Don Brocato, History Buff Whose Essays and Maps Preserved the Nostalgia of His Youth, Dies at 93

By Pauline Masson –  

Don Brocato, a no pretense history buff whose essays and maps paid tribute to historic Pacific businesses and city fathers, died Feb. 22 at the age of 93.

His thousand-word walking tour of 1930s St. Louis Street businesses, titled “Downtown Pacific When I was a Boy,” identified every business in every building on both sides of St. Louis Street from Columbus to Fourth Street,. He named the people who owned the businesses and the people who would serve you when you shopped there.

 “At that time almost anything you wanted or needed could be purchased in downtown Pacific,” he said. He listed  Gross’ Bakery with Gene and Erwin Gross operating it.

“You have never tasted bread and pastries till you ate from Gross’ Bakery.,” he said.

One by one, he walked past shoe shops, barber shops, dress shops, drug stores, grocers, variety stores. Jewelry, Cars, furniture, and penny candy could all be bought there. And noted, you could go to the movies.

There were many other businesses in too numerous to mention, but this is just a picture of St. Louis Street Pacific as I remember it,” he said.

In another attempt at leaving a record of earlier times, he drew a lot by lot and block by block map of the city, listing the name of each property owner. Fellow history buff Janet Daniel had a copy of the unique map framed. It hangs in the rear hallway of the Red Cedar Inn History Museum and Visitor’s Center.

He was born Aug. 4, 1931, in Pacific, son of Frank Brocato and Evelyn nee Crismon, and the grandson of Joseph (and wife Maria)  Brocato, an Italian immigrant who brought tropical fruit to a farm community when farm families relied on kitchen gardens to  supply kitchen pantries and dining tables. He would take the train to Produce Row in downtown St. Louis and bring back huge bunches of bananas and oranges, items many residents had never seen prior to Mr. Brocato’s arrival. How he transported the fruit to his store remained a mystery to his grandson. 

“I don’t know how he got all that stuff back to the store, Mr. Brocato said, “But I can remember those huge stalks of bananas hanging from a wire hook attached to the ceiling. The place was full of fresh produce.”

The store was located on South Columbus Street adjacent o the railroad right of way. Joseph and Maria had four children, Sam, Sarah, Frank (Don’s father) and Roger.

As early as 1916, Sam and Frank were heralded for playing on the Junior Pacific Baseball team. Sam later served for years as a reporter for the local newspaper, The Transcript.which could account for Don’s penchant for jotting down historical tidbits.

Roger Brocato, who never married lived in and operated the store until 1963. As a boy, young Donald worked there. 

On October 30, 1962 Don Brocato married Marian Mauntel at Holy Trinity Church St. Louis. The newlyweds celebrated at the Red Cedar Inn. He said he shared with me an aged Kodiak snapshot of him and his bride on their wedding day.

The most telling sentiment in his final years was his devotion to his wife Marian, who died in April, 2018. He painted a sign that said “Marian Built This House,” and posted it on the front of his home for the world to see.

In addition to cherishing the memory of his beloved wife, Mr. Brocato forged a lasting romance with local history. For him, the history of his hometown was filled with wonders.

He wrote an essay describing the Pacific Refrigeration Company (PRC) that he wanted citizens to remember that was printed in the Pacific Transcript. The Bob Schuchart family owned the building, he said. Ice was made with steam operated equipment. In the 30s and 40s, Bill Adams and Joe Tomnitz made the ice. It had the only elevator in town and cold storage rooms on the second and third floors, where local merchants, farmers and residents kept their perishable food and goods. 

“My grandpa had a grocery store and he used to store eggs, meat and other perishables there,” he said. “It’s always a thrill for me to go with him and ride the elevator to the top floors to take her pick up merchandise.”

They also had a coal business. The Faszold brothers Chub, Barney, Bill and Beck hauled the coal. It was loaded onto trucks by hand and there was a large scale on the west side of the building where it was weighed. 

“I look back on memories like this as very important happenings in my life,” he said.

 On July 11, 1969 The huge PRC building was totally destroyed by fire.  

Mr. Brocato once called once me and asked for help in preserving the story of a wonderful tree that he climbed as a boy. The wizened and gnarled trunk at Union and Olive streets would have stories to tell, Mr. Brocato said. He had been watching that tree, with its oversized warty burls that get bigger by the year, for most of his life. By October 2016, it had ascended into something of a showpiece, twisting and leaning in its own little planter bed, rung by a neat row of almost matching stones. He feared it would not last forever and wanted the memory of it preserved.

The Fisher family lived in the house on the northeast corner of the intersection in the 1930s when Don was a boy. The family had several sons close to Don’s age, a grape arbor in the back yard, and the best climbing tree in Pacific out in front of the house. They always welcomed the boys to play there. 

“That place was always filled with activity,” he said. “It was the place to be if you were a boy. I think every kid in town climbed on that tree.”

An occasional history scribbler, his mission was to record a singular remnant of small town boyhood as part of local history.

The list of acquaintances that he visited on a regular route included my husband  Bob and me where he regaled us with stories of people his age and the contribution they had made to the city he loved.

He is survived by his children, Gary Brocato (and wife Donna) of Pacific, Danny Brocato of Marthasville and Ronda Baker (Steve) of Union.