A Local Legacy Lost
On October 7 a hole was torn in Council’s heart, bringing the end to a story that began many years ago.
Many local people think of the building that just burned as the Council Valley Market because that’s what it was for almost all of the past six decades. But the story begins earlier.
It could be said that the stage had been set for that building, even before 1900. People of a previous generation were familiar with the names Cohen, Criss and Haas. These were store men who pioneered retail stores in Weiser and Council.
In 1902 Herman and Bernard Haas of Weiser and Sam Criss of Council, along with partner Carl Weed of Council, erected a store that would become a staple of Council’s economy for many years. It stood on the northeast corner of Illinois Avenue and Galena Street – just west of where the Council Valley Market building would someday be built.
Carl Weed was eventually the sole owner, even after it became a hardware store operated by George M. Winkler.
By 1941 both the store and Carl Weed had seen better days. Carl was in ill health, and the store was run down. That year, along came Columbus Charles Anderson who had been in the store business in Idaho since 1894. He eventually had a chain of 12 “Golden Rule” stores and had an interest in other stores at Boise, Twin Falls and Weiser.
Anderson bought two lots just east of the Weed store and erected a nice brick-front store. Council’s Golden Rule store occupied the east half of the building, selling clothing for men, women and children, work clothing, farmers and loggers boots and shoes,
The west half of the building was occupied by the Adams County Bank.
As a result, one center of commerce in Council shifted only slightly, with one store nearing its end and another beginning right next door.
There were at least a couple other stores in the U.S. called Golden Rule stores that were not related to Anderson’s stores.
The old Weed store was demolished in 1943, leaving a parking lot on the corner next to the Golden Rule / bank. It is still a parking lot today.
Idaho First National Bank bought the Adams County Bank in 1946 and continued to operate in the west half of the building. That bank moved to the annex on the west end of the Merit Store (now M&W) in May of 1951.
C.C. Anderson died in 1958 and the Council store was taken over by the Idaho Department Store chain.
1965 saw at least two significant changes to Council’s retail environment. Carl Shaver bought the Merit Store and renamed it “Shaver’s.” (That store is now M&W Market.) And Eddie Ludwig (1932 - 2009) bought the old Golden Rule building to establish a grocery store called the Council Valley Market.
Up to this point, Ludwig had run the Wayside Grocery, which stood on the corner just east of what is now Shy Simon’s pizza. Eddie and his wife, Vera, also ran the Starlight Motel next door, after buying it from his parents, Harry and Myrtle Ludwig.
Eddie’s sons, Vern and Vic started helping with the store long before Eddie retired in the late 1990s. Vern left the business in 2003 and Vic continued to run it until it closed just a few years ago. In recent years a couple of failed agreements were made to sell the store. Vic even turned it over to one person who ran it for a time, few; if any payments were made, so the deals fell through.
It has always been challenging to operate a business in Council, and many have come and gone over the years. The Council Valley Market lasted longer than most and leaves many memories for local folks.
