The pages of Whiteside County history would be lacking without mention of the importance of the "rural general store" and its city cousin, the "neighborhood grocery store," both having been institutions in their day.

One of the last rural general stores to close its doors was the Emerson Store which provided all the services required for more than 100 years up to the year 1969 when the final sale was made and the store closed.

Walter T. Heilener was the last owner and operator of the Emerson Store and he was a veteran merchant with over 50 years service with the store business. The store was a "Ma and Pa" operation for many years and Heilener was assisted by his wife, Gesina (Seinie) Edeus Heilener and members of the family.

Heilner was born in 1900 in Genesee Township, the son of Onno and Bertha (Frerichs), Heilner. He attended rural schools in the county and at the age of 17, became associated with A.P. Reed, owner of the Emerson Store.

The Emerson General Store was established in the late 1850's by Joel Harvey. This was only five years after Emerson, or "Empire" as the community was called, was platted in 1855 by Elijah Wallace, G.S. Fraser, O.C. Stolp and William M. Sutton. In addition to the store business, Harvey ran a saw mill at Emerson which was built by Hezekiah Brink, the founder of Sterling. Harvey operated a large grist mill, a factory for carding, spinning and dressing wool and weaving woolen cloth. Harvey also built several of the earlier homes in Emerson.

The Emerson store changed hands several times at one time was operated under the name Reed & Ryerson, apparently owned by A.P. Reed and Martin Ryerson. Around 1886 Reed acquired the full ownership and ran the store for over 50 years until the time of retirement in 1936. In 1917, Reed hired Walter Heilner and on Sept. 15, 1936, sold the business to Heilener. Heilener ran the store along with a contract from the U.S. Post Office, until 1969 when the store was finally closed due to retirement and his failing health.

With the sale of the store in 1969 the U.S. Post Office was moved and operated from the Heilener family home in Emerson for about six months. Heilener died in 1972 and his wife Seinie in 1974. They were the parents of three children, two daughters, Mrs. Paul (Ruth) George of Emerson, Mrs. Robert (Lorraine) Knicl, Dixon and one son, the Rev. Raymond Heilener of Galena.

An important aspect of the old Emerson Store was in lending the tone for the atmosphere of "socializing." Heated in the earlier days with a coal burning pot-bellied stove, the store provided the light, warmth and companionship for socializing and drew a number of area residents for that purpose. Among these was Bill Zigler, a blacksmith by trade, who was known to perform feats of entertainment using the hot stove as the target for his tobacco juice.

The warmth of the Emerson Store also attracted the young people who used the front steps as "A meeting and gathering place." It was not unusual either, for the older area residents, having finished the supper meal, to saunter over, have a soda or ice cream cone and then rest contentedly on the front steps of the store and discuss the topics of the day and pass along information as well. Heilener's rural store carried a general line of merchandise making it a grocery, department, hardware and clothing store of a kind. Among the lines carried includes dishes, pots, pans, foodstuffs and fresh meat, a complete line of clothing for all, complete line of hardware in addition to rakes, shovels and other small farm tools.

If the long hours in the store was a problem, it did not hamper the operation for the store remained open six days a week and every evening too. Heilener maintained the policy of remaining open every night (except Sunday) for the convenience of the many farmers who traded with him. The farmers were usually busy in the fields during the day which concluded iwth the "chores" and afterwards, in the evening hours, were able to satisfy their needs at the general store.

Most of Heilener's regular customers were from neighboring farms and Emerson itself and most were known on a "first name basis."

An old ledger from Heilener's store indicated the growth of the general store from the year 1869, when the total net value of the stock, plus what was owed on credit, amounted to $2,116.48. As of April 4, 1870, the ledge showed an inventory of stock with a net value of $3,473.91, including a $500 note. A year later on March 28, 1871, the net value of the stock was listed at $4,641.34 On April 4, 1872, the net value of the stock was $5,142.09.

Continued growth was indicated in the inventory of stock as of April 16, 1873 with a total of $6,282.78. In relation to eth economic conditions at that time, the stock in 1873 represented a sizeable inventory in terms of dollars and cents value.

In the early days of Heilener's operation of the Emerson Store, a sizeable amount of business was conducted on credit due to the lack of hard cash. Heilener kept an individual account book on each credit customer in which purchases and payments were recorded as did many of the merchants at this time.

Store bills were paid at random and a system of "honesty" was in effect on the accounts. Some paid bills after selling soem produce, some paid after the milk check arrived or after the harvest was in and sold.

Heilener established an egg business in lieu of cash payments when money was hard "to come by." Farmers would come into the store and buy groceries and pay for them, not in cash but in trading eggs. This business was especially enlarged during the "depression years." At one time, eggs was the main item of barter at the Emerson Store. Heilner would then candle, sort, and package the eggs, haul them to the train depot at Galt for shipment to individual customers in the Chicago market area.

Prior to World War II, Heilener created his own "premium" promotion and rather than use the "green stamps," invented his own system. He had coupons printed which were given to the customers making purchases. Later, the customers could return and redeem the coupons for dishes, clothing and other stock in the store.

The end of the Emerson General Store in 1969 marked also the end of another era in history from which its pages radiate the true, warm and pleasurable atmosphere emitted from a business enterprise which was in reality .. an institution of friendliness and sociability.

The Daily Gazette July 1, 1976