Lincoln Mutual

Lincoln Mutual #2 organized in 1932 by a group of area granges (Spring Creek, West Deep Creek, Espanola, Waukon, and Mondovi Granges). They provided groceries, butchering and frozen goods storage. At the plant north of the railroad tracks, they also provided gasoline and farm hardware as well as delivery of bulk oil products to farms.

In 1937 they expanded their warehouse to double its capacity. This may be the building in the picture. There was another building approximately from where the photograph was taken.

Charlie Lightle was working for the Lincoln Mutual as a meat cutter in 1939. They were competing with Billy Hopkins who sold his meat shop and slaughterhouse in May 1953 to them.

The following were employed at Lincoln Mutual before or during the war: Herman Ahlf, manager; Charlie Lightle, butcher; Robert Snyder; Herman Scholer; and Dorothy Wegner Williams, bookkeeper.

This looks like it was from late forties or early fifties. No gas pumps, but the 12,000 gallon diesel tank was installed in 1948. The railroad water tank would have been abandoned some time after 1952.

In 1942 and 1943 and maybe other years Lincoln Mutual arranged for pickers to go to Hanford and White Bluffs to pick a truck load of peaches. Ground was broken for the Hanford Works in March 1943, and the communities of Hanford and White Bluffs were in the process of being relocated. The peak of the Hanford construction effort was in 1944 with 44,900 workers. By comparison Grand Coulee Dam had only 5,500 workers at its peak.

29 November 1945 Davenport Times-Tribune

Grange Bought Raymer Building

To Install Modern Refrigeration Plant

The directors of the Lincoln Mutual No. 2 have announced the purchase of the Raymer building on the corner of Lake and Spokane, from the John Raymer company and also the machine sheds and three lots. The building is a one story brick 120 by 140 feet.

The Pioneer Drug company, an occupant since the Bowie building across the street burned 19 years ago, last week moved into the Mattes building, what was formerly the Sunset cafe.

The telephone company will move across the street into the Steve Solverson building, which is being remodeled. [This is about the present site of the Post Office.]

The Grange will begin installing the new modern refrigeration plant immediately, which will include a sharp freezer, steel locker boxes and cork insulation. Later they will move the store, implements, gas and oil. The present location is inadequate to care for the ever increasing business.

This begs the question as to where were they originally located, especially the original meat shop.