August 1955

This photo, taken on top of the roof of Western Furiture Co., looking north shows the newly built First Baptist Church and the first housing development. Geronimo Drive-in theater was built the following month. North Ave was a dirt road that ran (west) parallel to the railroad tracks to Garden Ave. Courtesy The Bellantoni Family.

1955

Aerial view (looking south/southeast) of Fry,AZ, shows the new Garden Canyon Development, 144 houses, built by Busby and Carroll Construction Company. The first housing development in Sierra Vista (Fry). Couresy Ft. Huachuca Museum.

August 1955...

...The Military Inn, also known as The MI, was located on the corner of Fry Blvd. and Carmichael Ave.  A few years later, the building was expanded and remodeled, as for the open-air dance area, it was made into a business duplex they rented out. Fred and Everett Baumkirchner owned and operated the popular restaurant-lounge-dancehall for 23 years and sold it in 1971. Courtesy The Bellantoni Family.

1957...

.....The original WFC was built in 1955, the larger photo shows construction on the west side of WFC in early 1957. Later that same year Modern Pharmacy opened for business. Today, it's The Harley Davidson Store. After the fire that destroyed El Rancho Market, the building was rebuilt and a new grocery store moved in. A.J.Bayless held their Grand Opening on July 10, 1958. Shops were built to make a new shopping center. Photos courtesy Henry Hauser Museum.

Early 60s...

...the nicest shopping center during it's day.

October 1959

Only one other drive-in theater in Tucson offered in-car heaters at that time. Gateway Times ad.

August 1955......

.....This picture, looking west, taken from outside the door of the 2nd floor apartment in (back of) The Western Furniture Co. building. In 1956, Goodman's Market was destroyed by fire, Brockbank Enterprises rebuilt making it into a shopping plaza. El Rancho Market moved in where Goodman's had been and a short time later that market had a fire. After the row of buildings were rebuilt and the store was remodeled once again, A.J. Bayless moved into the space. Photo courtesy The Bellantoni Family.

September 17, 1959....

...one of Sierra Vista's great pioneers passed away at the age of 88. Mr. Fry, at the age of 41, came to this area with his family to homestead 160 acres and start a new life for his family. Gateway Times article.

January 19, 1955....

....photo shows the intersection of Fry and Garden Ave. Courtesy First Baptist Church. Top pictures are: The Old Gate Theater, Paul Keating's Garden Canyon Service Station, The Gate Cafe and Glad Tidings Mission, a small adobe building Bill Carmichael had built. Also labled on photo is the Carmichael house. Smaller photos courtesy Henry Hauser Museum.

Early 1900's...

...The Carmichael Store and Post Office. Picture taken from the Carmichael House. Courtesy Henry Hauser Museum.

Now.....

...Daisey Mae's Steak House. Excellent food.

January 1941...

...tents, mobile homes and shacks in Fry, Arizona in January 1941. Courtesy Arizona Historical Society/Tucson.

January 1941...

... Courtesy Arizona Historical Society/Tucson.

1942...

 The Gate Theater was built by Paul Wolfe and Fred Whitton, with 500 seats, had a balcony upstairs for white officers who served at Fort Huachuca during World War II when the fort was segregated. It also had a bedroom and a bathroom and projection room upstairs. In 1956 Tony Shaieb took over the lease from Martin Rogers and kept it as a rec center. On Dec. 21, 1957 the building was severly damaged from a fire and was fought by an all-volunteer fire department. The building stood for many years without a roof, the owners were able to rebuild and opened as a playland arcade, better known as the Smoke Shop in 1965.  Date of photo is unknown. Courtesy Henry Hauser Museum.

1961....

.....600 N. Garden Ave. is Sierra Vista's new City Hall that housed, according to the 1961 Sierra Vista City Directory, City attorney R.J. Snyder's office, Magistrate C.B. Egts, Mayor's office P.W. Keating and City Council Chamber. Photo courtesy 1961 SV City brochure.

1967...

....Hatfield Funeral Home, established in 1967, was the first funeral home in Sierra Vista. Courtesy Jeff Hatfield.

Now...

...boarded-up and vacant for many years. The building caught on fire early January 2013. It will probably be demolished and the property will be transformed to be a grassy park and be part of the new Henry Hauser Museum to be built south of Solder Creek in the near future.