Tailor Shop & Emporium

Tailor Shop and Emporium. . Jacob Snure acquired 97.5 acres of Lot 19, Concession 4 in Louth Township in 1837 for £1250. A village plan "Snure Plan 3 -Village of Jordan" was drawn up, and he began selling village lots on the west and east side of the Main Street. , Jordan's population grew from 200 in 1846 to 300 in 1858, and by 1869 there were 35 businesses around the village. The south end continued to be a focal point of commercial establishments, due to easy access from the Queenston Grimsby Stone Road. This area included blacksmiths, livery and harness makers, wagon makers, tailors, a weaver, a licensed hotel, and general stores. , This building is where Casper Miller lived with his family and ran his tailor shop beginning in 1869. He acquired ¼ acre "south of lot 1 on the west side of Main Street" for $660 from James Burton Snure, livery keeper. The shop was located between the blacksmith shop to the south and the carriage shops to the north. , Casper Miller emigrated from Bavaria, Germany in 1849; he and his wife Georgina Dressel had 8 children. The shop was a busy one, employing 3-4 assistants, including family members, turning out finely cut suits. In addition to tailoring, the front part of the shop was a small general store selling additional sewing items, including needles, thread and material, as well as grocery items such as tea, coffee, sugar, candy, and tobacco, and local potter Daniel Orth's crocks and jugs. The business thrived in the 1870s-1890s. Casper Miller, aged 83, retired and sold the shop in 1912. , From the time of the tailor shop to 1977 when the Leyenhorst family acquired the property and into the 21st century, this location and building has served the Jordan community as a residence, grocery store, antiques store, gift shop, upholstery, hairdresser, and tearoom. Since 2002, it has been known in Jordan Village as the Avant-Garde Emporium. Traditions from the past continue to present day, with businesses servicing the needs of Jordan residents and visitors alike!