The residence of Christian and Agnes B. Ruef was uphill from what today is the Lemon Fair. Mr. Ruef was a butcher. He was Swiss and came from Gruetli in Grundy County in 1874 at Bishop Quintard's invitation. He spoke five languages, and he had a policy not to send bills to widows or to persons in difficult financial circumstances. The residence remained in the Ruef family until his daughers transferred it to Sam K. and Claudia Partin in 1963. One daughter, Helen, had remained in Sewanee and was postmistress for more than a decade and later married Lewis Sewell. John L. and Martha each moved to Alabama as adults and Frances became a teacher in Nashville.
The current Post Office now occupies this lease. What is now the parking lot for the Post Office and the University Book Store is the former site of Ruef's Meat Market.
"He had a slaughter pen back of the Pierce residence (now the Sholey residence) under a bluff. Every afternoon he would take his animals over to the slaughter pen. Later in the afternoon he would bring the meat to his shop where he kept it cool. People were there waiting for the meat. You could buy nearly a whole liver for a quarter. His steaks were also cheap. No meat was brought into Sewanee while he was in business."
Patricia Short Makris, quoting Mary Hamilton, The Other Side of Sewanee, p. 38
The meat market lease had remained in the Ruef family until W. Hoyt Baker received it in 1946. On Cheston's map of that year, the building is labeled a tin shop. In 1965 Baker's lease and the Partin lease just south of it were consolidated into a new lease for the Partins.
Also see POST OFFICE
Photo courtesy of Laura Rice