Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society

Photo Album

How everyone enjoys a parade! This early Sterling street scene is quite fascinating. It appears to be the corner of Third Street and 4th Avenue, but that's not certain. The sign above the white building on the corner reads "Smith & McCune Grocers"; other business signs are D. M. Crawford, Peebles Bros, Wolf's Clothing House. Various directories indicate that Peeble Bros were established about 1865 and not in business in 1885, so photo would be of that period. Further, the 1870 US Census for Sterling, Ward 2, has a J. S. Peebles, 32, Grocer Retail, listed as well as an Isaac Wolf, 23, Clothing Store. A couple of two wheel hose carts for fighting fires are shown at lower left, and in the original photo one can almost read the lettering on the drum in foreground where the words "Band" and "Dixon" can be seen.

Early Sterling street scene
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