213 North Kinsley

A love of history led me down the rabbit hole of newspaper archives. In my last two historical novels (now in the hands of my agent), I used era-correct newspapers to add historically accurate details. I figured why not use that tool to learn more about our properties? Thanks to the Winslow Mail archives, I found a wealth of information about our Emporium at 213 Kinsley Avenue.

In a nutshell, this is what I found out about the Emporium:

The first third of the 20th century, the building housed a series of bakeries, the second third, department stores, and the last twenty-ish years, antique stores.

Hmmm... Bakery. General Merchandise. Antiques. Sounds like a good plan to me! Perhaps all three combined will make up The Palace Emporium.

Here's the breakdown through the years:

·         On April 2nd, 1898 the Winslow Mail reported the new building on Kinsley for the Vienna Bakery man, Mr Ernest Ferar, was almost complete, and that he would occupy it as a bakery and ice cream parlor.

There was also this report regarding Mr. Ferar from a couple weeks later, that I include for amusement's sake:

April 23, 1898 – There was quite an exciting runaway in our city last Tuesday afternoon. Ernest Ferar, the VIENNA BAKERY man, was delivering his daily supply of cakes and bread to his numerous customers when the king-bolt to his wagon broke, which frightened his fiery steed, who took the bit between his teeth and was off at a 1:40 to the mile gait. The wagon was scattered all over town, a piece here and a piece there. Children were picking up bread, pies, and cakes in all parts of the city. Mr. Ferar was bruised and skinned up pretty badly, but was not seriously injured.

 

Mr Ferar had a rough year. In May 1898, a fire broke out. There was no mention of whether the fire was in his one-month-old building, only that he would immediately erect a brick building on the site of the one just destroyed. The journalist described Mr Ferar as "full of grit, energy, and determination." He also said being burned out would not stop Mr. Ferar from doing business, and indeed it did not. Same day he lost his building, he was out delivering his breads, cakes, and pies to his customers.

When Mr Ferar headed toward the Turquoise mining camps October 4, 1900, he rented out his bakery, although it seems by August 1901 Mr Ferar was back in Winslow, considering his mention in an announcement about a drawing for a Morris Chair on exhibit at the Vienna Bakery. Mr Ferar promised, "the kalamazoo-still band will furnish music for the occasion."

·         Sometime between 1901 and 1906, the bakery must have been sold to Frank Dietz, the man (I believe) pictured in this 1905 photo below.

The facade has clearly changed over the years, with the addition of the Gallup glazed brick--likely in the 1930s.

·         Mr Dietz wanted to work for the railroad so sold the Vienna Bakery August 25, 1906 to his employee, George Claussen, a San Francisco baker who lost everything in the 1906 earthquake. Mr Claussen renamed the bakery the Model Home Bakery.

The bakery changed hands at least ten times over the next twenty years and changed names several times too.

The City Bakery

·         Around 1913 it became the City Bakery, famous for their Milk Bread.

From February 21, 1919:

CITY BAKERY EXPANDING “Mr. W.C. Williams of City Bakery is finding his present quarters too cramped to handle his daily increasing business and to meet conditions he is enlarging the bake shop, building a new and larger oven and will install the latest improved bread-making machinery which will double the output of his ovens. He is also adding a bread-wrapping machine. With the completion of the contemplated improvement which will require thirty days, Winslow will have the largest, most sanitary bakery in Northern Arizona.”

 

In 1915 the building got a new ceiling from a contractor named McClimans. In 1919 the dilapidated board awning was condemned and ordered torn down. In 1921 bread prices dropped to pre-war rates, "Patronize home industry!" the ad said, a sentiment we should all support.

The Ideal Bakery

Sometime between February 1919 and September 1919, the bakery again changed hands and changed names, this time to Ideal Bakery.

The new owners upgraded the bakery even more, including two oil distillate ovens churning out 2600 loaves of bread per eight-hour shift, a total of 15,000-20,000 loaves per month. That's a lot of bread!

From September 21, 1924:

IDEAL BAKERY “With the splendid service rendered and the completeness and capacity of this modern plant there is no possible excuse to buy bakery products outside of Winslow.” Mr. Hall says, “It looks as if Winslow will keep growing. The Santa Fe Railway Shops here makes this town a steady and substantial business center.”

·         The last bakery incarnation came around 1931, when it became the Quality Bakery. Misters Binder and Weigand said they planned to remodel. We're guessing that's when the building came to look as it does today, and why the date on the title puts the building in the thirties.

The Department Store Era

·         Around 1940, the building use changed. Ads for Sears Roebuck and Co began to pop up for 213 Kinsley.

·         In 1947, Krause's department store ads began to appear.

Sadly, January 20, 1956, Krause's Department Store announced its Going-Out-of-Business sale, making way for the next department store to step in.

·         On September 7, 1956, the Lehman's from New Mexico, announced the Grand opening of their new Haberdashery, Lehman's Department Store, a cash only business stocking famous lines like Acme cowboy boots and Hanes Underwear.  “[Mr Lehman] intends to sell good quality merchandise and keep prices at the lowest levels.”

The photograph of Mr Lehman inside the store, along with his long-time clerk, Josie Tafoya, who lived in Winslow until she died in 2022. Josie enjoyed coming into the store and seeing her picture on the wall.

·         In 1976 Helen and Johnny Butler leased the building from Mr. Lehman so they could move their Montgomery Ward mail-order business there and give Troutners on 2nd St room to expand. They operated there for ten-plus years. The orders came on trucks from Denver two to three times a week, arriving in about three days.

Mobile Oil bought Montgomery Ward in '76--flush with money from the rise in oil prices--and began to dismantle the company. In 1985, after 113 years in business, Mobile closed the catalog branch, putting the Butler's out of business.

After the Butler's left in 1986, the building remained vacant for a while according to Helen Butler.

The Antique Era

·         January 28, 2002 a merger was announced between Linda Stegmire of Mother Road Antiques, and Bill Sandige of On the Corner Antiques. The article states Bill had  been at 213 Kinsley for a while, but never opened.

·         That brings us to 2017. Brian and Lori Law bought the antique store from the Sandige's, with plans to renovate and reopen it as The Palace Emporium.

·         Before opening, the Law’s changed the name to the Motor Palace Mercantile and had their grand opening on September 27th, 2019, specializing in “Quality Goods and Curiosities” with all products made in USA. Less than six months later, the world locked down thanks to the Covid pandemic, and Brian and Lori shifted from a general mercantile to a home delivery, glass-bottled milk, and grocery store. They closed the store in October 2022 after both decided to rectify their greatest regret of dropping out of college in their twenties. Lori has returned to her love of creative work and Brian to historic preservation and urban design.

WINSLOW MAIL RESEARCH:

April 2, 1898 –Ernest Ferar, the Vienna Bakery man, has a building almost completed on Kinsley avenue, which he proposes to occupy as a bakery and ice cream parlor.

April 23, 1898 – There was quite an exciting runaway in our city last Tuesday afternoon. Ernest Ferar, the VIENNA BAKERY man, was delivering his daily supply of cakes and bread to his numerous customers when the king-bolt to his wagon broke, which frightened his fiery steed, who took the bit between his teeth and was off at a 1:40 to the mile gait. The wagon was scattered all over town, a piece here and a piece there. Children were picking up bread, pies, and cakes in all parts of the city. Mr. Ferar was bruised and skinned up pretty badly, but was not seriously injured.

May 21 1898- A fire started in His building burned down, and he still made his delieveries at 3pm. He will “immediately erect a brick building on the site of the one just destroyed.” “He is full of grit, enerty, and determination, and will not allow such a thing as being burned out stop him from doing business.”

October 4, 1900 - Ernest Ferar has rented his bakery and intends to go to the Turquoise mining camp in the southern part of the territory. 

August 1901 – The drawing for the Morris chair on exhibition at the Vienna bakery. “Mr. Ferar promises that the kalamazoo still band will furnish music for the occasion.”

August 25, 1906 – Frank Dietz has sold the Vienna bakery to Geo. Claussen. He has renamed the establishment the MODEL HOME BAKERY. Mr. Claussen had a bakery in San Francisco prior to the diasaster in which he lost everything, but has been working for Mr. Dietz for several months. Mr. Dietz is now firing on the railroad out of here.

November 17, 1906 – Pius sold to CP Reeder

January 26, 1907 – P.F. Pius has sold the Vienna Bakery to Chas Bledsoe

December 7, 1907 – Bledsoe sells to Evans

June 7 1913 – City Bakery Sold to Mr. Meyerding from Mr. C.A. Whinterholer as he was “About to leave our midst”

May 15, 1915 – Albert Noller purchased City Bakery

June 26, 1915 – Got a new ceiling by contractor McClimans

June 2, 1916 Changed hands, Mr Orthober sold to Mr C Hoeger, an experienced baker from SFO. “Mr orthober and family have started for SFO in their automobile…”

December 28 1917 – CITY BAKERY AD “Bread! Servers to strengthen all makind—civilians and soldiers. It is the cheapest, best food known. The one way you can be sure to get good bread all the time is to get City Bakery Bread. IT IS GOOD ALL THE TIME.” Famous for their milk bread

February 21, 1919 – CITY BAKERY EXPANDING “Mr. W.C. Williams of City Bakery is finding his present quarters too cramped to handle his daily increasing business and to meet conditions he is enlarging the bake shop, building a new and larger oven and will install the latest impreoved break-making machinery which will double the output of his ovens. He is also adding a bread-wrapping machine. With the completion of the contemplated improvement which will require thirty days, Winslow will have the largest, most sanitary bakery in Northern Arizona.”

September 19, 1919 – The old dilapidated board awning in front of the Ideal Bakery was condemned and ordered torn down.

APRIL 22, 1921 -  Price drop to pre-war prices! “Patronize home industry.”

JANUARY 6, 1922 0 Reed and Hall of the ideal Bakery have arranged with the National Advertising Bureau of Denver for the delivery to customers of a 4’ x 6’ flag when the customer procures 211 flag certificates. One certificate goes with every loaf of Milk Bread purchased. Let’s have an American flag in every home.

SEPT. 21 1923 – IDEAL BAKERY Two ovens fired by oil distillate, 2600 loaves of bread per eight hour shift “splendidly and modernly equipped” “Largest and most modern plant of its kind between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Barstow CA” 15000-20000 loaves per month, three union bakers, 4 helpers, and one with travelling card… “ With the splendid service rendered and the completeness and capacity of this modern plant there is no possible excuse to buy bakery products outside of Winslow.”   Mr. Hall says, “It looks as if Winslow will keep growing. The Santa Fe Railway Shops here makes this town a steady and substantial business center”

December 17, 1920 – James Donnell posts notice of his intention to sell his business, operated at 213 1-2 Kinsley Avenue, Donnell Transer Company, made the sale to George C Creswell and Ira O Tunnell.

November 16, 1927 - Popular Barber Shop at 213 1-2 Kinsley

Sept 8 1927 – IDEAL BAKERY

Spetember 27 1928 Ideal bakery sold to P.H. Schroeder and Herbert E Weis

August 14, 1931 -  QUALITY BAKING sold to John Binder Henry Weigand, who said they planned to remodel

Contest Ad: nov-09-1934

September 1940, 41, 42 SEARS ROEBUCK AND CO

Jan 10, 1947 SEPTEMBER 2, 1949 ,  April27, 1951 January 20 1956 Krause’s

Department Store Going out of business sale

SEPTEMBER 7 1956 – Grand Opening, Lehman moved from Roswell NM. Stocking famous line… acme cowboy boots, Hanes Underwear “he intends to sell good quality merchandise and keep prices at the lowest levels.”

1981-86  Montgomery Ward Ad for Fruitcake

January 28, 2002 Grand opening Mother Road Antiques Linda Stegmire Bill sandige

Annies

On the Corner Antiques