides Oil Co. Behind it, the 1942 directory lists Sunny Hill Seed warehouse at 249 S. Frederick.

Across Frederick street to the west on the corner, the 1942 directory lists The Green Tree Billiards at 600 Good Hope. The 1949 directory lists Sunny Hill Feed & Seed at that location. On the corner at 601 Good Hope, across from Bamby Baking Co., Ideal Tavern is listed in 1942 directory. The Orpheum Theatre, 615 Good Hope, is in the lower left corner of the photo.

Bamby Baking Co. was sold to R.J. Lewis of Anna, Ill. in 1955. It became Bunny Bread.

Read more about the early history of Wielpuetz Bakery and Bamby Bread in this blog.

In this portion in the upper left corner, the 1949 directory lists St. Mary Cathedral at 204 S. Sprigg; St. Mary's School at 208; L.B. Price Mercantile Co, 224; two houses; Model Barber Shop, 236; Hirsch Bros. Co. dry goods, 241. On the corner across from Hirsch is Cofer Clothing Co., men's clothing, 636 Good Hope; across the street is Cape Cut Rate Drugs, 635. To the west on the corner is Farmers & Merchants Bank, 701 S. Sprigg; Hirsch Building, 706.

The William Hirsch house, in the lower left corner, was at 720 Good Hope St. The house was built around 1860. With massive, 13-inch-thick brick walls, it had nine rooms and two halls on the two main floors, with four more rooms in the basement and one on the attic level. Hirsch's father, George Hirsch, founded a mercantile store at Sprigg and Good Hope streets on July 4, 1876, naming it the Centennial Store. It later became Hirsch's Thriftway. Expansion of the store's parking lot caused the old Hirsch home to be demolished in 1958. --from Lost and Saved Landmarks

Read about Hirsch Brothers stores in this blog.

Read about Farmers & Merchants Bank in this blog.

To the south of Cape Cut Rate Drugs, the 1949 directory lists Walter A. Froemsdorf, barber, 312; The Kuehn Co., electric appliances, 314; John Lando shoe repair, 316; Kimmich's Cafe, 318; Parham's Plumbing & Heating, 320; Joe Culotta, liquors, 322. Some of these businesses were located in the Nussbaum block built in 1936.

In the lower right corner is Lesem Tire Co., 325 S. Sprigg. Read more in this blog.

The bank building was razed in 1995 and the Salvation Army headquarters was built on the property.