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1861
Simon Trefzger founded the Trefzger Bakery in 1861 at 54 Fulton Street, half way between Adams and Washington.
During the Civil War Simon was awarded the contract to supply bakery goods for the Union troops stationed just outside of Peoria. It was a hard job, seven days a week, week in and week out. At the end of the war Simon was worn out. Some sores had opened on his legs, and they were not healing. Simon knew of the healing hot springs near his home in Baden, he knew a good doctor who had treated his family, he wanted to see his family and friends again in Wehr, and he longed for a vacation after all of his hard work.
1867
So in 1867 he took his family (which now consisted of his wife and 5 children; Mary, Emma, Adolph, Charles and Louis) back to Germany. After reaching Germany the Franco-Prussian War broke out. This prevented his return to America until early 1872.
Simon had left his bakery in the hands of two employees. Expecting to find his business thriving when he returned, he was quite surprised to find the doors locked and no customers. The employees had abandoned the business, and were gone.
1872
Simon opened the bakery and started again. He and his family lived above the bakery on Fulton Street.
1876
Simon's son Charles, when he was 16 finished his formal schooling and became an apprentice is his father's bakery. During the next seven years he was employed in each department of the business, qualifying himself to become a partner with his father in 1890.
1890
In 1890, after Charles' marriage, he purchased his father's interest. He moved upstairs where his father formerly lived.
Under his leadership the bakery continued its retail business ans added a wholesale dimension having an office on Monroe Street.
In 1904 Charles moved the bakery around the corner to 102 S. Monroe Street. But since people would not go "around the corner," in 1906 he again moved back to Main Street. In 1909 he occupied both the Main Street and S. Monroe Street addresses.
1920s
Charles owned and operated the bakery until the mid 1920s when his son Joe(Sr.) took over the reins and operated the business until the mid 1950s.
1953
The Trefzger Bakery moved to the suburbs. It moved to 3504 Prospect Avenue.
Joe(Jr.) took over the bakery. Joe and his wife Gladys ran the bakery until it was sold in 1993.
Tom worked with his brother Joe(Jr.) until he had a heart attack in the early 1990s.
1993
The Trefzger Bakery was sold, ending 132 years of ownership and baking in the Trefzger family.
2024
The Peoria paper included this article with the below photo:
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