I’m a sucker for buildings with names, so when I was driving down North Ellis south of the Broadway Theater, I had to snap a quick picture of the Mildred Apartments. The place is a little shabby these days.
In fact, a young man showed up on the police blotter for “maintaining a disorderly house” there not too long ago. I suspect that the citation wasn’t for something as mundane as not picking his socks up off the floor.
Built in 1912
The January 21, 1921, Missourian carried a front page story “How Builders View the Situation.” Theodore Ochs, president of the Union Lumber Company, and with 20 years in the lumber business, said things were going to bounce back now that the War was over. “I do not propose to cut the pay of a single man of the many who are working for me, but expect them to merely produce more than they have in the past.”
Ochs continued, “I intend building a six-family apartment house on Ellis Street in the spring, which will be almost identical to the Mildred Apartments I built there some time ago.”
Lots of happenings
The newspaper columns were full of stories about things happening in the apartments and to its inhabitants. There were lots of bridge parties and social organization galas. James Kinder II was quarantined with the mumps in 1936. Lightning hit the structure in 1920, “all lights in the building being snuffed out except those in one apartment.”
In 1927, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis H. Butler of that address “motored to Advance, Glenallen and Lutesville Sunday. They said the roads were in good condition all the way.”
E.W. Boyer advertised in 1927 for stenographic work: “Addressing envelopes, typewritten letters, shorthand or copying; 5 cents for original, long or short letter; 3 cents for each additional carbon copy; neatness and accuracy guaranteed. Phone 768.”
One more thing tweaks my curiosity. Who was Mildred?
Mildred…nice old name…I had an aunt Hildred, never heard of that name before or since. Okay who was Mildred?
I wondered the same thing myself.
Jane McKeown Neumeyer commented on Facebook, “I think Mildred was the oldest daughter of the builder and his wife Bertha. Mildred Ochs Brickhaus died in the 2000s.”
I love this building! As a teen, I worked @ Broadway Theater& passed it every night!
Mildred was the oldest daughter of Theodore Ochs who later married Raymond Strom. They were the parents of Ted Strom and a daughter named Julia, may have been other children. They were also owners of “Memorial Park Cemetery”.
That just goes to show how everything in Cape is interconnected. I went from Kindergarten through high school with Bonnie Strom.
Here’s another connection Ken, I lived in that building from 1964 until 1967 with my mother and brother. They continued to live there for another 8 years. We lived in the upstairs on the left. It was a lovely old building at the time. And yes, Mr Ochs owned the building. Mrs. Glenn, CHS art teacher lived downstairs from us. Nice trip along memory lane, thanks.
Nancy, I can’t remember ever picking you up there, but that was the era when we were both working on the yearbook. For some reason, I’m thinking of a ranch-style house. (Or, maybe you just didn’t want me to know where you actually lived.)
Sure Ken, you caught me, I was in the witness protection plan and couldn’t tell you where I really lived. For the first two and a half years at CHS I lived out off Bloomfield Rd on Edgewood in a ranch style. After my dad died we sold the house and moved to the appartment on Ellis St. Are you sure you weren’t there sometime? That yearbook kept us both busy for a couple of years!!
I don’t remember this building, but it is most pleasant to the eye. Did these Ochs own a floral/hothouse?
Here’s a really interesting story about Theodore Ochs. He was quite a figure in SE Missouri.
The piece said he had an interest in flowers, so he might have been the Ochs you are thinking of. I’ll have to do more digging.
Yes, the same Mr Ochs.
I’m not seeing this link but wondering if this Mr Ochs was the same man who lived in and possibly built the Shivelbine home on Sprigg St? I see some resemblance in this architecture.
I lived in the building immediately to the left in the mid 1970s. I remember trick or treating at the Mildred.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/caelstephpaul/14776052337/