Sam Baron sent this great photo, which includes multiple exposures and captures a bunch of the downtown signs. A study of the businesses lets us narrow down when the shot was taken.
- Golden State Bank
Golden State Bank opened at 1300 Washington Avenue in 1972 and moved to 13th & Jackson in 1978. - The M on Mt. Zion
The giant M was design in 1908. The lights were added in 1932. This photo shows the old incandescent lightbulbs, which were replaced with brighter LED lights in 2008. - Ace Hi Tavern
The Ace Hi opened in about 1956. I'm not sure when the sign went up. - Meyer Home Center (Meyer Hardware)
Meyer Hardware/Home Center opened in 1945 and operated until 2021. They had locations on both Washington Avenue and Miners Alley.
- Big M Lounge
The Big M Lounge opened in 1964 in the building that now holds Woody's Pizza. They closed in 1980. - Eaker Department Store (1953-1987)
Eaker's was in business from 1953 to 1987. They building is now the Buffalo Rose events center. - John's Wife
John's Wife was a bar and restaurant, which operated from 1974-1975. Their space is now encompassed within the Buffalo Rose restaurant. - Foss Drug Store
Foss Drug/Foss General Store was a downtown anchor store from 1913 until 2007. They were located on the northwest corner of 13th and Washington.
Of those businesses, the most helpful one for dating the photo was John's Wife. Since they were only in business from '74 to '75, that's when the photo was taken.
