In small towns at the turn of the nineteenth century, there was a close connection between home and the workplace. Heiney’s Meat Market in Black Earth is a reminder of this relationship. The original Italianate-style residence was built in 1869, while the one-story commercial addition was added in 1911 by local butcher David Heiney. Although converted to a restaurant in 1977, both buildings retain much of their original integrity

Heiney’s Meat Market was the scene of a locally renowned event in 1919, where the new, yet faltering Progressive newspaper The Capital Times received rejuvenating support from citizens of Black Earth. The newspaper was created in 1917 by William T. Evjue, an ardent supporter of Progressive politician Robert La Follette; however, with La Follette’s anti-WWI stance, the paper was labelled pro-German and suffered from a large advertising boycott. By 1919, the paper was in danger of bankruptcy. Evjue began soliciting aid from rural communities, where support for his paper was strong. In Black Earth, David Heiney offered the use of his shop as a secret meeting place for those wishing to help. Those who attended pledged over nine hundred dollars in stock purchases to The Capital Times, thereby enabling the newspaper to survive and flourish to this day.