Grain Valley News

  • Home
  • About
    • Submit Your News
    • Contact
  • News
    • Online Puzzles
  • Events Calendar
  • Support
    • Advertise
    • Become A Sustaining Member
  • Share The Love
  • Home
  • About
    • Submit Your News
    • Contact
  • News
    • Online Puzzles
  • Events Calendar
  • Support
    • Advertise
    • Become A Sustaining Member
  • Share The Love

featured news

read the full edition of valley news at:
This Week's Edition

Looking Back: Front Street

3/19/2020

 
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
Picture
​     This photo was a gift to the Historical Society from Joe Ann (Lang) McAlister.  The photographer, probably her grandfather, would have been standing in front of the old depot looking to the northeast.  One can certainly recognize the Bank of Grain Valley in the center of the photograph. 
     It is difficult to say when it was taken, however it was probably in the late 1930s or early 1940s. The building on the left is now a part of the Bank of Grain Valley. Dawn Buckallew, a former bank employee, was told it was a originally a saloon. Raymond Grubb, a 1961 graduate of GV HS and a long-time Grain Valley resident, remembers it as Pop Thomas’ Pool Hall when he was in high school.
     The door at the back of the bank opened to a stairway leading to the second floor. In the 1950s Dr. Charles Himmler, DO had an office there. In those days, he cured most ailments with an “adjustment.” He also gave eye examinations and sold glasses which had to be ordered from “the city” and arrived in about two weeks.
     Further left is the building at the corner of Main and Front Street going east. Now the tattoo parlor, it has housed a variety of businesses over the years.  I first remember it as a marina back in the 1950s when Tarsney Lakes was a “destination” for city folks wishes to spend a weekend at the lake. Tarsney had a big dock area, a lake side restaurant and a “beach” for swimming. The build on Main Street has also been a plastics factory, a beauty shop and a pawn shop.
     Next is the Huff Building. It was originally a hotel. I have a vague memory of the gas pumps, but they were not in use in 1949 when my parents purchased Loring Hardware, the building on the right side of the photo. I do not know when the building ceased being a hotel. I do remember a restaurant was briefly opened on the first floor. I mostly remember the lower level as a vacant building, while the upstairs had two or three apartments.
     It was in one of those apartments that a man fell asleep smoking on the night of December 9, 1959. That building, along with our hardware, burned to the ground that night. Ten days later in a special election Grain Valley finally passed a bond to get water. The vote for city water had failed several times.  On December 19, 1959 there were only 3 NO votes. The hotel and our store are now a parking lot.
Learn more about the Grain Valley Historical Society at www.grainvalleyhistory.com.
Follow Grain Valley Historical Society on Facebook (@grainvalleyhistory).
 

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Burton Kelso
    Business
    Cathy Allie
    Celebrations & Transitions
    Census
    City Of Grain Valley
    Columnists
    Community Profile
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Economic Development
    Education
    Elections
    Financial Health
    Fitness
    Food Inspections
    Good News
    Good-news
    Grain Valley Assistance Council
    Grain Valley Fair
    Grain Valley Historical Society
    Grain Valley Partnership
    Grain Valley Schools
    Health And Fitness
    Home And Garden
    Jackson County
    LD
    Local News
    Looking Back
    Lorne Meinershagen
    Missouri House Of Representatives
    Missouri Senate
    Musings From The Middle
    Neighborhood View
    Pets
    Police Blotter
    Quick News
    RDN
    Recreation
    Sally Whitaker
    Seniors
    Senior Send Off
    Sports
    Technology
    Tracey Shaffer
    Transportation
    University Of Missouri Extension
    Wayne's World

grain valley news

Grain Valley News is a free community newspaper published weekly online and in print on the first and third weeks of each month. 

Contact Us

PO Box 2972
​Grain Valley MO 64029