Built by Jesse Thacker in 1873 to house his hardware store, this building is said to have served as a fire wall during the devastating January 1880 fire, helping save a portion of the north side of the Square. Following Thacker’s death in 1887, his sons purchased the 

hardware store’s inventory and reopened the business as Thacker Brothers Hardware.

 

In late 1888, the brothers sold the business to Henderson & Huntley Hardware Merchants, who expanded the store by adding a 100-foot addition to the rear of the building. In June 1891, Henderson & Huntley sold the hardware business. Breaking with the building’s long tradition as a hardware store, Jas. Rainwater moved in and opened a saloon.

 

The building eventually returned to its roots as a hardware store.  In 1946, it became home to Carthage Hardware, which remained in business until closing in 2025.

​

FUN FACT:  In the 1800s, undertakers were often furniture makers, as the craftsmanship required to build coffins relied on specialized woodworking skills.  In 1882, Edward Knell became the owner of a furniture and undertaking business in Carthage.  The furniture business moved next door to the Thacker building in 1883.

​

After attending embalming school in 1887, Knell became Jasper County’s first licensed embalmer, helping usher in the professional funeral industry in the county.  In February 1888, he rented two rooms above the Thacker hardware store for his undertaking department.  By May 1889, Knell had sold his interest in the Knell, Howenstein & Wheelock furniture business, purchased the undertaking portion of the business, and rented the entire second floor of the hardware store to focus exclusively on his growing undertaking business.

​

In 1897, Knell built his own building at 201 W. 3rd Street.  The business was later moved his funeral business to 308 Chestnut Street, where the funeral home continues to serve the Carthage community today.