Charles and Ernest Tiedke came from a farm in East Toledo. In 1894, with only $350, they started in the store business. From a building at Summit and Monroe streets they began delivering groceries to freighters anchored at the port of Toledo. Soon the business required a whole fleet of horses and wagons.

Although groceries were Tiedtke's main line, Ernest and Chares soon expanded their modest food business into a department store. The firm was first known as Tiedtke and Todd, after an arrangement was made with William A. Todd, who worked as a clerk at the Hocking Valley Railroad docks, handling the needs of ships. Todd got a commission on marine orders and steered business to the brothers. Todd's name disappeared from the store sign in 1896 and the city directory of 1898 noted that he had moved to Buffalo.

In 1910, the brothers moved their business to the building at Summit and Adams streets. There were restaurants, groceries, a bakery, and a delicatessen on the main floor. On the other floors were clothing, a shoe department, furniture, and hardware. However, many of these departments were leased in the early days.

A typical day for the Tiedtke brothers would begin at 5 a.m. and end past midnight. They worked hard and the people they employed worked hard with them. There was a closeness between the brothers, their employees, and the public. Because of their deep sense of responsibility to Tiedtke’s, the brothers even vacationed by riding separate trains to Florida. An employee in financial difficulty would mysteriously find his hospital bill or mortgage paid because the Tiedtke brothers cared.
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