Ungerer Block (left)  & Ungerer Building (right). The cafe was located in the Ungerer Building. The  top of the mill can be seen on the far left.

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Built in 1880 – Martin Michael Ungerer
​      This lot remained empty for six years following the Great Fire of 1874. Mike Ungerer purchased it in 1880 and had John A. Phillips erect a 2-story, single storefront building.
      Ungerer's financial status had improved significantly by the time he had this building constructed. He incorporated more of the Italianate embellishment into its design than was used in his block to the west. The upper facade of No. 112 is classic Italianate style with roof cornice and brackets and window moldings in highly decorative cast iron. The left window on the main floor is narrower than the right window. This was a measurement error discovered as the builders started to install the plate glass windows. As a result, the entrance is slightly off center. The corner posts on the lower level are also made of cast iron.
      The city gave Phillips permission to build without firewalls. Thus, the buildings from No. 108 through No. 116 were constructed with shared walls. Before this building was put up, advertising for Nathan Maas' Dry Goods was painted on the east wall of No. 110 and is still visible on the interior wall of the 2nd floor.
Ungerer sold this building along with his block to the west to the Wapsie Company in 1907.
      John Gorman, Merchant Tailor, ran his business from this location prior to the Great Fire of 1874. After rebuilding, the first occupant of No. 112 was Littlejohn Boots & Shoes. Abraham Littlejohn came to Independence in 1856 and apprenticed with Wiley Boots & Shoes to learn the shoe trade. He fought in numerous major battles during the Civil War and managed to survive to return to Independence. In 1878, he decided to go into business for himself and, in 1889, took on his son Will as a partner forming Littlejohn & Son Boots & Shoes.
      In 1895, they moved to the south side of Main, making way for Wyatt King's Imperial Café. King sold the restaurant to William G. Brown and Henry McClernon in 1900, who ran it under the same name. They passed it on to Brown's sister and her husband, Jessie and William Simpson, in 1911. Simpson’s Café was known for the congenial hospitality of its owners. It was a favorite eatery through 1932.
​      As young children, William and Jessie Brown were both survivors of the Great Fire of 1874. The fire started at the rear of Mrs. Brown's Millinery on 2nd Ave. NE where they lived. The family managed to escape but lost all of their belongings.
The 2nd floor of this building was occupied by James E. Jewel Real Estate, and later, G.B. Smealie Insurance before it became the home of the Modern Woodman Hall. The organization resided here from 1902 through 1928.
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May 2021