1020 Main - The Bock Building

1020 Main was originally owned by The Sherman County Development Co. in 1888.  It passed through several owners before John W. Bock bought the building in March of 1899 from J. W. Klauer.

John W. Bock was born June 29, 1866 in Gelnhausen, Germany, the oldest of four brothers.  At the age of sixteen his widowed mother was compelled to send him to America as an indentured servant to her brother F. D. Kees, of Beatrice, Nebraska.   John worked four years for his uncle to pay back the price of his passage money.   Then he left Nebraska and came to Wallace by Union Pacific and took a stage from there to the vicinity of Goodland where he heard homesteads were available.  He settled on the Northeast quarter section 23-9-42 of Sherman County.  This claim was five miles west and five miles south of Ruleton.  It is still owned by his granddaughter, Jane Bock Fortin.

He worked for many years for George Hess who conducted a hardware store in Goodland.   John would frequently walk out to his claim and spend his weekends there in an old sod house on the claim.  Some years later he purchased the Hess store, brought his brother Fred from Germany, and took him in as a partner into the hardware store and added a harness business.  Fred was better known as the "silent partner" and concentrated on the harness making end of the business.  John had a tin shop and ran the hardware store.  They had a high-class hardware store for that era with pearl handled cutlery.  Fred was known as an expert harness maker in this area and John was considered an expert tinsmith and the two brothers enjoyed quite a reputation for their excellent work.

John married Sophia Kocyan in the Old Courthouse in St. Louis in September 1900.   They settled in Goodland and had two sons, John and Edward.  Sophia Bock was one of the first china painters in Sherman County, along with artwork and taxidermy, which she inherited from her father Anton Kocyan, who was an outstanding naturalist of Europe.   He was involved in many of the historical events of Goodland, in making the equipment in his hardware store for the so-called Rainmakers of Goodland, and also made parts for the Purvis airplane, and for the early attempts to stop the grasshopper plague, and furnished the high-test gasoline for the first airplane flight into Goodland.   John died July 1, 1947 and Sophia
died November 2, 1938.

George Hess died, Dec. 24, 1937 at the age of 80 years, 6 mos, near Bowden, Canada.   He had been a pioneer hardware dealer in Goodland and had started the Hess Hardware Store that John W. Bock got his start in the hardware business.  He had a farm on the Smokey and had moved to Canada in 1903.

Fred was united in wedlock Maria Fischer on April 29, 1902 in Beatrice, Neb.  To this union three children were born, a son Ernest, and twin daughters, Helen and Clara.   Maria died Aug. 2, 1941 and Fred died Nov. 6, 1950.

The hardware store was in operation for 50 years and was closed out in 1947 following the death of John Bock on July 1, 1947.  The store was then sold to Walter Wolff.

Walter Wolff and Paul Montgomery opened up a Shoe Store in this location Feb. 28, 1948.   They completely remodeled and redecorated the building and were one of the nicest along the street and were compete with an aluminum front and glass door.  Inside the building were two attractive display windows with carpet floor covering and florescent lighting.  The floor of the store was covered with green and tan tile squares and the sidewalls were tan squares with the ceiling being in white.  Coldcathod lighting ran the length of the store in the middle and new chairs on either side.

They featured the Styleez and Rhythm Step shoes for ladies, Bostonian shoes for men and Poll-Parrot for children.  They carried an exclusive line of Holeproof hosiery for men and women.  Also Daniel Green slipper for men and women, boots, and also Classmate shoes for infants and children.  The new store was equipped with Primex X-ray machine to ensure customers to get the proper fitted shoes and see just how the shoe fits the foot.

Both Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Wolff were well known since Mr. Wolff was owner of the Wolffs’ Clothing store for men & women and Mr. Montgomery was former manager of the W. W. Virture Dry Goods Co. until he became a partner in the new shoe store.   Paul Montgomery came from Monte Vista, Colo. and had been the manager of W. W. Virture Dry Goods Co. in Goodland since 1944.  He has a wife and three children.

Walter Wolff added to his store, which was occupied by Garland’s that will gave them considerable more floor space and allow them to enlarge their stock considerable.   The new addition was 25x70 to the rear of the M & W Shoe Store.  An archway was cut in the north wall of the present quarters making the store one.

Monroe Garland, operator of the establishment added all new fixtures to the new department and dressed the store up in general.  The new room housed the ladies ready-to-wear, and Mr. Garland announced that a number of well known lines were added to his present large stock giving Goodland one of the most complete and up-to-date stores of its kind in this trade area.  The Grand Opening for this addition was held July 7, 1950.

In Aug. 1956 M & W Company announced that they would open a Women’s Apparel Department and the company was to be known as the M & W Company Shoes & Ready-to-Wear in the future.  The new store featured such well-known brands as Jonathan Logan, Doris Dodson, Martha Manning, Lampl, Ricemore, Mary Lane, Briny Marlin and Mojud.

Dresses, suits, coats, hats, purses and lingerie, with the dress stock including all kinds of dresses from formals to house dresses were sold.  The store also featuring Fisk hats.

Mr. Montgomery announced that Mrs. Mary Verble would be in were in charge of the new department and would be assisted by Donna Sieck with Sharilyn McDaniel in a part-time basis.

Mr. Montgomery also announced that Bud Kelly, who was recently discharged from the U. S. Navy, was a new employee in the shoe department.

In 1963 the store became known as Monty’s shoes and Walter Wolff retired from the business.  Some of the young men that worked there were Jack Montgomery, Jim Smith, Art Evans, Mike Foust and Loren Bahe.  Paul Montgomery continued the business until 1966 when he sold the store to Brown’s Shoe Store.  Jack Cloyd managed the store.  The Brown Shoe Store remained until June 28, 1974.  Jack Cloyd purchased it on July 28, 1974 and he ran it as Jack’s Shoes until July 3, 1975.

The Bycel, Inc. purchased the building from Walter F. & Edythe Wolff July 28, 1975.   On Dec. 15, 1978 Bycel Inc. sold the building to the Goodland State Bank.

Emery Jennings had the TNT Sporting Goods in there from Sept. 30, 1975 to Sept. 1, 1979.  In Aug. 1980 the building was rented to Michael & Tanya L. Cox who had an Import Business called World-Wide Shoppers.  They were in business until Mar. 1, 1982.

On July 7, 1982 Darrell & June Harkins had a Jeans Plus Store there.  They closed out July 31, 1984.  From April 30 to June 9, 1986 the U. S. A. Video Store was located in the building and was owned by John M. Tomes.

The building was purchased by Trent E. & Sharon Blythe & Eugene & Labaughn N. Becker.  They are the present owners.  In Aug. 1987 Sharon Blythe opened a women’s clothing store called Fashion Crossroads.  They were in business until Dec. of 1993.

Uniques by Bonnie moved in there in March of 1993.  They feature wallpaper and borders, specialty candles, dried arrangements and other decorating items.  It is owned by Bonnie Bollig and is currently the business of 1020 Main in the year 2000.