The Baldwin Block ~ Part II

This is an article that originally appeared in the February/March 1984 edition of the Yreka Echoes Newsletter.  The article was originally written by Hazel Fiock Ohlund.  Copyright by Yreka (Historic) Preservation.  Reprinted by permission. Please note some of the businesses are no longer at the locations mentioned.  [Part 1 can be found in the previous blog article.]

Below is Part 2 of the article:

            In 1904 the Walker-Avery Drug moved across the street from the Baldwin Block, and in 1905 was replaced by W. H. Smith’s General Merchandise Store which featured heavy clothing and hardware items.  (Mr. Smith had purchased Shone’s secondhand store on Main Street when he closed out in 1904.)  Mr. Smith carried, also, furniture, carpets, crockery, upholstery goods, picture frames, bicycles, groceries and meat.  During the year the store building was sold by the Julien family to Miles Buckner.

                In 1908 a barber shop was in operation here, followed by Mrs. McCormick who operated a needle-craft shop.  In 1913 the business was purchased by Mrs. Nettie (Davidson) McGill and Miss Hattie Davidson (aunts of Mrs. Gladys Zolskey of Yreka).  They expanded the business to include ladies clothing.  In 1937 Hattie Davidson became the sole owner of the business and building, operating it until 1950.  She lived in a three-room apartment upstairs in back of the store.  A fire damaged a part of the apartment and the back of the store, but she renovated and continued in business.

            When Miss Davidson bought the building in 1937, she had a partition built on the west side of the store, making a small ten-foot room that she rented to the Western Union, which was managed by Arthur Zolskey for thirty-two years.

            Wes and Ellen McMillan bought the building from Miss Davidson’s brother, William, on March 16, 1950 and opened a Westinghouse appliance sales and service store.  They too, lived in the apartment in the back and rented the smaller room to the west.  Homer Atchley, a realtor, had an office here until his death in 1973.   After the McMillan's retired they rented the store to Mrs. Ray Taylor who operated a health food store until 1965, when Ohlund’s Office Supply moved in after the Warren’s Building fire, where they were previously  renting.

            Ohlund’s established the office machine service department in the former apartment.  In 1973 Bob and Hazel Ohlund bought the building, lowered the ceiling, redecorated and removed the partition that separated Homer Atchley’s office, to allow for expansion and accommodate more office furniture, machines, and inventory.

The following is an “updated addendum” from 1984:

            Ohlund’s at 204-206 W. Miner Street is the largest and most complete office equipment and supply store in Northern California.  Prompt attention is given to the repair of office machines by their pleasant repairmen, Glen Goodwin, and his son, Glen, Jr.

            Ohlund’s has been in business for 24 years, having purchased a small office supply store from Albert Parrott at 112 South Broadway in 1960.  They moved across the street to the Warrens Building in 1962, and after the fire of 1966, settled in at 204 W. Miner Street.  Hazel and Bob’s son, Barry, became a partner in 1977.

            They have six permanent employees, and two more part-time.  Products are full lines of bond copiers, electronic typewriters, calculators, cash registers, office furniture, general office supplies, and a service   department trained in all modern phases of electronic technology.

Since the update in 1984 many changes have come and gone with the Baldwin Block.  Today, in 2015 one will find the Miner Street Meat Market, Ohlund's Office Supply, and Dinner's Ready.  

Montgomery Wards Building

Early view of the Montgomery Wards Building at 201 South Broadway, (formerly Second Street) Yreka, Ca


On June 7, 1929 a news article appeared in the Siskiyou Times explaining that the new "Ward Structure" was now underway as ground breaking was imminent. Local capitalist, Victor Warren was financing the building, he also constructed the large "Warren's Building" located adjacent to the Wards Building, and his sister built the Broadway Theatre as seen in the above photo as well.

The building was under the supervision of a J. P. Brennan, a Redding builder who won the contract for the job. The article explained that the building would be located on the corner of Second and Center Streets and would have an investment of approximately $50,000 ~ no small change for 1929! Further explanation of the structure said it would be one story in height with a mezzanine and have a frontage of 101 feet on Second Street and 102 feet on Center. All together the building was to provide 17,000 feet of floor space. The building completion was set for August 1, 1929. The news article further explained that to fill the store with stock it would take between 10 to 12 train carloads of merchandise! It was also anticipated that the new store would employ from 20 to 30 persons and they would be local hires with the exception of the chief executives.

Because this building project was given only 2 months to complete some "fancy footwork" had to be completed. The first was to seek a new place for the Chautauqua tent that currently occupied the spot and find a place for their next performances. The tent was subsequently removed and according to the news, the next performance was given in the Agricultural Hall which would have been right behind this lot.

Montgomery Wards came and went but served Yreka for many years, the building also served as a Rasco's during the late 1970s and early 1980s and currently serves as offices for Choices for Children and the Broadway New to You Thrift store that helps fund the Choices for Children programs. Around 2003-4 the building had some interior renovations when the Choices for Children's Program moved into the building.

For those of you who have our Yreka, Images of America book you will find other images of this store on pages 44, and 43.

Copyright: Claudia A. East

The Warrens Building 1930 ~ 1966

The Warrens Building is the largest building directly in the center of this image. For those of you not familiar with a 1930-ish view of Yreka the building took an entire block from the corner of Miner Street and Broadway (formerly Second St.) to Center Street. Immediately to the left of the Warrens Bulding is the Montgomery Ward Building, and next to it the Broadway Theatre. If one looks carefully a view of the Masonic Lodge second story can be seen in the photo and the white building next to it is the "remodeled" (for the date) Franco-American Hotel on Miner Street.

The Siskiyou News ran an article about this new and exciting building in the paper on January 11, 1930. It was touted as being "Among Best in California". It was a two story building with offices on the second story and on the ground floor the north end of the building (at the corner of Miner and Broadway (then Second Street) was the new home for the First National Bank, and at the other end of the building on the ground floor was the Post Office. There were additional spaces for rent along the frontage of Broadway on the ground floor.

The concrete building was erected at a cost of more than $200,000 ~ not a amount to sneeze at during the depression! The newspaper describes the interior of both the Post Office, "furnished in oak and modern in every detail" as well as describing the types of fixtures and accommodations that will be available. The First National Bank was described as being "ornately furnished with marble wainscoting, tile floors and walnut woodwork". It also was to have a feature never before on the Pacific Coast! This was a "York night depository" where patrons could leave deposits and they would be safe.

On February 11, 1966 fire broke out in the upstairs of this building and it was damaged beyond repair. Sadly it is gone and today is a small bank on a portion of the lot along with parking on what was a icon of Yreka. This was once a wonderful example of Art Deco design that graced our little town.

For those of you with copies of our book Yreka, Images of America by Arcadia Publishing you will find a nice photo image of this building on page 41, it will give you a real sense of how the business street once appeared to residents and patrons alike.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008.

The Broadway Theatre 1930

It was on January 16, 1930 that The Siskiyou News ran an article announcing that there was to be a new theatre in Yreka! It was advertised to be "equal to any theater in the larger cities and superior of any now in northern California or southern Oregon." It was also announced that the cost was expected to be $70,000.

Bernice M. Warrens (sister to Victor E. Warrens, financial investor and builder of Yreka's once famous Warrens Building) was the owner of the theatre and she leased the proposed theatre to a Walter H. Leverette of Medford who was the owner of a chain of theaters operating in Southern Oregon.

It was reported that construction would begin no later than March 1st and it was expected that the Grand Opening would be June 1, 1930. The Theatre would be called the "Broadway". The expected seating capacity was to be approximately 1,000 people. It was designed not only to show movies, but had a full stage complement. The floor was carpeted in the "finest of carpeting" and a large foyer and well appointed rest rooms would be included. It also was to have a box office located on the sidewalk in a small booth as was the general custom of the day. Over the street it was planned for a huge electric sign to be suspended bearing the word Broadway!

It may be of interest to note that originally the building had a Moorish design, very popular at the time ~ but before long the exterior was rennovated to a more "modern" Art Deco design and the once familiar large neon sign that read Broadway (partially viewed in image above) appeared. In our book, Yreka, Images of America one can see the original view of the building on page 43. Additionally, sometime between 1929 and 1933 the name of the road that is in front of the theatre was changed from Second Street to Broadway.

The Broadway was changed sometime in the late 1970's (to my fuzzy recollection) to the Broadway Twin when multi-plex theatres became the more profitable way to run the business.
Copyright: Claudia East, 2008