The History that Made Us
In the 1800s, the 100 block of Main Street was often referred to as “Banana Row.” This was because there was a row of business rooms made available to the Italian immigrants who had moved into the area. From these business rooms, they frequently sold fresh fruit they had purchased from the trains that had passed through Columbia City. These rooms would become much larger spaces of business.
Formerly, these were frame buildings, the oldest of which was built July of 1846. In each, one business would occupy the main floor space, with further businesses located on the second floor. Today, where Blue Moon Bakery is located, it was also home to Whitley County Abstract & Title Insurance Corp., Estlick Insurance, Anthes Soda Shop, Fruits Book Store, LD Clapham & Co. Jewelers and Widdifield’s Jewelry (1897). Upstairs, the building was home to Dye Music Center in 1979, Nu-Mode Beauty Salon in 1958 and the BF Slessman Dental Parlor for more than 40 years.
Where Murphy Jewelers is, and has called home since the 1960s, it was once Osborn Jewelry, LD Clapham & Co. Jewelers, Phil Farren Tailor Shop and Charles Sanders Boot and Shoe Store (1897). Businesses that called the upstairs home included Prest-Rite Service Co. as well as the B.P. Linvill doctor’s office.
Ozaras is at the adjoining building today, but in 1897 was the grand opening of The Chicago Fair. Afterwards, it became the Harrison Book Store, Meier Drug Co., Meyers & Stickler Drug Store, Curl-le-Q Beauty Shop, WFDT Radio, Triax Cablevision and Performance PC. LE Pontius kept his photography business in the upstairs space for at least 50 years.
The Elks has called the adjoining building home since 1948. It started as the Dan Myers Restaurant in 1897, and his son Franklin Luther Myers, better known as F.L., took ownership, later converting it to a creamery and candy shop. It was followed by two other candy shops and the Palm Garden restaurant.
While many businesses called this block home, the building itself is very different today from the frame structure it started as more than a century ago. This is because of a significant fire that destroyed this section. At 10 a.m. on April 8, 1910, it was discovered a fire had broken out in the back of the Myers Ice Cream Parlor. When it was discovered, it had begun to burn through the ceiling into the Pontius Photography Studio. It wouldn’t take long for the fire to spread, but newspaper reports say firefighters were quick to respond and hoses began to attack the flames. Several volunteered to carry goods and furnishings from the buildings to the courthouse lawn where a militia was stationed to keep guard of the items. The fire would end up leaving too much damage to repair. One newspaper article listed the damage at a cost of $50,000. It was decided this set of buildings were to be knocked down. The Craftsman style brick which replaced these buildings still remain today with minor changes.
As for Mr. Myers, he experienced further tragedy when his creamery plant caught fire just three months later. Mr. Myers rebuilt, but his business was closed by 1918.
Thank you to the Whitley County Historical Museum for sharing photos from their collection and for their outstanding research and writing of the article.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: The first five business rooms ofthe Washburn Block occupied the norther most section and were in frame buildings. The oldest structure hand been built on July 4, 1846. Most of these buildings had businesses both on the sidewalk level and on the second floor. On April 8, 1910 about 10AM a fire was discovered in the rear if the Myers Ice Cream Parlor. Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum. Caption from Around the Square by Pam Koch.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Firefighters try desperately to keep the fire at bay. Notice all of the items in the street that were saved from destruction. Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum. Caption from Around the Square by Pam Koch.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Washburn Block aftermath of the fire. Farren’s Tailor sign still hangs in from to the store. Myers Confectionery sign hangs above a charred entrance as the Pontius Studio sign hangs over the second floor. Notice Flox’s Department Store canopy on the right of the photograph. Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum. Caption from Around the Square by Pam Koch.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Photograph showing the empty lot where buildings burned down in the Washburn Block fire. Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum. Caption from Around the Square by Pam Koch.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: The new building was a Craftsman style brick structure which still exists today with only minimal changes. Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum. Caption from Around the Square by Pam Koch.
ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: New Block East Sid of Court House Square, Columbia City, Indiana Photo from the Whitley County Historical Museum.
The Architecture that Made Us
This geometric design decorates the front façade of one (or perhaps it is three?) building in downtown.
This particular ornamentation is located on the front of 101-103-105-107-109 South Main Street, now occupied by Blue Moon Bakery, Murphy Jeweler, Ozaras, and the Elks.
Commonly known as the Washburn Block, this singular façade actually stretches across three individual buildings there were built over at least two construction periods around 1909-1910. While having a unified façade for two buildings of separate ownership is not unusual (another example is the Central Building), this is notable for the extensiveness of the decorative elements that were repeated. This simple geometric detail was repeated six times, once on each pilaster that divide the three buildings into five storefronts, and other elements are similarly mirrored. This level of consistency, especially when constructed in at least two stages, is remarkable.
Thank you to Nathan Bilger for providing the recent photos and valuable insights into the architectural history.
