NOTE: Present day businesses reference is now 50 years in the past.
If one begins on West Main street he must recognize the Woody Darnall elevator along side the Pennsylvania tracks. This has been a growing concern both in building construction and in volume of business done. It is a tremendous economic asset to the town. (Although the elevator is still there in the year 2000, the railroad tracks aren't. Who'd a thunk it?? The elevator was bought by a corporation in the 1980's and is mainly used for grain acquisition and storage. Nothing is sold there now, except for a few soft drinks from the machine.)
A few rods East and the Farm Supply under the ownership and management of Arthur Biehl and Bill Jamison gives the town a business like look. Here the farmers for miles around come to purchase all types of farm machinery and to have repairs made. (The Farm Supply closed in the mid 1970's. It was a vacant building for several years before Russell Neier moved his trucking business, Neier Bros. into the building in the 1990's.)
Raymond Rollings and Jim, his son have a shop on the alley where the retail TV sets, refrigerators, freezers and do much expert electrical repair work. (Jim Rollings inherited the business from his father. Jim passed away in the late 1970's and closed the TV shop. In the year 2000 it is an apartment.)
The Post Office with it's force working for Uncle Sam is next and the man in charge is Mark Hadley. (Still there. Ms. Patty Cummings is the current post mistress.)
Dr. Ellett's office and apartments is next. This building is new and well kept. Equipment in the office is up to the minute. Dr. Ellett is both a doctor of medicine and a good surgeon on his own. Few physicians have so good help as one meets in this office. (Dr. Robert Heavin, a home town boy, bought Dr. Ellett's office. The "up-to-date " equipment that Joe referred to is still in the office, but of course now it's antiquated. Dr. Heavin took over his practice from Dr. Vieira, a Brazillian Dr. who had taken over the practice from Dr. Ellett. Dr. Ellett remains on the board of the Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle in the year 2000)
On the corner of Main and Milton is the Hathaway printing establishment that is treated alone in the brief history of Coatesville.
Across the Main Street North side is the First national Bank to be treated as a separate unit. (Building now occupied by the Town Of Coatesville's office. Formerly Davis Floral.
West, and next door is the Weaver Furniture Store and Mortuary. Mr. Weaver is a friendly and clever business man from Danville and is giving to Coatesville the goods and services found in large cities. His head man, Junior Wingler is the right man for the place, so think the local people. (Mr. Weaver sold the funeral home/ furniture store to Junior Wingler in the late 1960's and Mr. Wingler sold the funeral home/ furniture store to Mr. Dan Hayes in the late 1980's who retains ownership in the year 2000.)
The next place of business is the Helpy-Selfy Laundry. It is owned and managed by Bert Wallace and wife, both local people, both well known to most folk who come to town. They have a nice business place and a good business. (The Helpy-Selfy closed in the late 1970's. In the early 1980's it was purchased by Phil and Jerry Lynn Wingler and opened as a smaller laundry called the Wash House and Wingler & Son's electrical contracting business and electrical supply store. It burned in 1986 closing the business. It was purchased by Junior Wingler who re-built it into apartments and storage for his business. It is currently owned by Dan Hayes.)
The Kelly Grocery and restaurant are somewhat new to Coatesville. Man and wife are congenial people who appreciate folk’s trade and at present are well patronized. If one undertook to criticize their restaurant this criticism would have to be that one got too much good food rather than too little. (Kelly's sold out in the late 1970's and Art Evans put a commercial lawnmower outlet in this store. That was closed in the late 1980's. This building is currently unoccupied.)
At the Corner of Main and Milton on the Northeast side is the Standard Oil Station and the Bill Stanton Garage. Bill is friendly and accommodating man, carries accessories to fit the general need and is a first class mechanic. (The filling station closed in the early 1980's and is currently unoccupied.)
North of the Garage is a Supply Building for the Town's electric needs. Beyond this is the Irvine Benett Insurance Agency. "Dan" as he is familiarly called handles a good line of insurance and does a good business helping citizens for miles around with their income tax returns. (This building is currently the "Home Again Restaurant".)
South on Milton and on the East side is the Brown Drugstore. Both Herbert and Edna are jolly people who look over the business a few years ago and have made it a good place to trade. (This building is now "The Brick" restaurant, operated by Steve and Sharon Trump.)
Across the tracks is the Everett Pyle grocery and meat market. One would have to go to a progressive city to find a store so well stocked, air conditioned and clean as this place of business. (The grocery store is currently owned by David Brown whose parents are mentioned above, owning the Brown Drugstore. Mr. Brown has recently purchased the grocery store and video rental facility. There is also a lunch counter in the building.)
The Walter's Filling Station is a neat structure with ample room inside for car washing and repair work. Jim is a crippled man but gets things done rapidly and well. His charges are always reasonable. (Mr. Walters died in the late 1970's and Everett Smith purchased the building and pumped gas until the mid 1990's. Gasoline is no longer for sale in Coatesville. Mr. Smith still does car repair.)
On the opposite side of the street is the Collier Lumber Company office and carpenter shop and beyond is the spreading lumber shed. They take contracts to build whatever one needs. (The lumber company closed in the late 1960's and was for a time a restaurant. The building has been for sale since the late 1980's and is currently empty.)
The business house nearer the tracks is the tin and plumbing shop of Wayne Kivett. Wayne is a minister but will minister to the needs of a balky pump. (Wayne is a retire Methodist minister who is still plumbing at age 78. His wife Christina is still helping in the "shop" at age 80.)
The Pennsylvania Depot stands beside the track and does little else these days. (The Depot was torn down in the early 1970's. The railroad is also gone, and the remaining lot was turned into a town parking lot.)
Northeast of town is the Bryant-Poff Company that do a big business in making mill and elevator parts. Goods from the Plant are hauled into several surrounding States. (Bryant-Poff closed in the mid 1970's. The plant is now a manufacturer of zero turning radius lawn mowers.)
Maurice (Tubby) Wingler is the Standard Oil Co. representative here and his big truck goes day or night, winter and summer to carry gas and oil to both town and country. Tubby is a jovial boy who believes "You expect more from Standard and you get it." (Tubby Wingler passed away in 1997 after a long bout with heart disease. This jovial "boy" had 5 children, 11 grand-children and 3 great grandchildren. He ran the agency for over 30 years and sold to Gary Brannigan of Greencastle who currently owns the bulk plant in Coatesville and operates from Greencastle. Tubby was my father-in-law, whom I dearly loved.)
Faye Robinson on North Milton has a carpenter's shop and in spare time he repairs and refinishes furniture of many kinds. If one wishes a cabinet built to his own specifications Faye will do this and the job will be well done. (Faye Robinson died in the late 1960's. His furniture shop tools were sold at auction.)
South of town "Buck" Arnold has a farm from which he supplies fill dirt to anyone needing it. He is the owner and operator of an excavating machine and will dig ditches, take care of septic tanks, excavate for new homes or business places, dig graves in neighboring cemeteries whenever the occasion demands it and possibly do some trucking. (Buck Arnold no longer does excavating. He is retired.)
Coatesville has a Telephone Exchange on South Milton and at the rear a beautiful new building is in process of construction. (The old building was demolished and the new building stands today. It is fully automated and requires no daily human maintenance.)
Reatha's Beauty Shop is located in her home on Hadley Street, East of the Methodist parsonage. Reatha is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Bowen. Several years ago she decided on beauty culture as a profession and has succeeded over the span of years to carry out her plan. She operates a splendid shop and is well patronized by town folks and from the surrounding community. (Mrs. Stiegel, Reatha, passed in the 1980's. Her husband Willard is president of the Coatesville Town Board, and still lives in the house that held her beauty shop.)
Mrs. Jimmy Poff operates a beauty parlor in her new home on Von Tress Street. She was well known among the young folks of the town when a high school and has a wider acquaintance since her marriage and opening a shop.
Each shop has its own clientele of the matronly folk or the younger class. (Shirley White Poff's beauty shop has been closed since the late 1980's. It is a private residence.)
In a white, block building South of the Filling Station on Milton Street, Roy Hodson opened several years ago a Man's Furnishing Store. Roy had been an expert barber and while in that business with his father he had taken up the Men's clothing project.
His store was well stocked with men's everyday wearing apparel, work and dress shoes, rubber boots, overshoes shirts, ties, and various other sundries needed by men folk. He measured and fitted band uniforms for the local high school members.
Roy always had the daily and county papers, a good fire in winter and chairs for both customer and loafer. His store was a good place to talk politics, discuss town topics or discuss the shrinkage of the dollar. All good things come to an end. Roy's sickness and death ended all. Perhaps this was the last such store Coatesville will ever know.
(Joe was right. Since the death of Roy Hodson the white block building has never been a man's store. The building had no plumbing or central heat. It was purchased by Everett Smith who owns the garage next door and he operated a pool room in it for a short while. There has never been another clothing store in Coatesville and I would also predict that there will never be another such store.)