Be sure and GET FLASH...
It's been awhile since the last 'Then & Now'. This time around we focus on the the intersection of Main and Howard. Talk about changes in the past seventy years.
It appears there was a time when the Macy's Building was a bit more interesting than the blank facade with the tiny little windows it currently sports. The Bennett Block had not fallen victim to the 1960s and the skywalk movement to save downtown. Cyrus O'Leary's and Rocky Rococco's didn't even exist, and instead we had the RITZ Theater. Parking was still something you did on the streets most of the time and not in the yet to be dreamt-up Parkade. Most importantly, Main Avenue was still two-lanes in each direction and the hills to the west of downtown were visible reminders of the natural assets of our region.
I knew that Macy's building was a beauty under all that gunk. I wonder what it would take to get them to expose the original facade?
Posted by: spencer | March 21, 2007 at 08:48 AM
Sure looked a lot better back in the day then it does now in my opinion. Sad
Posted by: Danny Dinges | March 22, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Sure wish they would tear down the skywalks!!
Posted by: Mark Simonds | March 24, 2007 at 09:20 PM
I was delighted to see a brief glimpse of Siegels, Men's Store. It was here that I bought a suit for $17.50 and added a pair of pants for $2.00 The suit was for high school graduation, 1940.
Posted by: Robert Wilson | March 25, 2007 at 07:16 PM
(Sorry of this proves to be repeititous. For some reason I had computer glitch on my second comment.) So, once again.
Seeing the Ritz in this picture reminded me of the many theaters in Spokane during my earlier days.In its elegance, the Fox stood as the Grande dame. It was rumored to have cost in the millions. Down the street was the State. Betrween these two, of course on Howard was the Orpheum. It was hear that on Saturday mornings hundreds of the young would enjoy the Tilakum (sp) Club. There offered,, a small stage presentation, cartoon, serial and feature, usually a Western. An after the shows, you were given an ice cream bar. Total cost was ten cents.If you missed first run offerings at these theaters, or didn't have the thirty five cents, you could go to the Liberty. where in about six weeks these flims would appear. Not only recent productions, but a double bill. Several other smaller houses existed, included were the Granada, Majestic, home of the Buck Jones club, Rex, Ritz, Unique, Post, a little larger,the Empress, where I once saw three features for ten cents. Not as bad as it sounds, some of the features of the day were sixty minutes or less.I recall many interesting things about these theaters, one of these is an advertisement by the State. Frankstein was the film and they were going to have a nurse in attendance in case anyone was overcome by the drama. Well, enough for now. I have lived in California for a long time, but have many memories of Spokane, and I know there are others like myself who could enrich one's understanding of the history of Spokane.
Posted by: Robert Wilson | March 25, 2007 at 07:59 PM