News: Owen – Old Building Razed (Sep 1976)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Matson, Kitze, Salwach, Ciokiewicz, Haaya

---------Source: Owen Enterprise (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 22 Sep 1976

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the main street of Owen was blocked and the area full of dust, as the razing of the old building which once housed Kitze’s Tavern and Tony’s Shoe Shop.

The old building was occupied in the early 20th century by Alex Matson and Emil Haaya, who started operation in 1916 as the Matson and Haaya Grocery Store. On the other side, where Kitze’s Tavern was, there was a shoe store operated by Frank Salwach, and who at one time owned the whole building..

In 1933, when Prohibition went out and beer came back, Clarence Kitze opened his tavern, which he operated until July of 1974, when he sold out his liquor license to the Meadowview Country Club.

Tony Ciokiewicz later opened up his own shoe store and shoe repair shop, and occupied the space where the grocery store was earlier. Mr. Ciokiewicz retired from his business in the building recently, although he assists once in a while in the repair department in Larry’s Shoe Store in Owen.