Britton Mainstay Comes Down

A couple of weeks ago, a building that has been a constant presence in Britton for around a century came down. The building and property, at 760 Vander Horck, is owned by US LBM Holdings, the same company that owns Scott’s Lumber. However, it is perhaps better known as the old Thorp Auto building.

The building had been constructed by Charles Ruh and sons in 1919 as part of the building boom following World War I.. They ran it as Marshall County Auto Co. Sometime in the early thirties, the Farmers and Merchants Bank foreclosed on the building and was the owner at the time of the Thorp purchase.

The building sat empty for several years. Thorp Auto Company, owned by Walton Thorp, moved to the location in February of 1940. Fred Lubke was given a contract to renovate the building. He put heavy cement pillars to support the large steel beams which were to hold up the roof.

In 1945, the Thorp Auto Co. incorporated with Walton Thorp, Jim Miles, Henry Prchal and Mearl Thayer as stockholders. This later included Desmond Jerde and Wayne Knecht. The business was also part of the John Deere franchise.

Edward Jerde has good memories of Thorp Auto and the building. Jerde’s father, Desmond, was the office manager at the business. Edward would go to the building with his father and recalls playing with the John Deere toys. In high school, he began working there washing cars and eventually became a full-time employee.

Over the years, Thorp Auto sold many lines, including Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, John Deere, New Holland and more. Jerde adds that the business also sold washers and dryers and even TVs.

“It was fun growing up in the business, with all the new cars,” said Jerde. “I really enjoyed that.”

Thorp died in the 1960, but the business continued on for the next two decades. In the early 80s, the John Deere part of the business moved elsewhere. Finally, Thorp Auto closed in 1982.

Over the next years, the building changed hands a few times, at times functioning as an automobile dealership and auto repair shop. The lumberyard and then US LBM Holdings eventually took possession of the location.

Recently, the building had been determined to be in disrepair and thus was brought down. The city and company who owned the building and lumber yard have also been considering a land swap, possibly involving the land where the building was, plus other areas. If the exchange happens, the building’s demolition was also necessary.

For now, clean up continues at the site and even though it’s now empty, the memories of an important part of Britton history remain.