1881 – September 15, The Delano Eagle

BARBER – “R. Bohn fills the tonsorial bill for Delano, and his patrons all claim that his work is exceeding good. He has been in Delano since 1879, and came here from Sweden. Delano is well able to support a barber, and Mr. Bohn is never short of custom.”

1885 – January 1, The Delano Eagle

BARBER SHOPS – “Mr. R. Bohn and Mr. Chas. Parnell attend to the tonsorial wants of our citizens; the former’s place of business being on River Street, the latter’s on Franklin Avenue.”

(from the Delano Eagle, August 28, 1890)

“Mr. R. M. Bohn is negotiating for the purchase of I. H. Grafft’s store building on River Street. He intends to use the from room on the lower floor for a hair-dressing room, and the back part of the same story for bath rooms. The upstairs will be remodeled and converted into a photograph gallery by using the glass roof now on the present photograph gallery building which Mr. Bohn intends to convert into a residence. Mr. Bohn made an offer for the building some time ago, but it was not accepted until last week.”

Reynold M. Bohn was born March 4, 1850 in Norway, and immigrated to America in 1879. According to the 1880 census, he was boarding with the Nicholas Begon family on Railroad Avenue in Delano; he was 30 years old, single, and a barber. He married, but his wife committed suicide in 1883. R.M. married Frances A Cebulla on Aug. 23, 1888 in St. Paul. The 1895 census for Delano lists him as a barber and music teacher. In 1900, R.M., his wife Frances, and their four children, Frances Angela, Oscar F., Grover C. L, and Henrietta, were living in Delano; his occupation was listed as barber. R. M. died October 7, 1904, and is buried in the Delano Cemetery. His tombstone is engraved with a musical lyre.

Grover Bohn followed in his father’s footsteps. He began his lifetime career in high school of both barbering and the musical profession, which he followed until his retirement in 1958 after barbering for 49 years. Grover moved to Colorado in 1920, as a veteran to WWI, where he was the assistant band leader of the 358th Infantry Band of the 90th Division.

(Frances A. Bohn married Henry Stein, the brother of Armand Stein, -see below)

(Ads from the Delano Eagle, 1891

Charles Parnell is enumerated on the 1885 Minnesota State Census as living in Delano, with his wife Alice, and their children Laura, Mollie, and Chas.

Beverly C. Yancey was a barber in Delano from at least 1895 through 1920. His shop was located on River Street, approximately in the location of the current vacant lot next to Rieder’s Meat Market. B.C. was enumerated either as a black or a mulatto on the census records. In 1895 and 1900 his nephew, Edward Brown was living with him and in 1900 Edward ‘s occupation also was listed as barber.

B.C. Yancy in his shop.

from The Great Northwest Magazine, December 1909:

“If there is any time more than another when a man feels that life is a dream of bliss, it is when he undergoes the soothing manipulation of a first class barber such as Mr. B. C. Yancey, the popular barber, has proven himself to be. Mr. Yancey, though a resident of Delano for more than seventeen years, did not, until last fall, actively unite himself with the business men of Delano. He is established in an up-to-date shop, in size 16x24. Diligent attention and earnest endeavor to steadily grow in his profession has placed him in the lie with many tonsorial artists of a life-long experience. One always finds him in good spirits, happy and jolly. He has become a favorite, as shown by the very large trade he has worked up in so short a period of time. It truly speaks well for the man and his skill in the manipulation of the razor.”

(from the Delano Eagle, September 26, 1907)

“For rent, cheap, the barber shop building on River Street. Best location in Delano for small store or barber shop. This building has been continually occupied for the past ten years as a barber shop and is so familiar to everyone that the place can be found in the dark. Everybody has the habit of going there and will continue to do so if a barber shop is there. Call on L. P. Probst for terms. – (Advt.)

(from The Delano Eagle, October 10, 1907)

“We have moved from the old barber shop stand into C. M. Conzet’s building where the light will be sufficient to enable us to do first-class work, and we have our shop in first-class shape and ready for business. We have added a bath room to our shop and are ready to serve both ladies and gentlemen with baths. Call and see us in our new quarters. BOCK BROS.

(The three brothers, Charlie, Emil, and August owned a barber shop together in Delano and also made cigars, Emil Bock died in 1907).

(from the History of Wright County Minnesota, Volume II, 1915)

Listed in a brief business directory:

C.H. Bock – barber

John J. Pickle – barber (probably John N Pickle)

B.C. Gancey (Yancey) – barber

Charles R. Bock was working as a barber in Delano in 1905, was the proprietor of a barber shop in Delano in 1918 as indicated on his WWI Registration, and on the 1920 and 1930 censuses (living on River Street), but had moved to rural Wright County near Hanover by 1935. The 1940 Census still lists him as a barber, with his own shop. In 1942, Chas was living in Eden Prairie, and not employed. But in 1957 he was back barbering in Delano, as indicated by this ad:

Charles was married to Agnes M Stein, the sister of Armand Stein. (see below). Delano Eagle, 1957

John J. Pickle – probably John Nelson Pickle is listed in the 1915 History of Wright County as a barber in Delano, but was never living in Delano during a time of census. In 1900, he was a barber in Bradford, Isanti County; in 1905 and 1910, Eagle Lake, Blue Earth County; in 1920, 1930, and 1940 –Los Angeles County, CA., where he continued in the barbering business.

Armand Stein - Armand was the youngest son of John Louis Stein, an early saloonist in Delano and one of the builders of the brick block building on Bridge Street. Armand married Adeline Horsch; their son Francis continued in his father’s business in the same location on River Street, and later moved to his present location on Bridge Avenue.

“Armand started working in the barber shop in 1912. He was eight years old, and started off by shining shoes and lathering faces for shaves. During World War I, there was a shortage of barbers in Delano, because the majority of the barbers went to work in defense plants for the war effort. Armand’s brother-in-law, Charlie Bock, took him to the governor, and the governor granted the 15-year-old his license.” (from the Delano Eagle, September 11, 2006)

(from the 1946 The Eagle presents Delano, Minnesota):

“Armand Stein, owner of Armand’s Barber Shop, has been in the barber business in Delano since 1933, opening a shop here after returning from California where he barbered in San Francisco for a number of years. Armand started barbering as a lather boy for Charles Bock, who now helps Armand out on busy days in the shop. Carl Eckman is also associated with Mr. Stein at the present time.”

1926 ad from the Delano Eagle

(from the 1946 The Eagle presents Delano, Minnesota):

“Krumm’s Barber and Beauty Shop, located on the corner of Bridge and River Street, Delano, is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Krumm, who took over the business from Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bock in 1941. For nine years, before coming to Delano, Mr. and Mrs. Krumm operated a barber and shop at 5460 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis.”

Mr. Leslie Krumm daughter Ihla Rae; Mrs. Krumm with customer, 1946