Tales From Main Street and Other Notes from the March 2nd Meeting

 

*We received an enthusiastic response to our Heritage Week project celebrating “Main Street:  At the Heart of the Community”.  Thirty-eight local businesses along Main Street between 3rd and 16th Avenues hung up signs in their windows.  We went through photos of each of the window signs as Danielle Peacock and Jen Chernecki shared tales they heard while delivering the signs.

Here are three:

 

One of the servers at the Foundation Restaurant recounted that an elderly woman in her 90s had recently been in to celebrate her birthday and vowed to be back for her 100th.  The building was important to her because she had worked there years before selling shoes.  Clapp’s Shoe Store first opened at 2301 Main Street in 1913 and is listed in the City Directories up until 1960.  This photo of its window display was taken by Leonard Frank in 1939.

Clapp’s Shoe Store, 2301 Main Street, 1939
Photo Courtesy of VPL: photo #15950
Photographer: Leonard Frank

Here is what the streetscape looked like in 1908.

Shops along the west side of Main Street between 7th & 8th Avenues, 1908
Photo Courtesy of City of Vancouver Archives: Dist P140
Major Matthews Collection

Justis Morginn, the owner of the Denman Bike Shop, is a heritage enthusiast and already knew that the Mason Block at Main and 10th was built between 1905-07.  He dug up this old photo of Main Street

Main Street & 10th Avenue, 1907
Photo Courtesy of City of Vancouver Archives: Dist P142, Major Matthews Collection

and even made his own version of our Treasured Buildings Sign.

Dave Wong, who has owned the Dairy Queen at Main and 13th since 1987, has a deep connection to Mount Pleasant.  He grew up in the neighbourhood and went to the Dairy Queen as a child.  His parents owned Custom Cleaners & Laundry Ltd. at 2932 Main Street in the 1960s and 70s.  This photo shows the strip along Main around the time Dave was going there in his younger days.

East side of Main St at 13th Ave, c 1965-1980
Photo Courtesy of City of Vancouver Archives:
CVA – 780-231

Dairy Queen is changing their look and this photo was taken just a couple of days before the red awning was removed.

*Alyssa Myshok showed photos of potential nominations for our Treasured Buildings 2015 Sign Project from the southwest quadrant of the neighbourhood.

Due to Easter our next meeting is slated for Monday, April 13th, 7 pm at grunt gallery – 350 East 2nd Avenue/Unit 116.

Advertisement