The Peddlers Daughter has opened at 3104 Sutton Boulevard. The shop is run by the daughter of an actual South St. Louis peddler, owner Emerine (Em) Rhodes, said. It originally opened at 3101 Sutton in 1995, and was there for eight years.
Rhodes’ father, and Pat Roeder’s (Rhodes’ niece) grandfather, was the peddler. He was known as Huckster, and ran the business with his brother, Gus.
“When my mom was little he had a horse and wagon,” Rhodes said. “By the time we came along he had a truck and a route in South St. Louis.” There were four girls in the family.
She said her father and some of the brothers went out to the neighborhoods with a basket of vegetables and fruit. “He was in the business until the day he died,” Rhodes said.
“So I thought if I ever do anything that’s worthwhile I would name it for Papa,” she said.
The shop is a combination of antiques and homemade things. Rhodes paints and decorates furniture. Her daughter, Elizabeth French, buys the antiques. Roeder does the sewing and quilting.