History of Amarillo, Texas: 2014

Sunday, December 21, 2014

No. 2 Fire Station at 1601 S. Harrison

This was Amarillo's second fire station and was located at 1601 S. Harrison. In 1959 the building was removed and replaced with a more modern structure.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Eakle-Archer House - 2104 S. Polk, designed by Guy Carlander

This house at 2104 S. Polk was built in 1923 and designed by Amarillo architect Guy A. Carlander. I do not know who lives there today, but it is known as the Eakle-Archer House. The house was built for Clarence M. Eakle. Clarence was the son of O. M. Eakle, who came to Amarillo in 1890 and started Amarillo's first furniture store. Not only did Mr. Eakle have a furniture store, he also had an funeral parlor. In fact, Mr. Eakle has the distinction of being the first undertaker in the panhandle to employ a regular embalmer.

The furniture store and funeral parlor were both in the same building, which was located at 516-518 S. Polk Street. It was called the Eakle Building and was supposedly the same building the Amarillo Hardware Company moved into in 1912. I assume the furniture store and funeral parlor moved before Amarillo Hardware moved in, but maybe they all shared the building. The building was later torn down, and the old White and Kirk building was built on the site in 1938 and still stands there today, though it is now owned by the Amarillo National Bank.

The color photo shows the Eakle-Archer house at 2104 S. Polk today. The first b/w photo shows the Eakle Furniture Store in 1908, and the second b/w photo shows the Eakle Undertaking Palor in 1892. The third b/w photo shows the old Eakle Builing at 516-518 S. Polk, the site where the old White & Kirk building was built in 1938. The Eakle Building is the large building on the right side of the photo.

The following is what is supposedly written on the plaque in front of the house at 2104 S. Polk Street:
Eakle-Archer House

2104 S. Polk St., Amarillo, TX, USA Alatitude & Longitude: 35° 11' 27.07118000016", -101° 50' 27.5427700008"

"Prominent Amarillo architect Guy A. Carlander designed this dramatic craftsman airplane bungalow for the Clarence M. Eakle family. Built in 1923, it features a cockpit-like upper floor and sweeping multiple gable roofs. Flared oriental and arts and crafts eaves and brackets are enhanced by various facade materials: brick, stucco, river stone, and native Alibates flint. Rancher and oilman Sam B. Archer and family bought the house in 1926 and resided here until 1945. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1994."

Eakle-Archer House at 2104 S. Polk Street, designed by Amarillo architect Guy Carlander

Eakle Furniture Store

Eakle Funeral Parlor

The tall building on the right was the old Eakle Building at 516-518 S. Polk St.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Nest-Fresh Egg Ranch Co. at 2nd & S. Harrison

This old building at 2nd & S. Harrison housed the manufacturing line for Nest-Fresh Egg Ranch Company.

The sign seems to say "Nest-Fresh Egg Co."

The engraved stone reads, "Tom M. Seay Building." Tom M. Seay was the attorney for Potter County from 1938 until 1948, the year he went into private practice.

Clipped from the 8 Aug 1957 Wood County Democrat

This article was clipped from the 18 January 1960 "Amarillo Daily News."

Nest-Fresh Egg Co. also had a store in this building at 200 S. Buchanan.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Panhandle Laundry and Dry Cleaning Co.

The b/w photo comes from an ad in the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe. It shows the Panhandle Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company at 201 S. Pierce Street. The company was incorporated in 1907, and, believe it or not, it is still, today, operating at the same location, just east of the Herring Hotel.

The posted article is also from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe.

Clipped from an ad in the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe

Ad from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe

Panhandle Laundry today

Panhandle Laundry still at the same location

Looking south on Pierce, the Panhandle Laundry is on the left and the Herring Hotel is on the right.

Article from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe

Monday, September 1, 2014

Amarillo Cotton Oil Company

Ad from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe. It was located somewhere on North Grand, probably where the Cargill Animal Nutrition plant is today.

This photo shows an aerial view of the Cargill Animal Nutrition plant.

"Pay Cash Grocery" & Charlie Priolo beginning at 2300 West 6th Ave.

This neat-looking building at 2300 West 6th Avenue was home to "Pay Cash Grocery" from 1927 until, at least, 1967. Charles Rocco Priolo (1894 - 1977) and his family owned and operated the store. In stone above the building is engraved "The Priolo, 1927."

Charles Rocco Priolo (1894 - 1977) was born in Italy and moved to Amarillo from California in 1919. He not only owned and operated the Pay Cash Grocery at 2302 West 6th Street, but also operated an investment and real estate business across the street at 2301 West 6th called Park City Development. He was still operating both businesses when he ran for Position 3 on the Amarillo City Commission in 1967.

The Priolo building at 2300 West 6th seems to have been divided into, at least, two addresses: 2300 and 2302. At one time the Priolo family had their home address listed as 2300 West 6th Avenue, suggesting they lived next door to their store, at least, in the beginning years. By 1938, however, they had moved out of the 2300 address because that address was apparently being leased to Donnell Drug Store, based on a Donnell Drug advertisement in the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe. The Pay Cash Store, however, continued to operate out of the 2302 address. By that time the family seems to have moved across the street to 602 S. Rusk, still close to their family business and livelihood. Now 602 S. Rusk is part of a used car lot.

I am impressed with Charlie Priolo because he seems to have been a very hard-working, frugal businessman who built his own store, raised a family, and operated a family grocery store for so many years.

The two advertisements below were clipped from the 14 August 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe. One ad mentions Charlie Priolo's two business interests, Pay Cash Grocery Store and Park City, and the other ad shows that Donnell Drug Store was occupying the 2300 West 6th address by, at least, 1938.

An ad for Park City Development Company also ran in the 8 March 1938 Amarillo Globe-Times, which read as follows:

NOTICE! MOTHERS-IN-LAW AND COWMEN! Well! You're in Amarillo. Buy a lot in Park City for a Souvenir of Amarillo. See us at the Park City Development Co. Office, 2301 W. 6th. Let us tell you about the future growth of Amarillo and why you should buy a lot in Park City Addition for an investment. Amarillo is the fastest growing city in the United States and Park City addition is the fastest growing addition, and is conveniently located in the center of this city.

"We have restricted residential lots for beautiful homes. We have industrial property. We have business lots on main street in the center of the city. The lots are the biggest money makers ever known or heard about. Let us show you the property in Park City. Make an investment while you are here in the Park City addition so you may have an opportunity to call Amarillo your future home. Be sure to see us in Park City while you are in Amarillo!"

PARK CITY Development Company, 2301 W. 6th, Charlie Priolo, President, Phone 2-0879

The Priolo Building at 2300 West 6th Ave. It was built in 1927.

The stone engraving at the top of the building says, "The Priolo, 1927."

A side view of the building

A back view of the building

This ad from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe shows that both Park City Development and Pay Cash Grocery were managed by Charlie Priolo. The 2301 W. 6th Street address was for the office at Park City Development.

Ad clipped from the 14 Aug 1938 Amarillo Sunday News-Globe. This ad suggests that one part of the building was being used by Donnell Drug Store in 1938, though the part of the building at 2302 West 6th was still being used as Pay Cash Grocery.

Northwest Texas School of Nursing Student Residence

This building located at 2201 West 6th Street is the old Northwest Texas Hospital residence for nursing student. Today it is part of the Meridian Apartment, a complex of thirty-four 1-bedroom apartments for both homeless women recovering from drug abuse and low-income individuals. In an April 1927 Amarillo Daily News ad it was described as a 12 room hotel.

This is a 1924 photo showing student nurses relaxing behind the old Northwest Texas Hospital student nurses residence at 2201 West 6th Avenue. the beside.

This is a recent photo of the old Northwest Texas Hospital student nurses residence at 2201 West 6th Street. Today it is the front section of the Meridian Apartments, a complex of 34 apartments for both homeless women recovering from substance abuse and for low-income individuals.