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INDIANA HISTORIC SITES AND DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />STRUCTURES INVENTORY (SUPPLEMENTAL SHEET) <br />State Form 42881 (11-88) r <br />STATE OF INDIANA <br />Name Survey/ Site Number <br />Address (Street and number) County <br />Wells-Kreighbaum= supplemental sheet #2) <br />City Township <br />Additional Information (Use reverse side for drawing) <br />undertaker and also was part owner of the Wells-Rensberger <br />Funeral Home. <br />Christian Wenger was a real estate developer in the city. <br />Hiram W. Kreighbaum was married to his sister, Marietta. <br />Christian and Marietta were responsible for dividing and selling <br />a good deal of land in southeast South Bend which had been part <br />of their family estate, the Martin Wenger farm. The farm was home <br />for their parents, Martin L. and Christina (Studebaker) Wenger, <br />local pioneers. Christian Wenger was born May 24, 1849 on the <br />family farm and died in April., 1926. <br />The Shidler brothers, John Willard and Adam N., became <br />involved with the furniture company here and by 1906 had <br />purchased controlling interest in, and were officers of, the <br />firm. In 1908 the name was changed to Wells-Shidler; by 1910 the <br />company was called Shidler Brothers Manufacturing Company with <br />John W. as president and Adam N. as secretary -treasurer. Their <br />younger brother, Clem E., a local dentist, was elected as company <br />vice-president. <br />The two brothers had previously purchased the stock of a <br />hardware concern, Singler and Creveston, located at 131-133 South <br />Michigan, in 1899. They continued in this business until becoming <br />involved with furniture manufacturing around 1906. After the <br />company was in their control, they continued manufacturing and <br />selling furniture, especially tables, at the High Street plant. <br />An advertisement from the local promotional book "South Bend <br />World Famed"(1922) described "high grade dining suits, complete, <br />consisting of table, buffet, china cabinet, server and chairs." <br />They abandoned manufacturing in 1923 and devoted themselves to <br />retailing, opening a new store, Shidler Brothers Incorporated, at <br />112 South Michigan. This business continued well into the 1950's. <br />The Shidlers were the sons of Adam W. Shidler, a pioneer and <br />lumberman who operated a sawmill south of Lakeville in Union <br />Township from 1854 until the 1860's. He was also an inventor, <br />securing a patent in 1869 for a sugar sap evaporator. John <br />Willard died in 1948 at the age of 81. <br />cont.: see supplemental sheet #3) <br />Information Sources <br />Prepared By I Date