Marsh Building Then and Now

316-318 W Front Street

Like many other Dodge City locals, I have spent a fair amount of time studying old postcards. Up until 1970, the Front Street images were pretty consistent. The photos were taken facing north with Second Avenue to the left and the Santa Fe Depot to the right. Once in a while, you’ll see one that includes Third Avenue but those buildings weren’t terribly interesting. Except, when did that pink tile happen?

Prior to the series of devastating fires, the block between Second and Third Avenues was occupied by a mix of residential and commercial wood structures. In July of 1886, Oliver Marsh began construction of a two-story brick building on the east side of Third between Front and Chestnut Streets. Initially, the building was only to occupy the south half of the lots but plans changed mid-construction to extend it all the way north to Chestnut.

Marsh’s tailor shop moved to the basement on the Chestnut side in February of 1887.

J. G. and S. H. Wilkinson moved their grocery store into the north room on the main floor.

Marsh’s clothing store occupied the main floor along Front Street and the second floor was used as a GAR Hall.

The 1887 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the new brick building occupying 238-239 Chestnut and 319-320 Front Street, as well as 624-625 Third Avenue. This was long before street numbers were standardized. A print shop occupied the upper floor of the east end.

James St. John opened a hardware store in the east room on Front Street in March of 1889.

Gus & Co. moved their secondhand store into the former Marsh clothing store on Front Street in February of 1890. Weekly dances were held in the upstairs rooms. By 1892, the entire main floor of the west end was vacant.

In February of 1893, the Free Methodists rented the basement rooms along Front Street. It is unclear whether the immensely popular dances were in any way affected by this development.

The Marsh Building changed hands several times beginning in 1889, although it retained the Marsh name. It was owned by a series of partnerships, including an interest purchased by Thomas F Garner. By December of 1903, the Marsh Building was owned by Garner, P. H. Sughrue, and Victor Carson. William Babbitt purchased the building in April of 1910 for $7,000 but Garner was still in the mix.

By June of 1912, the building was mostly occupied by the newly established Dodge City Wholesale Grocery but they moved to the warehouse better known as the Guymon-Petro Building in early 1915.

When this circa 1915 photo was taken, the building was littered with ghost signs.

Guy Castanien and his father-in-law, T. F. Garner opened the Cash Boot and Shoe House on the north side in November of 1916.

Rapid turnover continued and Garner listed the building for sale in May of 1920.

A series of produce and grocery stores operated in this building throughout the 1920s. Beatrice Cream Station opened in the west corner on Front Street in March of 1924.

The Blakemore Grocery Company, which operated Ideal Food Stores, purchased the building in January of 1938.

Although the Blakemores planned to build a new store, that’s not exactly what happened. Instead, they lowered the roof and walls and raised the floor of the old building.

Structural materials including the glass block front were provided by Anawalt-Campbell Lumber Co. Paints and varnishes were purchased from the Richards Paint & Paper Co. The electrical contractor was Barton Electric Co. All plumbing was installed by J. C. Keech. The York air conditioning system was installed by Royal McShea from Medicine Lodge.

The formal opening was held on Saturday, May 28, 1938 with flowers for the ladies, cigars for the gents, and balloons for the kids.

The Ideal Food Store was damaged by a fire which burned a large hole in the roof in January of 1950.

Damage was later estimated at $1,000 and it was later reported that the fire was “noticed in the nick of time.” Although the building was repaired, the grocery store did not reopen. Instead, the space was used for special events.

In November of 1954, the Long-Bell Lumber Company began using the building, presumably for additional storage.

In this photo from the 1950s, you can see the building boarded up at the far left.

Carlson Paint & Wallpaper moved to the old grocery store around 1960 and they stuck around until the Urban Renewal Project became a certainty.

These photos were taken shortly before demolition began. In the third one, you can see the faint outline of the old slanted roofline on the side of the Hall’s building.

This is how the corner of Third and Wyatt Earp looks today:

That pink tile was extremely unique and if it had been on a different street, it very well could have been saved. Such is life.

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