Trein's History
Founded 1883 - Dixon, Illinois
During the late 1800s S. S. Dodge and E. L. Kling owned
and operated a dry goods business in Amboy, Illinois.
Seeking a larger market, the two partners moved to Dixon and
opened a jewelry store in 1883. Mr. Kling, a Swedish
emigrant, traveled frequently to Europe to buy for the
store.
William E. Trein worked for Dodge and Kling, delivering
newspapers. Impressed by Trein's drive and ambition, Dodge
invited the young man to join the business. Trein started at
the bottom, sweeping floors and stocking shelves, but was
soon promoted to waiting on customers and learned the
watchmaker's trade. In 1920 William Trein purchased the
store from Dodge and Kling, changing the name to Trein's
Jewelers.
The business changed hands again in 1944 when Trein sold
the store to Dr. Theodore Wolf and Julius Hess. In 1954,
Gordon Brantley, a Minnesota native, moved to Dixon and went
to work at Trein's. In 1965 Gordon Brantley purchased the
store and today Trein's is owned and operated by Gordon and
Linda Brantley and son Eric and wife Judith a family
business.
 The pot
belly stove is gone, but many of the original cases add to
the charm and elegance of the store's showroom. For over 115
years, Trein's has been a pillar of the community and a
trusted name in the industry - a store with integrity earned
by more than a century of quality service.
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