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.