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231 Miner Street, Yreka, CA
The building that sits on
the corner of Miner and Fourth Streets today was built while Yreka
was in its early boom days. Records show that it was in use as early
as 1854. The locally well known 1858 hand drawn map and layout of
Yreka shows the King and White building, and by 1855 the Yreka
Journal was printing notices and advertisements for the King and
White building. They sold paint, oil, glass crockery, glassware,
harnesses, spurs, bridles and a wide variety of merchandise. It was
lauded as the “fireproof” brick building at the corner of Miner
and Fourth Streets.
During the 1860's the
address for this building was known to be 40 Miner Street. In 1871
during the “Great Conflagration” of July 4, this building was
partially burned and obliterated a wood building that was built at
the rear of the store along Fourth Street. The total loss of
buildings and goods was valued at $3,000. Within two months time the
owner was bringing rock and brick for an “addition” to the
building to be built at the back section to replace the wooden
section that had been burned.
In 1896 it was announced
that the Bee Hive (a general store) would occupy this building, owned
by R. H. DeWitt. Mr. DeWitt partially remodeled the building by
putting in a new plate glass front. The Bee Hive was in this
location only a few years, when in 1898
DeWitt and Peters built a new much larger building at the
corner of Miner and Oregon Streets. The structure is still standing
today, and is known as the Elks Lodge. In 1898 Churchill and Son
purchased this building and did much more renovation to the building.
In March of 1898 the Yreka Journal reported: “Mr. Churchill has
overhauled the Old King Store recently vacated by the Bee Hive. The
inside is about all torn out, and a new front wall to hold two large
plate glass windows is being constructed. A new ceiling is being
built on the interior.” This new store carried a variety of goods
in addition to drugs. They advertised as being Druggists,
Booksellers, Stationers, and offering Kodaks and complete
photographic Supplies, Candy, Molasses, Maple Syrup and Wall Paper.
The Churchills carried on their business at this location until 1916
when it was purchased by Frank Ackerman, the manager of the store for
Mr. Churchill.
The Ackerman Drug Store
operated here until 1932 when it was sold to Maguire and Greene who
also operated a Drug Store here. The Maguire and Greene Drug Store
operated until 1976 when the store was closed.
From about 1856 until the
early 1930's there was another structure to the West. It actually
made Fourth Street very narrow, jutting out into the street. This
was the former Pashburg Building. Eventually the building was torn
down and Fourth Street was widened to what we see today.
Source of information: From
the files of Yreka Preservation contributed articles and information
by Donald Carey, Harland McDonald, and Archie Noonan.
