Blair’s Downtown – Block 46

Oral History Notes: from RJL (Dick Lippincott)

• 1916 – Home Theatre (Lot 3) Hugh Cook sold tobacco and candy also sporting goods in old theatre building. Greyhound Bus Depot
• 1930 – New Home Theatre. Restaurant 1930 was next door to the west.
• 1950s –  Midge Robinson had a battery business above theatre.
  Dixon (Gifford) Insurance on 2nd floor
• West of Hugh Cooks was C. J. Robinson used Furniture store–then a small liquor store east of Home Theatre and Robinson’s Café west of theatre.
• Robinson’s Café many years later (1970’s-80’s) was the site of “Tots-To -Teens”
• 1951- Home Theatre – Stella Roberson sold tickets
• Carefree Travel
• Building owned by the Hunt Brothers

Lot 4

• 1960s-1970s – Children’s clothing store Tots to Teens
• 1978 – JJ’s Childrens Clothes Juli Plugge
• Taylor Photography

• 1909 – Drug store
• 1953? -1966 – Samson Rexall Drugs owned by Francis H. (Frisco) Samson. Samson was a druggist in Iowa before coming to Blair. After leaving Blair, he worked in Iowa and Missouri. (source: daughters visited Blair on October 3rd, 2007)
• 1966 – Wayne Anderson purchased and turned it into the Holiday House, a gift shop.
• About 1984 –  Cafe on Main
• Currently Hoshi Palate

• 1909 – Groceries
• Carl Kolterman had the “Racket Store” before he moved to the Ben Franklin building.
• VonLaken Shoes
• Harris Shoes in the mid 1940s (source: Linda Howland) Shoe store owned by Duane Harris
• Prior to it becoming Haney’s. It was named Harris Shoes.
• 2003-? –  Haney Shoes

• 1909 – Harness & Cigar Factory
• 1920 – Julius Petersen Hardware Store
• ?? –  Blue Ribbon. Clarence King once operated the Blue Ribbon (He also operated the Eat Shop.)
• New York Bar & Grill
• Currently Red Brick Bar and Grill