The first man in Bartlett to be drafted during World War II, Earl entered the Army in June 1941, worked on the Alcan Highway, and later served in the European Theater of Operations from 1943 to 1946. After the war Earl and his wife, Lois, owned and operated Humbracht’s Confectionary which was founded in May 1948 in Bartlett. He was a member of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Bartlett and was also named a Bartlett Living Legend by the village.
There is also a street, Humbracht Circle, named after him, along with a football field at the same park. My dad has told me many stories about the soda shop, since I hadn’t been born in time to see it. He said his father, Earl Humbracht, was considered a firefighter in Bartlett. My grandpa had a red phone in the store that was a direct line to the fire station. Since this was before 9-1-1 existed, witnesses to a fire could come to the confectionary and Earl would relay the information to the fire department through his red phone.
Hello Mr. Humbracht, My brother and I were grade school kids in 1969, living in the Bartlett, Apple Orchard subdivision. in Summertime we used to ride our bicycles into “downtown” Bartlett, sit in front of the old wooden train station, put coins on the track, and watch the trains roll through. Before heading home we’d sometimes see what was new on the toy aisle at Humbracht’s Confectionary. Also across the street from the train station there was a very big, and very old 2 story house with a proper front porch that my parents were considering buying. But we were soon back in California in “The Valley Of Hearts Delight”, which soon became “Silicone Valley”. sigh. I miss old town Bartlett, and never miss an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Mayberry reminds me of Bartlett. 🙂
We are flying back there in a few days to see the old neighborhood. Best regards. Jon