Young Chevrolet

Gene Young started Young Chevrolet in 1919 in Flanagan, IL. after returning from World War I. In 1934 Young brought his dealership to Minonk when he built his garage over the ashes of the Schlitz Opera House that had burned down at the northwest corner of Fifth Street and Chestnut Street. In fact, one of the original walls of the old Schlitz Opera House still serve as an interior wall in the garage that Young built. Young was joined with his two sons, Carl and Norman, in running the business. In addition to Chevrolet, the dealership eventually was expanded to include the Oldsmobile line of cars. Eventually, Norman's son Don Young and Carl's son Steve also joined the business. In 2000 the dealership was closed ending one of the oldest Chevrolet dealerships in the country. The building and its contents were auctioned off April 7 to an antique furniture dealer from El Paso who plans to use the building for selling and storing his furniture. The employees are shown here standing next to a 1953 Corvette, the first year that the car was made.

Workers are shown above building the new Young's Garage building in 1935 over the ashes of the old Schlitz Opera House that had burned down at that site. Gene Young shown at the left with his Texaco hat stands next to one of his salesmen, Herman "Buzz" Claymon and a brand new 1946 Chevrolet.