113 South Main  

Section 16 History 1835-1922

1905 - Apr 6 - John Osborn is making preparations to build two business rooms south of Stahl’s grocery

1905 - Nov 30 The Central Union Telephone Company has leased a suit of rooms in the new- Osborn Block for fifteen years. New booths, furniture, etc., will be bought and Culver will have one of, the best equipped telephone stations in this section. We understand that new rural lines will be built soon, and on account of tho greatly increasing business, a new switchboard for two operators will be installed.

Telephone history

and the other was at 113 Main st. where the Cafe Max and Culver Reservations LLC is now at. It was home to the Home Theater, Werner's Jewelery and the Telephone Exchange office [upstairs], Oberlin's Appliance Kline' Appliance also.

1906 - S. S. - 1906  

1906, Feb 15 furniture store - J. F. Weis & Ezra Hawkins

New Business Firm


J. F. Weis and Ezra Hawkins formed a partnership last Satruday and will open a dempartment store in the south room of the Osborn Block

Furniture is to be the principal line but they will sell muscial instruments, sewing machines and five and ten cent specialties.

This adds another strong firm to the business of Culver.

Messrs Weiss and Hawkins were at Chicago Monday and Tuesday and bought a large stock of goods which will be on sale

Culver Department Store  

Hand's - 1910- 1912  

1910 Oct 27 hand's grocery has moved to the building formerly occupied by the Culver Department Store

1910 Nov. 24 a new front is being put on the osborn building vacated recently by Hand's grocery.

1911 - July 27 Hand's Delivery Service has been improved by a new and up-to-date wagon.

1912 - May 30 John Osborn has had water service introduced to the following stores: Slattery, Hollett, Mitchell & Stabenow. and Hand.

1914 Grocery - Crocekry - 1914   Conklin's Grocery - could this be the one and same

1910's Hand & Co. Grocery - W. E. Hand  

Nov. 21, 1910 - A new front is being put on the osborn building, vacated recently by Hand's grocery

4 Sep 1918 - In Hands of Receiver.
W. E. Hand turned his grocery and meat business over to W. O. Osborn in voluntary assignment last Friday. If the creditors are satisfied with this arrangement court proceedings will bnot be necessary.

Clarence Hollett has been places in charge and will continue the business as usual. The store did a $50,000 business last year and $5,400 in July of this year.

The trouble seems to be largely the credit system, and there is apparently no reason why on a cash basis the creditors should not realize their claims and that eventually the business will be turned back to Mr. Hand in good shape.


1919 March 12, - The Hand grocery stock has been sold to Warner Bros., who will make a closing out sale of it. The vacated room will be occupied by the new picture theatre.

1920-1 Home Theater Home Theater - John Osborn

1922-1 - Werner Jewlery Store, Howard Werner moved from across street (1911) later upstairs

John Werner describes this building as follows:
Along about 1920 or 1921 my father decided it was time for a change to improve his business. To this end he rented a small store across the street in the next block which was in the actual "business district" in Culver . The store that he rented was one-half of a standard sized store and actually consisted of about one-half of the front entrance of a theater that Mr. John Osborn was opening. This theater was built backwards with the screen in the front near the entrance and showed silent films only, since talking pictures had not yet been invented...

until Mr. Osborn decided to enlarge the front of his theater to make it look like a conventional theater. He had already reversed the screen to the back where it should have been all the time. To make this screen shift meant that we lost about three fourths of our back porch, but we didn't mind since the projection booth was now just outside our back door...

1922 Sep 20 - Jewler Werner's friends and patrons are glad to see him in his new and up-to-date quarters in the Osbonr block. Mr. Wernes is in line with the general upward movement among our business men

1924 - "s" (sanborn map)

? - 1925, spring - Medbourn & McClane Grocery

Home Grocery

1925, spring - Oct. 1925 Home Grocery - - - A. W. Zeichel

1925, Oct - Home grocery - Claude Studebaker

Home grocery - Oct 1925 Pat McHmahan

20 Dec 1933 - Paul Snyder has purchased the Medbourn grocery store on South Main street, taking Possession Dec. 18.

The grocery will take the name Snyder's Grocery. Mr. Sndyer several years in the grocery business. Mr. Medbourn has resumed his job as a traveler for a manufacturing concern, and will continue to live in Culver.

1933, 18 Dec. - 3 Jan 1934 Snyder's Grocery - - Paul Snyder 1934, 3 Jan - 6 March 1944 - Ben W. Oberllin

Paul snyder sold his grocery stock to Ben Oberlin. - 3 Jan 1934 Culver citizen

Assuming this was moved up a couple of store fronts - to 109 S. Main since he had a grocery there.

1937 as 'S' (sanborn map)

1942 - Jul 1 - Osborn Block Painted - The fronts of the stores in the Osborn Block and the Culver City store have been given coats of white paint, giving a greatly improved appearance to the business section of town.

?- 1952 - Oberlin Electric Appliance Store Ben Oberlin 

1952 June 18 – Raymond E. Kline has purchased Oberlin Electric Appliance Store.

1952- 1959 - Kline's Appliance Store, moved to 102 N. Main

M & M Restaurant 1959 - 1972, May /Jun Mildred Ditmire & Marcella White

The M & M 1972- 1973 - Unknown owner & then Jancie Colleen Sensibaugh The new owner name forgotten took over sometime in May/June of 1972; closing for a week or to to do some re-modeling. This person as owner did not last very long. One of the former owners of the M& M Mildred V. Ditmire worked for Sensihaugh's for a period of time afterwards.

1974 - Apr Home Resturant Home Restaurant - Marje and Bill Rinehart

197_- 1985, June 30 - Nan-E-Lou Restaurant 197_-198_ Nancy Curtis & Louise Measels (building Owner Andy Vernum)

198_- 30 June 1985 - Nan-E-Lou Restaurant - Louise Measels (building Owner Andy Vernum)

The Nan-E-Lou restaurant has been purchased by Susie Mahler and renamed Cafe Max

1985 - Jun 30 ? Cafe Max - Susie Mahler

OP LOT 4 N 21'

OP LOT 5 S 5' COMMON STAIRCASE with 111 S. Main.