Antiquers dream auction set in Hidalgo Illinois

HIDALGO — It may be hard for today's young people to believe, but there was a time when nearly every village of any size had at least one grocery store and/or gas station.

Even a town as small as Hidalgo in northern Jasper County had five grocery stores. But times change. Automobiles began enabling folks to trade in larger communities such as Newton and Effingham and economies of scale made it hard for these small town stores to compete.

There's little evidence of Hidalgo's commercial past. Four of the five stores have been torn down and the fifth — Reisner's — has been closed for more than 40 years.

Willie and Bernice Reisner lived on the property even after they retired from the store in 1969. But Willie died in 1982 and Bernice passed on 14 years later. Surviving daughter Norma Carpenter continued to do her best to maintain the property during the ensuing years.

But Norma's husband, Don, died last fall and the trips from Windsor to Hidalgo have become increasingly more difficult. Finally, family members encouraged Norma, who now lives in assisted living at Mattoon, to unload the property.

An auction of the property and contents will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at the store. Nostalgia buffs can bid on such items as an 11-foot soda fountain with 11 stools, as well as many other items that one might associate with a retail business of the mid-20th century.

There's old advertising signs, soft drink memorabilia and much, much more.

The family also is selling personal items, including many antiques and collectibles. There are books and sheet music, as well as piles of scrap metal, including some copper.

Norma said it was time to move on, especially since she no longer drives.

"The running back and forth to Hidalgo was getting to me," she said. "I hung onto it as long as I could."

But the building needs a new roof. The Carpenters had talked about selling the store when Don was still alive.

"I just didn't have anybody leading the way for me," she said.

That's when daughter-in-law Danielle took over and provided that gentle nudge to get the process started.

"There is a lot of history, but she (Norma) is not able to handle it anymore," Danielle said. "Her life situation has changed and she has to concentrate on taking care of herself."

Danielle said the day of the auction won't be an easy one for family members who plan to attend.

"There's a lot of family history there," she said. "It's sad to see it go.

"So many people in Hidalgo remember going there when they were kids."

Hidalgo-area farmer Kent Kibler was one of those kids. Kibler vividly remembers going to Reisner's for penny candy.

"One thing in that store that people will remember is the peanut/red hot jar that was on the counter," he said. "It was a penny a scoop.

"All through my grade school years, you could go over there and get candy."

Kibler, who grew up in Hidalgo during the 1950s and 60s, also recalled being among a group of baseball-playing kids who would occasionally break one of Reisner's windows. But he most remembers how nice Willie and Bernice were.

"They were good people," he said. "I can't remember anybody who ever had a cross word to say about them."

Auctioneer Mark Schackmann said it's been a challenge to get ready for the auction with so many items, some in bits and pieces.

"There's a lot of stuff," he said. "In some cases, it's a matter of putting everything back together."

A complete listing of all items to be sold Saturday is available at www.schackmann.com .

The auction is expected to last all day.