Few names will ever be as intimately associated with the development and industrial expansion of Sidney as Ignatius Henry Thedieck. His personal initiative and fortune helped to make possible many businesses in Sidney, and through his advocacy of Sidney’s growth, he touched the lives of most citizens. He was owner and founder of Thedieck Department Store, president of the Sidney Machine Tool Company and of The Monarch Machine Tool Company.
The name I.H. Thedieck is permanently engraved on a downtown building, which was the showcase of his retail empire and a building lauded for its fireproof nature. This was important to Thedieck, who had twice lost his retail stores to fire. Even more important, that construction demonstrated once again that this man was undaunted in the face of financial loss or other setbacks. His faith in Sidney and ability to persevere regardless of the obstacles he faced shone repeatedly throughout his life. Thedieck believed so strongly in a partnership between Sidney and the business community that he founded Sidney’s Commercial Club. I. H. Thedieck was a visionary leader, central to the establishment of industry in Sidney.