Downtown landmark closing its doors

By Mary Grothause, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Friday, May 9, 2008 (2 months, 1 week ago)
Print

Beth Shenk shows an old wood cut kit used to stamp prices in the early days of the store. This and many other items are for sale during the estate sale of the business items.DELPHOS — When Shenk’s Bridal Fabrics closes its doors, a part of local history will end, too. A family-owned business since 1876, which outlasted tough Depression Era times, has been brought to its knees by the advent of shopping malls and brides no longer seeking a special one-of-a-kind gown.
The Shenk legend began in 1852 when Martin Shenk and his family, a wife and six children, crossed the Atlantic from Germany, landing in New York. Martin, a tailor and merchant, worked to earn enough money to continue the journey to Ohio.
The Shenk family made their way to Cincinnati up the Miami and Erie Canal intending to go to Ottoville. However, Martin ended the nine-month journey when the family got off the boat in 1853 at Delphos.
Family records indicate the young son, Sylvester, worked on the canal leading the mules that pulled the boats, then as a store clerk for the canal. At age 29, Sylvester bought a bankrupt stock of merchandise with funds obtained by mortgaging his father’s home. The original family store was known as “The Globe”, later known as Shenk’s Dry Goods Store, and was situated on the premises that are now part of First Financial Bank. The Globe featured a globe above the front window awnings and a boardwalk.
In the early years, families would come to the store in wagons and spend most of a week outfitting each family member once or twice a year. Credit was used extensively and farmers would pay their bills at harvest time or after the sale of livestock.
A separate three-story building across the street on the northwest corner (AFLAC) was built which carried dry goods, ladies clothing, carpet and even featured an elevator. A son, Amadeus, managed the men’s and boys clothing store at the original store.
Upon S. F. Shenk’s death in 1917, the business passed to his sons, Frank, Martin, Amadeus, Alex, Syl, Richard and Robert. Tragically a few months later, Amadeus was struck by an automobile while crossing the street between stores and died three days later.
All the sons except Alex and Syl decided to sell out their shares in the business. In 1933, the store was reorganized as Shenk’s, Inc. with Syl as manager and Alex as bookkeeper. The brothers were opposites in personality with Syl being a bachelor and living in the Phelan Hotel and Alex married with children.
Tough times in the Depression years also brought the store down. Alex kept the books from 1934-36 with no pay and had no other job until he became postmaster in 1936.
Upon Syl’s death in 1938, it was found the store’s debts overcame its assets. Alex’s wife, Gertrude Shenk, purchased Syl’s share from his estate to pay for Syl’s funeral. The store was diminished to only its 208 N. Main St. location.
Gertrude turned out to be quite a shopkeeper. She cleaned up the store and put empty boxes on shelves to appear to have inventory. Drawing no pay, she drew on tips from salesmen on how to run a business. With a nice personality and big smile, she turned the store into a successful business.
Alex and Gertrude’s son, Robert, returned to Delphos in 1945 to be associated with the store and he and Gertrude did all the purchasing for the business.
After Alex passed away in 1961 and Gertrude in 1964, Robert bought the business from his three brothers and a sister. Robert was not entirely comfortable with purchasing women’s clothing for the store, so he decided to organize the store by departments for his sales people. At a staff meeting, Florence Vogt agreed to give it a try and the other employees agreed.
In 1966, Bob bought the business next door and did a major remodeling in 1969. Fabric department merchandiser employee Oleta Fronk urged that the store begin a bridal fabrics department which was established in 1970. The store also doubled in size by acquiring the Jack & Jill Shop, formerly the Hotz Restaurant.
Sadly, the store’s 100th year celebration did not occur when Bob’s wife, Marjorie, passed away. They were the parents of five daughters: Janet, Linda, Judy, Beth and Cathy. In 1979 Bob married long-time employee Florence Vogt.
Beth Shenk returned to Delphos in 1986 when her father began talking about selling the store and took over the reins. She brought a fresh approach with Formal Creations, featuring custom-made gowns. In 1999, she established a coffee shop in the store, featuring fresh-roasted coffee and specialty coffee drinks.
With shoppers flocking to area malls and brides no longer seeking one-of-a-kind gowns, the business has come to the end of an era.
Shenk estimates it will be the end of this year before the store closes as she is completing present orders but not taking any new ones.
“It’s been a Delphos tradition for so long; maybe someone will buy the store,” she added wistfully.

1 Reader Response to “Downtown landmark closing its doors”

Complete the form below to leave a response of your own.

  1. #1 — Added 2 months, 1 week ago

    My family lived in Delphos until 1936. Alex and Syl offered my father, Nathan Liff, without any rent, the use of their store on the corner of 2nd and Canal St., to establish a soup-kitchen in 1931, during the height of the depression! Due to the railroad, many hungrey men came through Delphos, riding the rails, looking for work. The Delphos police directed them to the Shenk store. Liff did not have to pay the Shenks any rent! Eighteen hundred men were fed over a period of 18 months. They left Delphos full of stew cooked by Alex Teman and Nathan Liff. I think it was Marks, the butcher across the street, who provided much of the meat and Stalkamps, the grocery on Main that provided everything else. Also, the Delphos Bakery offered day-old bread and doughnuts. The Shenks can be proud of this heritage.

    Posted on May 9, 2008 at 12:36 pm by selma Liff Lesser