Mark’s Café continues a Brownstown tradition

By Editor | August 22, 2012 |

The late Clifford Nickels, who lived on the road now known as Ill. Route 185, across from the area on which the 4-Mile Store once stood, shared many of his memories of the long-ago days of his youth.

Many of his memories included the days of the stagecoach routes, with which he was very familiar. Born in 1910, he died 100 years and six months later, on Sept. 16, 2010.
He remembered the road being built across the Kaskaskia River bottom and the bridge being built across the river.
Clifford also talked of the stagecoach stops, which has inspired this brief series on the available opportunities for travelers or locals to stop, eat and perhaps visit with one another on the old road, which came to be the beginning of the way to the west.
Currently, there are three restaurants/cafes along the road in Brownstown, all within a short distance of the original “Twin Pumps” stagecoach stop, named for the two pumps supplying water for the travelers and their horses.
Each of the restaurants offers different features, and each will be featured in this series. This week the focus is on Mark’s Café, which is on the site of the former McCoy’s Restaurant and has been in business the longest of the three.
A Little Local History
The stagecoach stops began way back in the days when the stagecoaches traveled through this area and there was a need for a place to rest and to get fresh water and food for the muddied, weary, hungry and thirsty horses … and also for the needs of the travelers and drivers on the stagecoach.
There was also a need for changing the tired horses for fresh ones, so there was also a need for shelter for the horses. Some evidence and facilities of those days are still present today on the sites.
One stagecoach route ran north and south, through what is now Griffith Cemetery, down the south bank of Sandy Run Creek, through the water and up the north bank.
The late Gene Watson could point out ruts left by the stagecoaches going up the north bank, still in evidence after all these years. That route ran on north toward Chicago.
The other stagecoach route ran west, across the Kaskaskia River bottom and on into Vandalia.
Back Then
Two such rest stops were provided for the travelers and their horses alongside the road – Twin Pumps was located along the Cumberland Road, now known as U.S. Route 40, in Brownstown, which was named for the two wells of water, fed by the same vein; and the two-story white brick house on the south side of the road between Vandalia and Brownstown.
Both sites are still recognizable as the brick building still stands, and the two pumps are still there. This article will focus on Twin Pumps.
Since then, times and modes of travel changed, but people still enjoy a break, a place to enjoy good food and to relax with family and friends. Thus, restaurants along the road in Brownstown have taken the places of the stagecoach stops … and carried on the tradition.
One early Brownstown restaurant was “Mac” McCoy’s Café, which opened in 1936 in a rented building and later moved to the “hardroad” (Route 40, also known as the National Trail Road).
Open 24 hours a day, it was always available to travelers, truck drivers and wayfarers, and was known from coast to coast. It grew from seven stools to 78 stools. It seemed to be a pioneer in convenience stores, as it also carried groceries, such as milk, coffee and other items for the local residents.
When Interstate 70 was built, the café’s business dropped considerably. Business built back up eventually, although not to the volume it once was.
McCoy’s eventually closed, and Ed and Marge Harre, who operated Harre’s Truck Stop and Gas Station, also ran the restaurant. After the Harres discontinued the restaurant, a young man named Mark Kimberlin, who had been employed by Ed Harre, carried on the tradition of providing food for travelers and local people alike.
Mark’s Cafe
The doors of Mark’s Café opened in 1984, and has many loyal customers and friends, as well as new customers who seem to keep returning.
Mark’s is located on the same site and in the same building as McCoy’s, but Mark has improved and enlarged the building, which now also houses a small grocery store and other items for the convenience of the local residents.
Mark’s niece, Becky Wehrle, shared the story of Mark’s Café, which can also be described as a “family affair”.
1984-Mark’s New Venture
Some family members had experience working in the cafes on the site.
Mark’s mother, Monda (Wilbur) Kimberlin had worked for Mac McCoy and Ed Harre. His sister, Jaunita (Kimberlin) Wehrle, went to work for McCoy while in high school. When Harre took over, she worked for him. Another sister, Deanna (Kimberlin) Hovious also worked for McCoy’s.
As a young man, Mark Kimberlin worked for Ed Harre in the garage part of the gas station as a fuel attendant, breaking down tires and doing whatever else was needed to get the truck drivers back out and rolling down the road.
When the restaurant went up for sale 27 years ago, in 1984, Monda gave Mark the inspiration to buy it, telling him that she would help him with it. As the restaurant had been the “family” kind of place that kept them all in jobs for some time, Mark decided to take the risk and try it, so that, hopefully, he could hire others.
Sister Margaret became the morning cook and waitress. Sister Jaunita took on the late afternoons and evenings to relieve Margaret. Monda was there to help out and was the official “pie maker,” which probably was a factor in the customers returning time after time.
It was not an easy task to take on. Mark felt the stress and worries of: “Can I pay for the building and utilities, and buy food for the establishment?” And then there were the taxes to be paid on top of all that.
And Now …
… Mark’s Café is thriving.
Restaurants and cafes have come and gone over the years, but Mark’s has withstood all of the ups and downs of the business, and his customers have continued faithfully through the years.
Now the patrons’ children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are enjoying the same friendly service and good food.
Mark’s sister, Connie (Kimberlin) Harre, is the manager and is referred to by family as “our No. 1 girl, who takes a lot of pride in the place for family sake and non-family people who also work there.”
Mark’s motto and caring about his customers are probably the main ingredients in his recipe for success – along with serving exceptionally good food.
Mark’s motto is: “How do you make a customer return? You have to TLC the food, which means to make it with tender, loving care, as if that’s what you’d expect to eat when you dine out and pay money for a good meal.”
Becky Wehrle believes that Mark’s motto is, “True to live by! If it’s not on our menu and you want what you want, we will try to fix it for you.
“It sure helps by having our grocery store right out there. Thanks for that goes to Connie, who keeps us stocked up,” she said.
“Mark does not like it when we can’t take time out to make a customer what they want. If we have it, we best make it to please them … or Connie will go to town and pick up what the customer is wanting,” Becky said.
One example is milk shakes, which are not on the menu, but they will make one. Tell them what you want and, if at all possible, they will do it.
Mark is also a big fan to older people who are homebound, because he will deliver to them.
His inspiration, his mother, died in 2010, but her teaching and inspiration will always be remembered.
Who Cooks, Serves, Etc.
Another example of the friendliness of the café is the insert in the back of every menu, prepared by Becky.
It is a thank you note with an introduction of the people involved
• “Mark-Owner
• Connie Sue-Manager/Grocery Getter Kind of Gal”
• Leanne-Day Cook (Wednesday-Sunday, 5 a.m-1 p.m.)
• Tina-Day Cook (Monday and Tuesday, 5 a.m -1p.m. Tina also serves other days.
• Servers/waitresses-Joyce, Shannon, Tina, Betty, Jessica, Sara and Connie.
• Becky is the night cook, Monday-Saturday, 1-8 p.m.; Betty or Sara will be the server or waitress”.
The stagecoach travelers never had it as good as the food offered and provided these days, but the precedent was set by the early settlers of Brownstown, whom we are also honoring in this series.
And a special tribute to the memory of Clifford Nickel, who could also be considered a local “pioneer,” for sharing his memories.

Mark Kimberlin (left), owner of Mark’s Café, and his niece, Becky Wehrle, are keeping alive the old stagecoach stop tradition of providing food in Brownstown along the Cumberland Road, now known as U.S. Route 40.