No butts about it, ashtray sparks mystery
As a veteran local auctioneer of nearly 40 years, Greencastle's De Eilar not only has a lifetime of memories but quite a cache of souvenirs as well.
He's got an old Greencastle cabinet bearing a bronze plaque denoting its homegrown history. Stored inside it are a number of old greenish Coca-Cola bottles, including one of the old rounded originals and a couple with "Greencastle" embossed on the bottom.
Nearby Eilar has an old jug from Ple-Z-ee, an old soft drink made in Greencastle years ago. On the crockware jug is written "Drink Ple-Z-ee, best soft drink on earth -- Greencastle, Ind."
Most everyone who has lived in Greencastle very long knows some of the history behind those items.
But even Eilar is baffled by the restaurant pictured on a glass ashtray in his possession.
A photo in the Banner Graphic last week of the old Rattray antique shop at 111 W. Walnut St. (being converted into the residence and office of local attorney James Holder) jangled Eilar's memory.
From his pocket, the old auctioneer produced a clear glass ashtray with blue images advertising Ernberg's Restaurant and Delicatessen.
With the same distinctive dormer and roofline that is there today, it is unmistakably the same building at the northeast corner of Walnut and Market streets.
The picture on the ashtray also shows a couple of large trees that are long gone and a stylish canopied entrance from the street.
"Looks like it was quite a restaurant in its day," Eilar offered.
Unfortunately, not even the longtime auctioneer or any of his contemporaries has the faintest idea when that heyday occurred.
"I've been an auctioneer since 1973," said Eilar, who still does specialty sales and estate sales, "and I don't remember it. I showed it (the ashtray) to Danny Bumgardner the other day and talked to several others but they don't remember the place."
It stands to reason Ernberg's was probably popular back when the old Commercial Hotel was in its glory at the southeast corner of Walnut and Jackson (the site of a First Christian Church parking lot since the mid 1980s).
One clue to its age is the phone number shown on the Ernberg's ashtray -- "Phone 25," it says.
That probably puts the date closer to the days of a live local operator than the era of the smartphone.
Greencastle defacto historian and onetime "Hoosier Know-It-Alls" TV game show winner Jinsie Bingham, of course, does recall the Ernbergs.
She says they lived across the road from her Bloomington Street home before they moved to Terre Haute sometime in the 1950s, she believes.
That means Eilar's ashtray is probably 50-60 years old or more.
For now Eilar is content to keep his unique treasure with his other Greencastle collectibles, like a distinctive bell from Gardner Bros. and other relics of our local past.
"It's just something I probably bought at a household sale," Eilar said, not remembering when or where. "I have certain things like that. When I like them I put them in a drawer. I've probably had it for years."