Steele, Erastus E. 1857-1942 Garrattsville NY Storekeeper

"Garrattsville Past by Rosaline Smith E. E. Steele and his Store On May 11, 1892, E. E. Steele moved into the village of Garrattsville. Two teams brought his goods from Edmeston through mud upto the wagon hubs much of the way. Mr. Steele bought out the Edward Lewis Hardware opposite Card's Mill. Seventeen days later he opened the business as his own. In 1893 he built the store building, known as the E. E. Steele Hardware. At this time, kerosene oil, kerosene lamps and lanterns, fancy polished black stoves and oil stoves, homemade tin ware and sheet iron ware, hand plunger butter churns, wagon and sleigh parts, horse shoes, horse blankets, whips, forge tools and carpenter tools were fast sellers ... Mr. Steele served as supervisor, school trustee, and Postmaster. Before he came to this area he was in the hardware business eight years in Sidney Center with his brother, George Steele. Mr. Steele was born near Walton, February 16, 1857. Mr. Steele passed away in 1942. The store continued under the name of E. E. Steele & Son, closing in the 1970's." ["New Berlin Gazette" (New Berlin, NY), Thurs., Aug. 7, 1986, Page Five]