On May 9, 1895, R.H. Marquette established a cigar factory and store at this location. The store became a local gathering place for men in the community, and its popularity increased greatly when a bowling alley was added years later. In 1917, Marquette was elected mayor and decided to close the enterprise. He died in 1938. He was the grandfather of Mary Marquette Graves, the great niece of Thomas Coleman "Cole" Younger and the wife of Lee's Summit historian Frank Graves.