Remember When: Marker’s significance lost in history?
Questions about the history of buildings, businesses and people find their way to this writer, and “most” are answered. However, this writer is stumped by the marker in front of 418 S. Broad St.
The east side of S. Broad between intersections with Winding and Perry in the late 1800s was near the railroad and contained two boarding houses and some houses.
Following the marker’s numbers 193- (last digit is missing), and assuming 1933 might be a date, (or it might have been 1933 miles from somewhere), that seemed like a good place to begin. Bingo! The Daily Eagle on 15 Sept. 1933 announced the opening of the new Lancaster Art Memorial Co. at 418 S. Broad St. Leo M. Brown was the business manager. J. Frank Welker was in charge of the engraving department. Welker previously had “14 years of experience in the employ of a large engraving concern.” They invited everyone in to see their Vermont granite monument display. They were open all evenings and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Lancaster Art Memorial Co. created a large memorial in Forest Rose Cemetery for the Fairfield County members of the Rainbow Division, 166th Inf. World War, 42nd Division. It was dedicated June 9, 1934. Proprietors Leo M. Brown and Gregory J. Verhoff announced (1 April 1938 E-G) they had installed new equipment that would them to “purchase stone from quarries in the rough form and shape and smooth it into the required design in their own shop.”
Because the company could execute the entire construction of monuments, and had recently installed a modern cutting machine, the company changed its name to the Lancaster Monument Manufacturing Co. (2 May 1940 E-G). In November they next installed a new surfacing machine that Leo Brown had designed, and Paul Alten of Wm. Alten’s Sons’ shop in Lancaster had produced. The “monster” weighed about 8½ tons. “It will accept any monument up to 10½ feet in length and 5½ feet in height.” With this equipment they were classed “as one of the outstanding monument manufacturing firms in the middle west.”
Surprisingly, nothing further was found in newspapers until a notice about the Browns appeared in the Eagle-Gazette (28 July 1941) that read: “Mr. and Mrs. Leo Brown…who plan to leave later this week for their new home in Oklahoma, were complimented when a group of friends and neighbors arranged an outing at Rising Park.”
An announcement appeared in the Frederick, Oklahoma newspaper (29 Aug. 1941) with this explanation: “Gregory J. Verhoff and Leo M. Brown, owners, together with five skilled workmen, all from Lancaster, O., are now employed in erecting the Century Granite Co. buildings and installing the equipment.” The business was to be located east of Snyder, OK, near a quarry where the owners found “The granite around Snyder is far superior to any they have heretofore seen.”
Leo M. Brown (1903-1989) was the son of George F. Brown (1875-1932), Lancaster grocer, and the father of two daughters and five sons. Leo married Anna Belle Mechling in 1928, then operated a grocery at 739 N. Columbus. They bought a house at 824 N. Columbus St. in 1930. He opened the Lancaster Art Memorial Co. in 1933, and then they left for Oklahoma in 1941. They were back to visit Lancaster occasionally, but died in Oklahoma.
Today, the building is owned by Dan Singer. So, if the marker that stands today in front of 418 S. Broad St. was placed there to remind us of Leo Brown’s life and company, it has done its job. If not, we hope someone reading this article will know the marker’s story and share it with this writer.
Readers may contact Harvey at joycelancastereg@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Remember When: Marker’s significance lost in history?
