WHILE MANY BUSINESSES DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE GREAT DEPRESSION, SANDMAN BROTHERS DID. SANDMAN BROTHERS NOT ONLY MADE IT THROUGH THE GREAT DEPRESSION BUT THROUGH COMPETITION AS WELL. AT ONE TIME THERE WERE NEARLY 13 CAR DEALERSHIPS IN TOWN. THE BUSINESS HAS REMAINED NEAR ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION, JUST A FEW FEET FROM WHERE THE BUSINESS STARTED IN 1918. IN 1961, LARRY SANDMAN, CHESTER'S SON, JOINED THE BUSINESS. CHESTER KEPT WORKING UP UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1990.

NOW LARRY'S SONS BURKE, BRENT AND BLAKE ALL WORK FOR THE BUSINESS. BRENT IS THE GENERAL MANAGER AND STATES THAT THE COMPANY TRIES TO KEEP THE SAME PHILOSOPHY THAT HIS GRANDFATHER HAD. "HE WORKED UNTIL HE WAS 89 YEARS OLD," BRENT SANDMAN SAID. "HE ALWAYS SAID HONESTY WAS THE BEST POLICY. HE BELIEVED IN DOING THINGS IN A SIMPLE WAY, WITH NO PRESSURE. HE FELT YOU COULD DO A DEAL WITH A HANDSHAKE. AND WE TRY TO MAKE IT THE SAME TODAY. AND THE PEOPLE KEEP COMING. "I FIND ALL THE TIME PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND SAY 'I BOUGHT MY FIRST CAR AFTER WORLD WAR II FROM CHET SANDMAN'" BRENT SANDMAN SAID. "WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BUYING CARS HERE FOR A LONG TIME."