HISTORY of CALDWELL'S BUILDING

1010 Main

Lot 5, Block 59, Original Town

The history of 1010 Main begins in 1899 when the building housed the Union State Bank of Goodland.  It opened for business Thursday, April 13, 1899, with William Ennis, president; Charles F. Weber, cashier, and capital stock of $5,000.  State Bank Commissioner John W. Briendenthal officiated at the opening.

Warriner’s Tailor Shop originally occupied the frame building, prior to the bank’s opening.  Fixtures from the defunct Exchange Bank were installed for the new institution.  Although the bank was successful, it began paying off its depositors on Wednesday, October 3, 1900, and announced that the bank was liquidating and would surrender its charter to the November term of the District Court.  The reason given for closing the bank, was because Mr. Weber, the cashier, wanted to attend to his grain business.  Mr. Weber had also been cashier for the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Kanorado in the later 1880's.

After the bank closed, a Mr. Willis, who was the city's first candy maker, opened a business at this location.  It was later sold to R.A. Kent. Earl Derby purchased the R.A. Kent Confectionery in 1905. 

Earl Derby came to Sherman County in 1898 from Burlington, Vermont and was employed by the Rock Island railway.  He served as fireman and later was promoted to engineer.  In Centerview, Missouri on July 9, 1902, he was united in marriage with Anna Latimer and they established a home in Goodland.  To this union three daughters were born: Allene Huey of Goodland, Ruby Madsen of Covina, California and Charlotte Winchell of Crescent City, California.

One year after Derby purchased the business; a twenty-five-foot structure was built on the property.  The front of the building had a large plate glass window of “very liberal dimensions,” according to accounts in the newspaper.  Derby moved his confectionery store into his new building in November 1906.  The new Derby Confectionery and Ice Cream Parlor was fully equipped in its new building.  The soda fountain was finished in oak, with marble slabs for counters and a large mirror.

In 1925 he sold the confectionery to Walter Kelly; however, during the 20 years that he operated the shop, he established a reputation as a skilled maker of candies, ice cream and sherbets for the ladies clubs.  Mrs. Derby worked at the store along with Earl until he sold it. 

When Mr. Kelly became the owner of the Derby Confectionery he had owned the Kelly Purity Bakery at 1118 Main.  He gave possession of the bakery to the new owners, Harley E Hogeboom and J. R. Howell at 6 p.m. and by midnight had purchased the Derby Confectionery and opened up for business at 7 a.m., not missing a single working hour.  He purchased the building in addition to the stock and said he would start on remodeling the business at once.

Walter Kelly spared no time or expense in putting his building into shape for a modern confectionery.  He first re-floored the building, redecorated the ceiling and walls and added booths.  He added a “Walkerized” fountain, which was installed by an expert.

This new fountain had a refrigerating machine that used no ice; in fact, he could make ice if he wanted.  Each compartment was kept at a different temperature, one degree for the ice cream, another for the bottled ice drinks and still another for the coils through which the water was drawn for the different drinks.  The syrups were also kept cool by the plant.

In 1937 James Caldwell purchased the building from W.F. Kelley.  Caldwell and his heirs have retained ownership of this property to this day.

James Maxwell Caldwell was not a native of Goodland.  He was born in Osgood, Missouri in 1903. In 1917, when his family moved to Goodland, he found the community to be a thriving small town.  He got a job at the Goodland Power and Light Plant, where he learned much about wiring and electricity.  Jim Caldwell married Erma Alice Nye in Burlington, Colo., on June 30, 1923.

Caldwell opened his first business, Caldwell's Radio & Electric Shop, April 18, 1928 at 1015 Main.  He thought of his new business as a necessity since the power plant was being sold.  He shared the building with Deave's Café.  Each business occupied about 12 feet of the building. 

Caldwell’s Radio & Electric Shop was an appliance store and wiring service, which he was by now very familiar. While he never sold wooden iceboxes, he did wire them for electricity when ask to do so.  He sold the first steel refrigerators in the area, which was quite a hit with people both in town and out on the farms.  In the rural areas, people fueled them with butane or propane, so it was convenient for just about anyone to have one of these “new fangled” appliances. 

When Caldwell’s moved to 1010 Main in July 1937, Carl King was the first bookkeeper.  Caldwell was the electrical contractor for the remodeling of the Millisack Department Store at 1024 Main, the Goodland Hotel, and First National Bank at 1102 Main.  When the B. E. Bridges building was built in 1922, Caldwell installed the wiring.  In addition, when the courthouse was dedicated in October 1931, "J. M. Caldwell, Electrical, Cont." was on a bronze plaque in the lobby, which is still there today.

In the 1930's, the washing machine sold best.  Radios, the kind with tubes, were also good sellers.  Ranges and refrigerators also sold well as Sherman County residents found that they needed these timesaving devices or wanted the convenience of home entertainment.  In 1953, before there was even a television station in Goodland, Caldwell’s began selling television sets.  The reception was not good, "It skipped and was irregular but you could get a program now and then," according to the local newspaper.

Along with his developing business, Caldwell was also raising a family.  He and his wife were the parents of four children: Peggy (deceased in 1971), Shirley, Dick and Don.  Dick and Don and Shirley's husband, Maurice Peters, helped Caldwell with the running of the various stores.  It was a family operation and brought much pleasure to Mr. Caldwell.

Besides having his family in the business, Caldwell employed a number of other employees.  He was honored by the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in recognition of this employing Karl King, a wheelchair-bound man. 

At one time, along with his store in Goodland, he had stores in Colby, Atwood, and St. Francis, Kan., as well as in Burlington and Wray, Colo. and Benkleman, Neb.  In July 1948 Caldwell's added a new storefront at Caldwell Gas & Electric.  It was one of the finest and most modern in this part of the state.  With the new plate glass windows and door it afforded a delightful view of the store day and night.  New lights were also installed in the building.  In 1953, the ceiling was lowered approximately two and one-half feet and a balcony was constructed at the rear of the main floor for displaying television and radio sets.

Another remodeling took place in 1958 with the addition of a new television, Hi-Fi, and piano room.  The new room was equipped with heating and air-conditioning and wall-to-wall carpeting.  The addition of this department added several hundred feet of floor space.  The entire inside of the main floor was re-finished with the latest lighting. 

James Caldwell had the distinction of having been in business in Sherman County for 62 years before ill health forced him to retire.  His business was varied and at one time included a furniture store, housing business and the Goodland Finance Company.  He was one of the most colorful businessmen in Goodland’s history and a real institution.  The people of Goodland missed his wit and missed seeing the "boss" with his trademark cigar when he retired in 1990.  His wife passed away March 9, 1991 and he passed away January 1, 1994.

Richard Caldwell and Maurice Peter continued operating the business until they retired.  Maurice Peters passed away in August 2000. In 2002, the family still operates the Goodland Finance Company located at the same address since 1937.