In 1929, 150 East Broadway was built adjacent to the corner bar (now Kenny’s T-Road Tavern) in downtown New Germany. The first bar owner was Fred Gohlke. He started a refreshment business of liquors of all kinds.
A meat market next to the bar was operated by Fred Hein. In 1935 Alois Effertz purchased the original building from Fred Gohlke and opened a meat packing plant and butcher shop after learning the trade working at the Norwood Meat Market while in high school. After marrying Elizabeth Braunworth, Alois decided in 1946 to add meat lockers and upstairs living quarters. Before Alois (Cleaver) Effertz could add on to the east side of the meat market, a small barber shop building run by Walter Lindstrom had to be moved down the street further east. The meat market addition process began with the animal “kill” room, east side meat lockers, and north side packing area. Groceries were added and sold on the front side of the building facing the main street, and the upstairs living quarters were added for wife Elizabeth and their two sons, David and James Effertz. The meat market closed in October 1979 after Alois’ death in March, 1979.
Betty Strei opened a Rainbow Collection Consignment shop in 1983 formerly occupied by Effertz Meat Market. Elizabeth Effertz continued to live upstairs during this time. On October 31, 2003 Kevin and Kathy Rittgers purchased the building and opened Exceptional Realty and Cliff and Molly’s Coffee Shop (the name was adopted from the Herman USA movie in 1998 which was filmed in New Germany).
In 1961 the city purchased and installed a water tower for $80,000. Around 2006, the city upgraded to a 250,000 gallon tower at a cost of $767,000.
In 1995, Jim Kilbane, who owned the barn on the east side where he sold soybeans, donated the neighboring vacant lot to the city as a park, later named Gazebo Park. The gazebo and surrounding trees and shrubs were installed for the filming of “Herman, USA.”
“Herman, USA,” was filmed in New Germany in 1998. Based on a true story, it portrayed a small town where bachelors seeking wives outnumbered single women 78 to 10. News of the dilemma hit the national and international news networks, sparking interest from single women across the country and around the world.
“Trivia” – What Carver County town had three names: New Germany! During World War I, the name was changed to Motordale due to the anti-German sentiments at that time. After the war, the name was changed back to New Germany. During the summer of 1998, it became Herman (even the name on the water tower was changed to Herman) for the filming of the movie “Herman USA.”
In 2009, Mayor Pete Peterson reported that “Cliff & Molly’s” was closing operations because the owners, the Rittgers, were moving out of state.
In the April 2024 issue of City News, Mayor Jaeger’s office introduced the coming of a new business to 150 Broadway Street E, and here we are! Welcome to The Fancy Farmer!
Contributing Authors:
Twyla Menth
(City Clerk)
David and Carolyn Effertz
(New Germany Historians)
