Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

An Anamosa Tradition
For Three Generations
The popular meat market and grocery is
in its fourth generation of family ownership,
but its history spans many years.
Good-natured folks selling quality foodstuffs
has been a Tyler 3 Dowing hallmark
through the years. Customers have always
been greeted with a smile.
The store enioyed the patronage of many
steady customers who prefer the more personal
service and the always-fresh meats.
“T 8 D” had its beginnings in December
I904 when D.A. (Don) Downing and J.E.
(Joe) Tyler of Cedar Rapids purchased the
butcher business and grocery stock of J.L.
Kaufmann. T 3 D moved 59 years ago to 122
E. Main, in 1925.
After buying the store, they purchased an
BO-acre farm along Dubuque Road to raise
the cattle they butchered.
Saturday nights used to be big for T 8 D,
as well as other Anamosa stores — for that
was the night when the farmers came to
town. The farmers would sell their eggs and
produce to T 8 D in exchange for groceries.
The ritual also included a visit to the local
motion picture house, and T 8. D would stay
open until after the show so that the farmers
could pick up their groceries.
T 8 D employees waited on each customer
personally until 1950, when the store went
self-service.
The original store was housed in what
was Hank's True Value in Anamosa.
It was moved to the present site of
Anamosa Art 8. Tole and at that time, the
store was called Tyler and Downing's. It had
previously been Central Market.
Mrs. Downing remembers her father-in-law
telling that he met J. Tyler in Cedar Rapids.
Tyler operated a butcher shop near Mercy
Hospital. Both men wanted to be independent
and decided to open a grocery. They
debated between Winona, Minn. and
Anamosa and chose Anamosa, buying out L.
Kaufmann's stock.
Home deliveries have always been Tyler
and Downing's tradition. In those early
years, deliveries were made by horse and
buggy.
In I948, the third generation of the Downing
family started in the grocery business.
D.A. "Buddy" Downing and Cletus Mc-
Namara. McNamara began in 1950. Charles
Tyler, the second generation of his family,
had no children. L.A. Downing, second
generation of the Downing family in the
grocery business, died in I961.
Cletus McNamara's son, Doug and Buddy
Downing's son Dirk have now entered the
business, which began the fourth generation.
T 8- D MEATS
Now located at
Jack 8: Jill Store,
Anamosa
427