Et cetera : Vinton Yesterday: What do you remember about... local workplaces?

By Vinton Today · January 27, 2015, 5:49 pm

Editor's Note: We are beginning a new series about the history of the Vinton area and what our readers remember.

We are asking you: What do you remember about Vinton work places?

Hawk-Bilt?

Iowa Ham?

IBSSS?

Vinton Popcorn?

The canning facility?

Perfex?

Me Too?

Others?

Share your thoughts in the comment section!

If you have any photos, please feel free to share them with our other readers by emailing them to us at vintontoday@hotmail.com.

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M(S January 27, 2015, 8:04 pm I remember the Green Giant Canning Factory. On Sweet Corn Day you got free sweet corn if you took a container to the Factory! Yummmy!!! Wonderful memories!

JM January 27, 2015, 8:50 pm I worked at the MeToo Store in the meat department--wrapping meat.

mw January 28, 2015, 1:19 pm What about Northwestern Bell? There were real live operators in Vinton until 1973 - Above the Coffee Shop and then on 4th Street in the \"new\" building.

Editor\'s Note: Marge: Thanks and tell us more!

RB January 28, 2015, 1:31 pm My best memory of businesses gone would be Gentle\'s fruit and candy section of their small grocery store located next to the then American Legion hall. I also still have my $1.00 purchase at Bird Hardware. It was for a S & P set for my mom for mother\'s day. Mr. Bird gave me 3 cents to pay the bill in full. :)

RB January 28, 2015, 1:35 pm Too bad we don\'t have another Esther Williams to ask. She could have filled you in on everything.

GHK January 28, 2015, 1:51 pm I remember Knaack\'s Jewelry which would be part of US Bank now. It began in the old days as Bill\'s, then William\'s, then Knaack\'s, then Wirth\'s before Paul moved it across the street. My Mom Aileen Holtz worked there for all. I worked there during my teen years - 1957 - 1960. Wish I had pictures of the interior of the store.

RK January 28, 2015, 2:32 pm I was raised in Vinton and graduated in 1952. I left there in 1954, but do remember some things, I think. The old canning factory was along the railroad, east of the Depot. The canning factory originally canned corn and green beans at that facility, and peas at 1st Ave and 2nd St. down by the river bridge, under the name Tendersweet. Green Giant bought them out, and closed the facility.
The IBSSS is what we called the School for the Blind out around 11th street and G ave. The buildings are still there. The Me Too was a grocery store downtown- 1st ave and 5th st or at 2nd ave and 4th street.

That\'s about it for me on this quiz.
Robert Kimm Class of 1952 now in Phoenix, Arizona.

RK January 28, 2015, 2:38 pm Vinton Popcorn:Who could forget Donnley\'s popcorn stand on 4th Street between 1st and 2nd ave. Fresh popcorn on Wednesday nights when we had band concerts at the Court House lawn, and it was open on Saturday nights for the rural shopping night, too. Best popcorn in the world. Robert Kimm

RW January 28, 2015, 2:40 pm Woods Grocery Lori\'s Cafe
Dog&Suds Vinton Crib & Silo
Vinton cafe Mode O\'day
Briggs Cafe Pigly Wigly
Wards Bakery Fellers
Byrds Hardware JCPenney
Hildas Flowers Troops
Simons Ervins
Greenwood Cheverlet dealer
Vinton Hotel

RK January 28, 2015, 2:49 pm I worked for Lyle Grove in the Western Auto Store on 1st Ave and 5th St as a 12 yr old Boy Scout, and up into high school. Remember Geyers bakery next door? And the Maid-Rite on 4th ST where the kids hung out.
Vinton had Ervin\'s Pontiac-Buick, Van Wechels Chevy-Oldsmobile, a Ford-Mercury dealer, Hudson, Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge, Jeep and a half dozen or so Tractor and farm equipment sales.

What a great place to grow up.

NK January 28, 2015, 5:43 pm I remember Carl\'s Cafe on 4th Street across the street from the court house. I also fondly remember Leach\'s (sp?) west of the Palace Theater on 4th Street, where you could get a great Maid-Rite. Then there was the A&W Drive-In on 218 on the west side of town. And who can forget the \"comfort station\" on the north side of 4th Street between 1st and A Avenue? A handy place for a pit-stop on those long shopping sprees at Christmas.

RB January 28, 2015, 7:11 pm 2nd pool hall was owned and operated by Joseph Patava. Fareway store was across the street east- now Barnes. And yes wards bakery north a couple of doors- nothing better than his Cherry Cokes.

GHK January 28, 2015, 7:52 pm Am reading some Vinton History I ran across interesting info about the hotel. There were several hotels in the very early days but the Vinton Hotel was built in 1874 as The Ralyea House owned by Mr. Ralyea. A three story brick building. There is a little park there now across from McDowell\'s and the library.

SC January 29, 2015, 11:01 am My husband and I owned Cromer\'s Farm Store which was located where Ervin\'s Motor is now located on Hwy 218. We sold the business to Theisen\'s in the late 80\'s and consequently they moved the business further north on the highway. Before my father in law relocated the business on the highway, it was located where Mossman Law Firm is across from the court house. Previous to being at the Mossman building it was located across from Nelson Furniture...alot of history here....Cromer\'s was in business from 1960 until 1989.

JPP January 29, 2015, 7:10 pm My two favorite memories of stores at home has to be LaGrange\'s soda fountain. I remember the cherry cokes, the chocolate cokes and the graveyard cokes. Also, Lee\'s Bakery where we kids hung out after school. There\'s no hometown better than Vinton, Iowa! I miss it.

JE January 30, 2015, 1:49 pm i remember Jeff\'s candy kitchen, where you could also get cherry and other cokes.

DW January 30, 2015, 11:14 pm Leach\'s, Tip top & A Ave. Tap

DW January 30, 2015, 11:16 pm C Ave. Standard

JW January 31, 2015, 2:05 pm Me Too where the Gentle sisters worked. They would have a photographer in there occasionally, my 5 year old picture was taken there, fat lip and all! All 5 of us kids had picture taken there that day too.
Coast-to-Coast store, Penny and I purchased Dad\'s weather radio there.
Feller\'s dime store.
Ben Franklin\'s - The west wall was loaded with Christmas toys when it was on the corner where dance studio is located now. Ben Franklin or JCP basement with toys at Christmas time.
Ted\'s Trophy - Trophies and the east wall was loaded with animal figures.
Tackle shop, then antiques on 1st Ave next to river.
There use to be a Christian book store across from where the theater is now, remember it had a step to get in and a wooden door with a window like a house would have. Too young to remember name. On 1st Avenue, there use to be a feed store where we could buy flowers to plant as well.
DX station where the Waterloo paper was dropped off for delivery.
Hawk-Bilt where brother broke his leg on finished product ready to be shipped.
Hotel across from library, when it came down our class walked over to watch. Candy in lobby were some paper route money would go.
Vinton clinic use to be on 4th Street across from court house.
The kids from the Braille school would only go home on bus every other weekend so, they were in Sunday School the weekends in town. They would trick or treat the night before Halloween so people could assist if needed. They would invite us up to the school to swim on Sunday afternoons. Also, we lived on the way to the grocery store and in 2 other houses on the way to post office where they showed the older students how to walk to. We learned very early to not leave our toys/bikes on sidewalk.
Wirth Jewelry where all the dusting needed done, all the time!

DR February 4, 2015, 12:04 pm Does anyone remember a little pizza place across from the US Bank building? It may have been a filling station at one time. How about the locker? Across from the library. And Bill Thompson\'s feed store? I think most of that building went down during the windstorm of 2011. And the Vinton Produce-does anyone know how many people worked there? Also on D street
there was a John Deere dealership and a Massey Ferguson dealer, and the sale barn.
One quick question-what was the building that set where the Vinton Family Clinic is on C. Ave.? Seems like it was a long building and maybe painted light green or gray.

CY August 31, 2015, 1:39 pm I remember the sweet corn cannery and when Vinton had sweet corn days. The festival took up the whole downtown area. Also, there was a Penney\'s store.

CL January 3, 2024, 3:58 pm When I was going to ISU around 1969, I worked one summer at Vinton Crib and Silo Co. Co-workers hung out at the Friendly Tavern. Working for VCs was not my favorite job, but a memorable one.