Sue & Herbs September 1958

                       Gateway Times article.

YWCA March 1960

          .....was located on Kayetan Dr. where the Pepsi warehouse is today. Gateway Times article.

YWCA February 1962

                   Gateway Times article.

1943 Fort Huachuca.....

......map of the New Cantonment Area on the east side of post. Fourteenth St. is now known as Brainard Rd. Outside the main gate (Fry gate) was the overland bus depot at the Canteen, a package liquor store that Paul Wolfe and Fred Whitton built in 1942. In 1945 Clarence Sherbundy bought the business from Mr. Whiiton and  became Sherbundy's Canteen Drug store. The map also shows the Gate Theater, the NCO building and The Fry Rec Center, better known as The Green Top. Courtesy Fort Huachuca Historical Museum.  

200 North Ave. ....

...top photo church members break ground for the First Baptist Church of Fry, Arizona on February 27, 1955. The church was built soon after. Courtesy First Baptist Church.

Now....

....it is The Pantano Christian Church.

1968.....

...lunch time at (the old) Buena High School. Yearbook photo.

1941.....

....the Main Gate of Fort Huachuca. Courtesy Henry Hauser Museum.

Now......

...at the intersection of Buffalo Soldier Trail and Fry Blvd. shows the rock building that houses The Widow Support Center.

1955.....

1-Buena Highway, after 1961 it was named Fry Blvd.

2-The Military Inn

3-The Green Top

4-Western Furniture Co.

5-Finley Tourist Cabins and Trailer Court

6-NCO/Service Club

7-The Fry House

8-Erwin and Lillian Fry's home-110 N. 1st Street.

9 Bill's Trading Post

10- The Carmichael House

Courtesy William Miller 

1961.....

....Ruben Ortega setting up a Christmas window display in their store at the A.J. Bayless Shopping Center. Ortega's Shoe Store was located where what is now Philadelphia Baking Co. of Arizona next to Deutsches Eck. What can be seen in this photo in the upper left is The Green Top Drive-in Cafe.

Courtesy Natalie Ortega.

1958....

               .....The new Court House. Gateway Times article.

Now.....

....Linda's Lounge.

Doc's Chicken Roost....

.....applied for a #8 Beer License and was approved and issued on August 28, 1956, the first for the newly incorporated city. This ad announcing their Grand opening with new owners and management on March 27, 1964. Notice on the picture in the ad, Doc's name was removed from the Chicken Roost sign. Gateway Times ad.

Now.......

.....My Place restuarant.

July 1958....

 ...Mr. Bronstein planned on opening a medical facility on the corner of Lenzner and Fry Blvd., but never happened. Maybe the name would have been The Sierra Family Hospital?? Gateway Times article.

Nu-Way Cleaners.......

.....on the corner of North Ave. and Fry Blvd. built in the late 50s. Owned and operated by Jamie Huish.

Now......

......Computer Corner

1971 Rudy's Cleaners......

.....on Garden Ave. The cleaners was built in the mid 50s. Owned and operated by Rudolph W. Steffen, the first mayor of Sierra Vista in 1956.

Now.......

....out of business travel agency and pay-day loan shop. Barber shop is still there.

1960...

1-Sierra Family Drive-In Theater

2-Geronimo Drive-In Theater

3-El Rancho Roller Rink

4-Green Top Bar, Cafe, Apts, Trailer Court and laundryette

5-Huachuca Herald

6-Stanley's Apts

7-Finley Tourist Cabins and Trailer Court

8-The Fry House

9-The Fry Shopping Center

10-Century Motors (The Smoke Shop building) without a roof and cars displayed inside the building.

11-The Police and Fire Department

12-Whiteheads Furniture

13-The Fry Recreation Center and Ball Park

14-Sue and Herbs

15-Tim Erickson's home (school friend)

16-Sierra Drug Store

Courtesy Fort Huachuca Museum

The Snack-Bar.....

......at the Sierra Family Drive In theater was considered the best,and modern for it's day

SFDI Theater building 1958-62...

.

......that housed the projection room, the snack-bar,restrooms and office. After the theater closed down in 1962, within a couple years, the property was turned into the Bel-Aire MHP. The building is the office for the  park.

. 

66 N. Garden Ave.......

A 1959 Gateway Times Progress Edition article on when Whiteheads Furniture Company started doing business in Fry/Sierra Vista. In 1962 the store was sold to the Reed family and became Reed's Furniture Store. In the late 60s Jack Hass bought the property and turned into Atlas Furniture.                              

                                                        

                                                                     

....

Atlas Furniture....

 .. 2001 photo taken by Doug Stephens.           

66 N. Garden Ave. Now...

                                                Commercial office space.

Meadors Grocery

Across the street from Carmichael School, a community small grocery store. Mr. and Mrs. Meadors

taking care of their customer. Gateway Times ad announcing their Grand Opening in 1963. Photos

courtesy The Henry Hauser Museum.

The Gate Theater 1942...

Early in 1942, Paul Wolfe leased land from the Carmichaels. With his partner, Fred Whitton (Whitton St), he built the Gate Theater. The theater had five hundred seats. When World War II was over, Paul sold his intrest in the theater to his partner Fred Whitton. In 1954, Martin Rogers with three of his friends rented the old theater building and turned into a recreational spot with pool tables and pinball machines. Tony Shaieb subleased the building from Martin Rogers and operated it as a pool room and restuarant from 1956 until 1957 when the place burned down.. Soon after, Shaieb bought the property from the Carmichaels, it was without a roof for many years. In 1962 Shaieb put a roof on the building and remodeled the interior and opened for business as a playland arcade and converted it into the Smoke Shop. Photo courtesy The Henry Hauser Museum.

The Sorry Gulch Saloon....

....building was built in the 1940s by/for the Carmichaels. It was as a blacksmith shop, a stable and a storage barn with dirt floors. The building's walls were made of poured concrete, fifteen inches thick. Paul Wolfe  (Wolfe Street) bought the building in the early 50s and made it into The Bent Elbow Cocktail Lounge and opened in 1954. In 1960 the building was sold to Virgil Hammons and changed it to Virgil's V.O. Steak House. In the 70s it was the Monte Vista Restaurant and Lounge. In 1977, Elesica Dawn and Jason Stone bought the property. "Lee and I were in full partners in the venture" and named the bar "The Sorry Gulch Saloon". A short time later the name was changed to Ceaders. "We did that on our own (name change), as we were at a point we wanted to try a new direction at the time". In 1980, the name was changed back to The Sorry Gulch Saloon.

A&W Root Beer ........

....opened on July 5, 1958.  Loved those frosted mugs of their famous root beer. Top photo courtesy 1961 Sierra Vista Directory. The July 1, 1958 ad announcing their Grand Opening, courtesy The Gateway Times.

June 1959

Mr. A.J. Bronstein didn't just build the SFDIT, he also built the 24 unit apartments next to the theater, (the apts behind McDonalds on Fry Blvd), The Sierra Motel and Apartments. Today, the apts are Pueblo Apts.
On June 1959, Mr Bronstein opened the Sierra Swimming Club. It offered a large 133 foot pool. Courtesy The Gateway Times.

1960...

...Phillip Whitaker posing with his cowboy hat and gun as his sister, Janice stands at the doorway of their home at The Green Top trailer court. In the background is the Green Top building.

Courtesy Phillip Whitaker.

May 1956....

Mrs. Carmichael takes a moment to pose for a camera in her front yard. The house on the background to the right belonged to the Sherbundy's.  Courtesy: Henry Hauser Museum.

April 30,1961

Courtesy: May 4, 1961 Gateway Times. 

Geronimo Drive-In Theater

Looking north on Canyon Drive.
Courtesy Eric Wakatani

Geronimo Drive-In Theater

Inside the parking area looking south.
1-The backside of the Geronimo Theater sign.
2-Projection room.
3-Entrance to The Snack bar and to the Auditorium.
4-Indoor seating Auditorium.

Both photos came with no date. I'm thinking early to mid 70s.

Early 1960s

Today....

...The Church of God was the first organized church in Fry, AZ. It was built in 1954, and was originally organized by "Granny Williams" and Rev. John Weik of Hereford. Rev Weik had been a pastor in the small adobe building on Fry Blvd. since 1952 where The Baker's Dozen is now. To obtain materials for a church, Carl Isaacson and the Weiks dismantled a night club at Hereford that been closed down and abandoned. They trucked the lumber and hardwood floor to Fry, where they built the church on Taylor Drive. It was the only church in town with a church bell.

Fry, AZ Pre-1935...

1- What is now Fry Blvd.
2- Fry House
3- Carmichael House
4- The rock house that is still standing today.
5- Carmichael Store
6- Dirt trail that is now Garden Ave.

Courtesy Fort Huachuca Museum.

1955....

....aerial photo of Fry, AZ. In 1956 the official name became Sierra Vista,AZ. Courtesy Fort Huachuca Museum.

1962....

1-Sierra Family Drive-In closed down                                                                                                        

2- The Military Inn
3- The El Rancho Roller Rink
4- Finley Tourist Cabins and Trailer Court
5- The Huachuca Herald
6- US Army Service/NCO Club
7- Auto Parts building
8- Fry House
9- The old theater building was converted into a pool room and a meal-a-minute cafe in 1954. In 1956, Tony Shaieb took over the lease. December1957 the building caught on fire. This post card photo shows the building without a roof and cleaned up and walls repainted. Tony Shaieb bought the property from Mrs Carmichael and in late1962 had it rebuilt and opened it as a playland arcade with pinball machines and pool tables. It was known as the Smoke Shop for many years.
10- Ralph's Shell Service Station
11- The last of the Rock Houses, still standing today on Garden Ave.
12- Whiteheads Furniture
13- Schrader's Chevron Service Station. Grand opening was on June 14, 1958.
14- Sierra Vista's Mayor Rudy Steffen's Rudy's Cleaners.
15- H&R Transfer. Today it is TLC Moving and Storage.

Post card photo courtesy Randy Leever

1906....

....The Oliver Fry family. Photo taken in Houston, Texas. Seven years later, the Fry's relocate and homestead their first 160 acres in what is now, Sierra Vista. L to R: Edna, Cora, Raymond (seated), Elizabeth (the mother), holding Arden, Tom, Cecil (seated), Oliver and Erwin. Courtesy-Early Sierra Vista; It's People and Neighbors. By Jack Hein.

1955.....

..... Mr. Joseph Bellantoni bought 10 acres from Mrs. Carmichael on December 1954 and the new Western Furniture Co. was built in '55. His only neighbors close by were The Military Inn and the Fry House east of his property. Courtesy The Bellantoni Family.

Now......

....Modern Shopping Center.