With rusticated sandstone blocks on the top floor and smooth blocks on the ground floor, the Scharf Block is a bit different from the norm. If the short news article below is correct it was intended that the building be three stories in height. A glance at the accompanying photos show that it was built with only two stories. Possibly a basement was considered to be a third story. The ground floor was built as retail space, while the upper floor was fitted out as offices. The contract for the building was won by the Cody Lumber Co., with the firm of Elswick and Redman carrying out the construction.
The industrious lady was one Elysabeth Scharf of Lincoln, Ill (or Monroe, Iowa). There is no evidence that Elysabeth (referred to in the news article below as "Miss") ever lived in Cody, though there are newspaper references to her having visited on occasion. Letters from her were received by Cody residents at various times, the points of origination being Lincoln, Illinois and Monroe, Iowa. No further information on Elysabeth has been found.
Initially housing the Cody Drug Co., which moved in in late November from the building next door to the east, we have no information on what, or who, occupied the building in intervening years. Cody Drug Co. was owned and operated by Dr. William Bennett, who also had an office in the building. Today the ground floor houses
Annie's Soda Saloon & Cafe, which was named after Grandma Annie Patterson, the grandmother of the owner, NOT Annie Oakley, who had ties to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
Early in the life of the building a dentist had moved in, placing this ad on the front page of the Thursday, June 27, 1907 edition of the The Wyoming Stockgrower and Farmer.
