This article appeared in the Summer, 1994 edition of The Enterprise. ©1994, The Berea Area Historical Society. Berea's Deliverymen & Peddlers Remembered Part 2 by Dave and Louise Allen They were known by the products they sold - those men and a few women who made deliveries door-to-door or came down the streets calling out their wares. Remember when it was a common occurrence for someone to come to the door to sell or repair something or provide a service? In interviewing Steve and Helen Flowers, we learned more about the paper rags man. His name was Charlie and there was a scale attached to the back of his wagon. He weighed the rags and scrap iron, paying 10 or 15¢ a pound. Steve grew up on the North end of Berea - being born on Runn Street and later moving to High Street - he recalled that living near the railroad, many hoboes were a part of the street scene in that area. Many men looking for food would knock at their back door. His mother always had a cup of coffee and a sandwich for them - she never turned one away. He also mentioned the gypsies as several other did. They came in horse-drawn wagons in early days and camped on an empty lot on Berea Street or Murphy's Lot. Later their caravans of automobiles were seen. Florence Gardner and Madelon Cortright remembered Mr. Wilke who lived on Austin Street. He sold fresh produce from his wagon which was often parked at the corner of Bagley and Eastland Roads during the summer months. Madelon especially recalls how he would plug or make a wedge cut into a watermelon, so the customer could see it was ripe. The watermelon man and Bob Beckwith's grocery store on wheels, which was written about in the Winter 1993 issue of The Enterprise, are remembered by Alethea Kessler. Mary Ogilvy Gensler remembers the lady who went house to house in the '30s selling corsets, which were a mainstay of the women in those days. She also recalls the Carney Sisters, who lived on the corner of Front and Spring Streets. They were the dress makers and went to homes in August, measured the children and sewed clothing for the new school year. Mary also recalls the buttermilk lady who came on Saturday afternoons to their home on East Grand Street. She had a regular route, selling buttermilk in a 2-quart jar. There also was the strawberry man; he came from Columbia Station with his horse and cart. Many bought a crate of berries to make jam. Lois Zavesky remembers that April showers not only brought May flowers, but the personable umbrella man, who not only repaired your old umbrella if it was broken, but sold you a new one if you preferred. "Although as a child I was delighted to see the umbrella man, I was terrified to hear the paper rags man call out "paper rags." His voice sounded so scary to me that when he called out "paaaper rags," I would go hide under the kitchen table. This man would buy old papers, scrap iron and rags for a few cents from the various home owners. My dad Edward Warnoske remembers that when he was a young boy living on West Street, his mother would buy three fish for their dinner from the fish man, who would come from Cleveland with his wagon and horse, peddling fish which were kept cold on blocks of ice. After his mother bought the fish, the man would fillet them for her and wrap them in newspaper. His call "fresh fish today" and the sound of his horn could be heard throughout the neighborhood, especially on Fridays." Shirley Barnum Moon tried to find the picture that was taken when she was a little girl. A photographer with a pony went around town and for $1 would take pictures of your children wearing cowboy suits and boots. We can't find the photo taken of Dave on the pony either. The Fuller Brush man is another part of Americana that is slipping away. In the 1950s the company had about 30,000 people trudging door to door; in those days the salesmen always worked in suits and ties. Seems like only yesterday when he was unloading his case of brushes and sprays on the living room floor and perhaps presenting a little gift to any housewife who would spare a few minutes to listen to his spiel. One of Berea's Fuller Brush men was Orman L. Smith. The Jewel Tea man was a favorite of all the housewives as he had reputable products and you received coupons that could be redeemed for dishes and other household items that otherwise might not be in their budgets. Many housewives preferred the Watkins salesman's products to the ones they could buy in stores downtown. Many cooks attributed the success of their cakes to Watkins vanilla and would use nothing else. Their dark salve would "heal everything - especially bee stings." Watkins is still in business today and is famous for flavorings, etc. Mrs. Black from Waverly Street used to sell for them. Remember the Electrolux, Kirby and Hoover vacuum cleaner men? Harry Lynn was a salesman in Berea. Part of their sales pitch was to demonstrate how well their machines worked. They would empty a bag of dirt and bird seeds on mother's clean carpet and we would hope and pray their vacuums worked. Once our electricity was off and he had to use the broom to do the job. Peddlers of Middleburg Heights by Tom Sturgeon My father John Tappan Sturgeon, age 89, recalls a lady named Mary who would call from time to time in good weather at our old house on Webster Road. This was circa 1910. Mary was squat, husky and bowlegged. Dad says she may have been Armenian or some such and spoke with a heavy accent. "How are you Mary?" She would respond, "I fine, how you?" Mary carried three leather cases strapped to her back which contained pins, needles, small pans, towels, thread and the like. She would show each item as though it was a treasure. My Great Aunt Hattie would usually purchase something because Mary would become somewhat indignant if there was no sale. Aunt Hattie would give Mary a lunch also. After her visit was completed, it was a small production for Mary to strap her bundles on her back. She would put on the first bundle and shift her shoulders until it was settled to her satisfaction and then proceed to the other two in the same way. All three together probably weighed at least 100 pounds. After all three were installed, she would do some more shuffling and wiggling to settle them just right. She would then plod to the west on Webster, slow and steady, to call on the two other families in that direction. Sure wish we had a picture of her. The peddler that I remember also called at our same house, but this was in the 1940's. He drove a 1930 Model A Ford coupe with the trunk lid removed. Two large brown leather cases were in the trunk and another rode on the seat beside him. His name is unknown, but he was a slight wiry man with a worn face. He was probably in his 50's but looked older. He would always be dressed in dark clothing and wore a flat cap. He would bring the trunks into the house one or two at a time and they contained merchandise similar to Mary's, just more of it. It was always interesting to us children to watch him open up the big trunks and see what was inside. [Enterprise] [Go to Part 1] [Go to Part 3]