Currently: Baldwin City Creative Arts
Historically a.k.a: Hobbs Mercantile Company, Morgan-Gardner Mercantile Company, M-M Mercantile Company, The Baldwin Department Store, Downs’ Hardware, C.E. Francis Salvage Store, Robinson Hardware, Brecheisen’s Hardware, Baldwin Academy of Dance and Voice.
- Individual photos and full text of article is available below.
- First printed in Baldwin City Community News, March 31, 2022. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos
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Text of Article:
Treasures From The Kansas Room By Marta Jardon, Santa Fe Trail Historical Society – Baldwin City Community News, March 31, 2022.
The History of the Dance Studio Building – 711 High Street
The two-story brick building at 711 High Street has been home to many well-known businesses in Baldwin. Currently it houses the much-acclaimed Baldwin Academy of Dance and Voice, affectionately called “The Dance Studio.” Some people who have lived here since the 1970s still refer to the building as Brecheisen’s Hardware. And some may even remember Robinson’s Hardware from earlier days. But Hobbs Mercantile Company was the first business located here.
By 1905, the Hobbs Mercantile Company had outgrown the building they were using at 713 High (currently home to R.G. Fiber). According to the July 28, 1905, Baldwin Ledger, they purchased the empty lot to the east for $600 and planned to erect a 32’ x 120’ building. The building was to be “wired for electric lights and … be up-to-date in every particular.” It was designed with “a wide full plate glass front with tile floor entrance.” Part of the wall between the 711 and 713 buildings was removed so they had 57 feet of frontage. The dry goods portion of the business was in the 711 High (Dance Studio) building area and run by Bill Hobbs. The grocery section was managed by Charles Hobbs in the 713 High (R.G. Fiber) area.
In 1913, the Hobbs brothers purchased a new business in Concordia. Baldwin did not want to lose this important store! A group of concerned citizens got together, formed a corporation, and purchased the two buildings. The corporation was named the Morgan-Gardner Mercantile Company. Members of the group included: A.D. Butell, C.E. Beeks, William Clark, A.M. Gardner, B.W. Gardner, W.G. Hazen, William H. Hobbs, Charles F. Hobbs, A.M. Jardon, and M.M. Morgan. The dry goods department was managed by Arthur Gardner and B.M. Gardner oversaw the grocery. Both men had worked for the Hobbs brothers for years. “Miss Ona Ames continued as dry goods clerk.” According to their advertisement in the 1913 Baker University yearbook, they offered, “Everything to eat – Everything to wear.” A 1925 ad showed they had: “Florsheim shoes for him, Selby shoes for her, guaranteed hosiery”, hats, caps, shirts, and ties.
In 1924, S.W. Muenzemayor (uncle of Norma Jardon and Ted Brecheisen) joined the corporation. The name was changed to the M-M Mercantile Company. The M’s stood from Muenzemayor and Morgan. In 1929, the name was again changed, and the store became The Baldwin Department Store. The managers were now S.W. Muenzemayor and O. Scott Morgan, Sr. The business was still located in both the 711 and 713 buildings. An ad in the 1929 Baker Wildcat yearbook notes dry goods, shoes, and groceries for sale. In 1931, they offered, “furnishings for the most discriminating,” and the “best shoe a $5 will buy.”
In March 1932, R.D. Perry of Topeka purchased the company stock and the store. He planned to move the dry goods and clothing business to Topeka, so he announced a big sale on discontinued items in October 1932. The sale went so well, that he continued it in mid-November. In December, Harry Barnett purchased the grocery business. Perry moved the rest of the business to Topeka as planned. The grocery business remained in the 713 building (R.G. Fiber).
Harmon Downs and Harry Barnett went into partnership on a hardware store in the 711 High (Dance Studio) building. The moved Downs’ Hardware, which had been across the street from the power plant, into this building. More research is needed to determine how long this store operated before the C.E. Francis Salvage Store moved into this building. The Salvage Store was a second-hand shop.
By January 1946, Hale Steele had purchased the building and returned it to a hardware store. In January 1947, Clyde Robinson purchased 711 High and opened Robinson Hardware. The store’s ad in the 1948 Baldwin High School yearbook says Robinson sold radios, stoves, washing machines and refrigerators as well as hardware at the store. Apparently, the appliance line was short-lived or very small because no one seems to remember it now!
Robinson carried many other items of interest to everyone. Joan Toot remembers her parents purchasing a water heater from Robinson’s in the 1950s. She reports being mesmerized by “the wagons, sleds, and tricycles that were located on shelves high above the front windows.” Bootsie Lauridsen worked in the store. She says customers were able to buy items like bolts, nuts, and screws in small quantities or even singly if needed. They did not have to buy a package with more items than they needed. How nice! Marvin Jardon reports that by the 1950s, Robinson also had a plumber shop in the basement with Charles Barkley assisted by Arch Carlson doing the plumbing work.
In January 1971, Clyde Robinson sold the building to Ted (Junior) Brecheisen. Ted had started working with Robinson in October 1970 in preparation for taking over the hardware business. Charles Spain, who had started working at the store in 1955, continued working for Brecheisen’s Hardware. Brecheisen continued the wonderful tradition of allowing customers to buy nuts, bolts, and screws singly or in small numbers. He carried lawn mowers, hunting and fishing licenses, and was happy to order whatever customers needed.
In the early 1990s, he added an unusual service – shoe repair! As a child, Ted had been interested in shoe repair. Baldwin had not had this service in many years, and he felt it was needed. When shoe repair supplies became available in Princeton Kansas, he purchased them, took some training, and opened his shop. He sewed and repaired leather and repaired handbags also. His shoe-shining chairs were popular places for men to gather to visit. Brecheisen Hardware proudly served the Baldwin community until late 1997.
After that, a series of businesses, mostly restaurants, were located at 711 High. In 2014 the Dance Studio moved from its prior location at 8th and High (currently Edward Jones) and made the building its home.
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Looking for Baldwin or local history? Or want to contribute to it? Come to The Kansas Room!
The Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County has been preserving and promoting the history of the Baldwin, Vinland, and Southern Douglas County area in addition to the Trail since 1967. Visit the website at www.santafetraildouglas.org.
–Updated 1/2025
