Lewistown’s population tripled between 1900 and 1910 and the booming building trade attracted stonemasons and craftsmen, many of them Croatian immigrants, who settled here. The upper façade of this 1908 one-story commercial building, revealed during restoration in 1990, exemplifies the fine stonework of these Old World artisans. Also uncovered was the original sign for The Hub clothing store, located here for many years, and the motto (which is repeated on the sidewalk) of proprietor Joe Alweis. A respected early day resident and local property owner, Alweis is fondly remembered by “old timers” for his big-hearted generosity during the hard times of drought and depression. If a customer couldn’t afford clothing, he had to “just pay the freight.”
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