Hartley Buildings

Hartley— Med-Equip
140 3rd St. NW Hartley, IA 

This building is now occupied by Med-Equip. It was built in 1905 and was first occupied by Stewart Drug Store with the upstairs rented by the Masonic Lodge. Stewarts was followed by several drug stores including E.U. Thomas and Chet Almgren. The Masons were upstairs until a few years ago when they merged with the Sanborn Lodge.

Closet
521 3rd St NE, Hartley, IA 

The E.B. Messer and Son building was built in the early 1900's by E.B., who settled in Hartley after serving as a colonel in the Civil War. He and his son operated a hardware store and later a farm implement business. This building, which in later years housed a department store, now is occupied by a thrift shop.

Hartley—Mae B’s
50 2nd Street SW, Hartley, IA

Mae B started in 2006 as an occasional market selling recycled furniture and home goods .  We added a coffee shop in 2007.  We went looking for a permanent home in early 2009 and found Hartley Implement.  We started the new project 04/01/2009.  Cleaning the showroom area took 2 weeks with the help of Pete Riley, the previous owner.  Plumbing for the coffee shop began, along with electrical.  New furnaces and air conditioners were installed.  Rain in April and May prevented the new roof and window install from being completed until the first week of June. Kitchen and bathroom remodels were completed, along with painting and decorating.  The new improved Mae B opened the last weekend in July 2009, just in time for Hartley’s Summer Celebration.   

Our building was built in three different stages.  The radiator shop was built sometime in the mid-thirties, the showroom was built in 1946 by Carl Ruby, Ruby Implement and the parts area was added in 1948.  The counter is the original parts counter, we kept the offices and original flooring.  The original 42” fir doors with working transoms were kept and we tried to mimic the look with our new windows.  Shelving units were dismantled and peg boards were used to replace missing ceiling tiles and also the walls of the bathrooms and kitchen.  A wall was added in the radiator shop to be able to keep paint and tool   supplies warm.  The parts area is used to store kitchen supplies and future furniture projects.

Story submitted by Deidre Welch, owner