Store: E. J. Ingham Store

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Ingham, Lesar, Altenburn, Quast, Thompson

----Source: Family Scrapbook

Aaron Altenburn and E. J. Ingham came from Illinois and Tioga, and started a store where Mary Lesar's store now stands. This was about 1916-1917. Later Altenburn went to work for the Farmers Store in Greenwood. Mr. Ingham's son Rae, who had owned a store in Tioga, joined his father and they formed the E. J. Ingham & Son Store.

In this building was also a grist mill for grinding grain. This was powered by a large single cylinder engine with a huge exposed "fly wheel". This engine ran on gasoline. To start it up you had to get the wheels in motion by cranking on them with a long bar, which caught in notches on the wheel. This was the very first mill in Willard.

In this store also was the Post Office of which Mr. Ingham was the Postmaster. Mr. Quast operated the store. Quast & Company eventually bought the stock in this store and moved it to the Zallar store.

Harley Thompson, Mr. Ingham's son-in-law was assistant post master and also had a soft drink and ice cream parlor there - until a new postmaster was appointed and a new building was built, just east of the railroad tracks. This is the building that is now being used.