Jimac Service Court Then and Now

311 W Spruce Street

James P McCollom of Carthage, Illinois bought the Santa Fe Trail Garage in December of 1911 and moved to Dodge City in February of 1912. Many of you already know this garage was located on the site of the First National Bank Building at Second Avenue and Spruce Street. McCollom later bought the house directly west of the garage at 309 W Spruce in addition to the neighboring lots all the way to Third Avenue.

The lots at the southeast corner of Third and Spruce sat empty for several years. In April of 1928, McCollom announced plans to construct a service station on that corner, which he would call Jimac Service Court, an awkward portmanteau derived from his two nicknames.

McCollom held a grand opening at the 25-car station on July 28, 1928.

The Heaston-Carter Service Company bought the Jimac station in early 1929.

This purchase increased the small Kansas chain’s station count to four.

The grand opening was held on April 20, 1929 with entertainment furnished by the Green Lantern Orchestra.

Mert Williams, who owned a couple other service stations in Dodge, purchased the business in January of 1931.

That arrangement was very brief and O. M. Balch began operating the Balch Service Station later that year.

The Balch station closed in late 1937 or early 1938. Goodyear Tire Company opened a store in the building in May of 1938. By 1941, “Blondy” Hamilton was operating the Boot Hill Service Station at Third and Spruce.

This was replaced by the Hardin Service Station in the mid-1940s.

By the early 1950s, the Lowery Tire and Service Company owned by Thomas and Beryl Lowery occupied the former Jimac station.

Now is a good time to mention the adjacent structure to the east. Ford County Building & Loan Association shared the epitome of mid-century building aesthetics with Dodge City Abstract & Investment Company for several years. It was possibly the bane of Tom Lowery’s existence.

The neighboring building entered into a grudge match with the Lowery station’s U. S. Royal Tires sign.

Bob and Mabel Lanphier bought the station in the late 1950s but kept the Lowery name.

Clarence and Sylvia Beye then bought the business around 1961 and operated it until late 1965 or early 1966. Beye Service was the last station to operate in this location.

The building sat vacant for a while before being remodeled by Floyd and Hazel Fisher, who operated Fisher Rental Service at Third and Spruce from around 1968 to 1970.

The Salvation Army’s Thrift Store was located in the building briefly in the early 1970s.

Ray and Ann Rodriguez held a grand opening event at their Rayann Imports store from June 2 through June 9, 1973. They started out with onyx, wood, straw, and ceramics from Mexico.

By late 1976 or early 1977, a pottery and jewelry studio called The Wheel and Torch briefly occupied the building.

However, the space was empty by April of 1977 when the Dodge City Racing Pigeon Association held a “giant rummage sale” in that spot.

After sitting vacant again for a couple years, the building was remodeled into office space around 1980. Attorney Douglas Myers had an office there for about five years. Various insurance and investment companies such as Kansas MONY Associates also occupied the building in the 1980s.

Around 1990, First National Bank expanded its Trust, Mortgage, and Consumer Loan departments into the combined structures of the old service station and savings and loan building. That arrangement continued with the string of successor banks after First National sold to Bank IV in 1994.

Bank of America sold the building to the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce and Dodge City – Ford County Development Corporation in 2001. The Dodge City Legend basketball team maintained an office there as well.

The Chamber and Eco-Devo offices later relocated the depot and the building was sold to Boot Hill Museum. A ribbon cutting was held at the new Boot Hill Resource Center in October of 2018.

This is how the former Jimac Service Court looks today:

It’s always interesting to walk in and around buildings with confusing arrays of angles and elevations. The modifications to these structures have diminished their historic value but if you look down at the concrete near the northwest corner, a little sliver still remains.

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