As a child I have memories of running around the warehouse and my dad letting me pick out a candy bar from the huge boxes or candy stacked up. It was so exciting! I also remember visiting, I believe it was the Delavan store. Memories of little dime store toys and rows of that old fashioned candy, oh and parrot perched atop of the counter where you checked out, come to mind.
When I was little I remember living for awhile in Delavan, Wi. Also for a while in Iowa and eventually most of my life my dad worked at the Lake Zurich, Il warehouse for Schultz Bros. If anyone has any pictures or info, please send it to me here. You can post it in the comments section.
When I moved to back to Delavan many years later as an adult, I was driving down the street and new store owners were taking down the old "Schultz Bros" sign from the storefront. I wish I wasn't shy. I would of pulled over and asked if I could have it. But I didn't and I often wondered what happened to that sign, Is it in storage? Thrown away?
Facts I do know about Schultz Bros.
* Schultz Bros was considered a 5 and 10 store.
* Robert Schultz opened the first little store in 1902 in Appleton, Wi.
* The brother of Robert, Louis Schultz, opened a second store in Green Bay in 1903, and a third one in 1904.
* Two other brothers, Charles and Gustave, eventually joined in the family business.
* Schultz Bros became a chain of 76 variety stores located in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The 1980's saw the end of this chain when Schultz filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988.
The sources for this article was my dad (Allen Schultz) uncle (Ross Schultz), grandpa (Allen Schulz SR) and the article https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2020/11/19/throwback-thursday-schultz-brothers-began-sheboygan-food-empire/6297014002/.
Here are some pictures I found online of Schultz Bros.
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| Photo Credit: Mainstreet Marketplace |
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| Photo Credit: Menasha |
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| Photo Credit: Menasha |
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| Photo Credit: Menasha |
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| Photo Credit: Mainstreet Marketplace |
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| Photo Credit: Mainstreet Marketplace |
I found this following article online and am trying to figure out if Piggly Wiggly was originally Schultz Bros. It appears to be but the dates don't match up. If you have any details on this please let me know.
Eventually Schultz Bros turned into ...
The Company grew from its modest beginnings as “The Schultz Brothers Company” in 1911 throughout that decade and by 1920, the name was changed to “Schultz Brothers Company Wholesale Grocers.”
The Company’s growth continued so that in 1946 the Company broadened its grocery distribution services to include fresh produce and frozen foods. With a new facility, along with new produce and frozen food departments, the Company was able to offer “Buy Low,” the voluntary retail group it was servicing, a greater selection of food products... Read more at http://www.shopthepig.com/about-us/.
