The Hersey Staples Block, 1914
The year was 1914, just before the start of WWI. In the foreground are the streetcar tracks. In the background is the venerable Union Depot building. The Hersey Staples Block stood on the SE corner of Myrtle and Main Streets. At one time, Myrtle Street was to be where the lift bridge was to enter Stillwater. Perhaps this explains why the North-South dividing line for Stillwater is Myrtle Street. This location included a bank, a saloon, hardware store, grocery store, insurance office, lunch counter, tin shop and warehouse area. Today, the location is the former Cosmopolitan State Bank building which is used for an Antique shop. There must have been a lot of activity at this location with the Union Depot, Streetcar, Steamboat, Horse and buggy traffic and the nearby grain elevator all serving the various manufacturing and other businesses in Stillwater.
To take a "Time Tunnel" trip from 2016 to 1914, just click on the photo above.
This scene is from 1917. You can still see the trolley tracks and the Union Depot building in the background. This photo is from the John Runk Collection, courtesy of the Stillwater Public Library. The the 2017 photo was taken by Tom Wieland. The scene takes you from 1917 to 2017. The building that stands in place of the Hersey Staples Block is the Cosmopolitan Bank, now the Antique shop.
The McKusick Block, located on the Northwest corner of Myrtle and Main Streets. This photo was taken in 1886 and is sourced from the John Runk Collection, courtesy of the Stillwater Public Library. In the background you are able to see the Sawyer House. The streets were dirt at that time.
Narrative
by Robert Molenda
The McKusick Building was built in 1880. You have to exercise your history detective skills in order to see the ghost of the old building hidden in the building today. Presently, it is a two story building that has a marble facing. It covers the masonry brick frontage of the old building, but with a little effort, you can see the ghost of the old building that originally stood at this location.
To Read More About The McKusick Building, Click or Tap on the Highlighted Text.
This is an animated Time Tunnel between 1886 and 2018, showing the changes at the same location during this time period. The historical photo is from the John Runk Collection, courtesy of the Stillwater Public Library. Note the Sawyer house in the background to the left and the absence of the Post Office building to the rear of the McKusick Building. Then there are the dirt streets.
