Fantle's Department Store

If you enjoy thrift shopping and exploring estate sales, you may have stumbled upon pieces of Sioux Falls' history. I have come across hat boxes and tags from Fantle's Department Store, which embodies the American Dream.

Charles and Regina Fantle immigrated from Austria to Michigan, where they raised a family while Charles operated a mercantile store. As the children grew, two of the boys relocated to Yankton, South Dakota, where they established Fantle Brothers, later known as "the big store." One intriguing detail I read is that this store once had a monkey – I'm not quite sure how that worked!

Another of the Fantle sons, Charles Jr., moved to Sioux Falls and opened his own store, which offered everything from dry goods to carpets. This establishment was located on the west side of Phillips Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets, and opened in 1896. Business flourished, leading to expansions as the store grew alongside Sioux Falls.

However, on February 3, 1918, Fantle's store was devastated by a fire. Despite the firefighters' efforts, the building was lost, and it took several years for the business to fully recover from this tragic event.

Charles Fantle Jr. passed away unexpectedly in 1925 at the age of 61 and was laid to rest in Mount Zion, a predominantly Jewish cemetery located one block east of Mount Pleasant Cemetery. His son, Benjamin, continued the family legacy, and the store still had a vibrant life ahead. A new Fantle's was built at 9th and Main, and there was even a location in the mall during the 1970s.

However, changing shopping trends rendered Fantle's out of touch. When Benjamin died in 1978, it marked the beginning of the end for the Fantle empire in Sioux Falls. Today, only memories remain of those who worked and shopped there.