3.20

Plate, Souvenir

1898 Approximate

Souvenir Plate from the Grapp Furniture Store and Funeral Directors of Janesville. Material: ceramic: Size: 10" diameter. Description: dinner plate; ornate gold patterns are painted on its wide, dark blue, glazed and scalloped rim edged in gold; the center features a multicolored painted image of a male and female grouse posed in a field; captioned in gold: "Souvenir of Janesville, Minn."; back stamped in gold: "Mfg. Expressly for Grapps Furniture & Carpet Co., Funeral Directors, Janesville, Minn."; blue script stamp: "Lebeau Porcelain"

This plate has been passed down from Fr. Haberman, a former priest at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Janesville to a parishioner, Dave Adams who gave it to a friend, Gary Mittelsteadt. Mittelsteadt then donated it to the WCHS. Early settler, August Grapp began a furniture store and funeral service in Waseca in its early history. By 1898, he had procured a Janesville building where his son, William Grapp operated a second furniture store and funeral service. The grand opening of the Janesville business was featured in the Janesville Argus, September 30, 1898 as well as it being heavily advertised. The business eventually was sold to Thomas Foley and in 1928, the Arnoldt family took over. See also the Grapp business file in the Bailey Research Library.