Story Block, 1876
James Story, son of Samuel Story and Eleanora Helm was born in 1820. He got married to Amelia Martha Dunkin (1831-1928) and had one daughter Grace and 2 sons. He was a successful merchant of dried goods, groceries, boots, and hats. He died in Cuba in 1903. Mr. Story constructed the Story block after his original store burned as a statement of his prominence in the community. He had his residence on the 3rd floor where he celebrated his 90th birthday in1910
In 1900, Victor French, grandfather of Victor French, the actor known for his role in the Little House on the Prairie, ran a grocery and variety store (See picture above).
The Post Office came in in 1915 and required the addition of 4 smaller windows. It is still remembered by the elderly of Cuba. The second floor was the office of Lodge #691 International Order of the Odd Fellows. We recovered from a large safe on the second floor some tickets and receipts from as early as 1930s.
More recently, the retail level was used by the current mayor’s colorful father, Harry Taylor, as a recycled car parts store, a convenience store, a Pizza parlor, a restaurant, a jewelry store, and a tattoo parlor while the upper floors have been abandoned for the last 40 years. When we purchased the building in April 2012, it was completely abandoned (except by the many, many pigeons). A major fire from the adjacent building, we date as over 80 years, devastated part of the 3rd floor and a major part of the trust system.
