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BohnstengHarnessing HorsesA career of 53 years in the . art of making harness and saddles ! i-s somewhat of a record in an iautomobile-oriented society. Traer 1is fortunate to have just such a naan, with that record cf cruft-manship, in Ed Bohnstengel. Mr Bohnstengel started his own business in 1920 and since 1934 he has been in the same store build-in by a young man who doesnot have the wide friendships of a long time businessman, it is hoped that Ed will continue for a long time to conic.Insurance FirmsStartEarlyEarly in the development of Traer, insurance became a need of the residents and this serviceingon the west end Action of !!f tb.ee“ p:ovklea lycalSecond street. Them nre *\nlan Ar the presentSecond street. There are no young men entering this field todav, as | there is thought to be no more market for Bohns tenge F.s products.But Mr. Bohnstengel-does not justsit around and think of the “good old days/' The demand of those days has certainly changed, but the demand for his services are increasing steadily.The business which he entered in 1920 was principally the making, the repairing and the selling of harness for working farm horses. The years brought a change in the demand for harness, until, in recent years, he mends only four or five sets a year. When he first started, he soul about (15 sets of harness a year (IS sets of harness were handmade) and ronaired 345 or more sets a year. In the early 1940’s the harness business began to really drop off and tilings didn’t look too good. But 1941 saw the beginning of a fairly new sport in this area, that of riding horses for pleasure. From then on, until the present day, this has been the chief source of Ed Bohnsten-gel’s business.The sale of saddles, and the repair and uokeeo of those saddles, is growing. Bohnstengel sells about 100 saddles a year, and the grooming products for horse care is another growing part of his business. Some of the saddles he sells are for parade use and are quite fancy, selling for upwards of $750 apiece. Saddle prices do start much lower than this, of course, but Bohnstengel claims you should start riding with a good “foundation.” Ho does still sell harness, and has calls for servers] sets a year for pony and draft horse hitches:The days of having four men working for him and the business of oiling set after set of harness are things of the past. The oiling was more of a service than a profit making thing, but was very important to the length of life of a set of harness. A good jobof oiling every so often could double the service years of the harness.Ed Bohnstengel, after more than a half century as a Traer businessman, is still a vital part of Traer’s economic .picture. His customers come from all parts of Iowa for his special type of serv-Qnrlr r\ rv rv .__time there are several insurancefirms with representjtive agents and offices in Truer. There are several men with offices in the main business district of town and a few with offices in their homes.The Lyle Bitcon Insurance Agency is located at G10 2nd street, and is owned and operated by Lyle Biicon. Bitcon purchased the agency from Mrs. Don Hyland following the death of her husband. Hyland had been in business here from- 1921 until his death in 1958. Bitcon operated the firm under the Hyland name until 1962 when it became the Lvie Bitcon agency. The gencr:d insurance business was located in the Mochaf building. present Coast to Coast, until Bitcon moved to his present location in June, 19G9.Franklin Earley is one of the insurance agents who locates his business in his home. His home-office is located at 912 Mill street and Earley deals in securities, real estate and general insurance.His agency was started in 1963when he moved to Traer from his farm.L. L. Owens and Associates shares the building of the Tama County Mutual Agency, of which Mr. Owens is secretary. This general insurance firm is located.at 6*15 2nd street. Jack Norman is associated with Owens in the company. Owens has been in the firm since 1952 and Mr. Norman since .1969. I ho late Gene Roltler was a member of the firm from 1957 until his death of 1970. The agency was founded by O. O. Owens in 1914, and he continued in the firm until 1966.Robert Himschoot is one newer insurance agents in starting in February, 1971.cates his insurance firm home at 604 Mill Street.Gerald Howard started life insurance in 1963 and is pre; ently located in the Farmers Mi tual building at 540 2nd stree “Jerry” serves as secretary fc the Farmers Mutual Insurance Alt; sociation and serves as ainsurance agent besides.Roger Corbin is another newlt; agent for our area. His office located in his home at 500 Fir street, where he sells life, hcall and income insurance._ Richard Dahms is docated 527 2nd street in Traer. Heof thi town He Ic in hisell ingene rlt;
Newspaper Details
Traer Star Clipper
Traer, Iowa, US
Tue, Jul 10, 1973
Page 14
Full Page
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Anonymous
NA, 02 Mar 2019
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Traer Star Clipper
