211 W. 1st Street

Description

Real estate appraisal card. 211 W. 1st Street, Imp. on R.R. right of way, block 20, in Salida, Colorado. This building was erected about 1902 as the plant of the Salida Bottling Company; the tracks of the Gunnison branch of the D&RG Railroad lay immediately west of the building. The building does not appear on the 1898 Sanborn map but ls shown on the 1904 edition. The building is shown on a 1902 overview photograph of the city and a close up photograph of this building appears in the 1 January 1904 Salida Record. The Salida Bottling Company was established in 1900 by W.S. Edwards, who came to Salida from Pueblo, where he had operated a similar business. The Record discussed the growth of the company: "From a small institution occupying rented quarters the business has grown until It employs a large force of men, ships supplies to dozens of towns and cities, occupies large quarters of lts own that were built especially for the accommodation of the business, has come to be recognized as one of the largest and most successful enterprises of central Colorado." The 1903-04 and 1905-06 showed the Salida Bottling Company in this location (addressed as 225 W. 1st Street). The directories described the firm as jobbers in whiskey, wine, cigars, bar supplies, and soda fountain supplies, as well as agents for Coors and Zang beers. The company manufactured and bottled soda waters, cider, ginger ale, cherry phosphate, raspberry julep, iron brew, and seltzer. The firm continued to expand, and by August 1906 was housed in a new two-story brick building west of the railroad tracks at 309 W. 1st Street. The Salida Bottling Company continued to be listed in 1909 and 1911-12 city directories and is still shown west of the railroad tracks on the 1945 Sanborn map. At some point after the building to the west was erected, this building became associated with a retail coal business. The Salida Fuel Company was located at the southwest corner of W. 1st and G streets by 1909; J.M. Duncan was listed as manager of the company in the 1911-12 city directory. The "Golden Beer Depot" sign was still visible on this building in a 1916 overview photograph of the city. In 1922, Guy Hall was listed as proprietor of the Salida Fuel Company here; the property was then addressed as 100 G Street. The 2002 "Downtown Walking Tour" noted that Guy Hall ran a coal business from this building. The1927-28 city directory reported that the Salida Fuel Company was still located here. The Sanborn map for 1929 shows this building used as an office with the rear part used for storage. A separate building to the rear was used for the storage of coal and lime. The Salida Fuel Company was still at this location (addressed as 215 W. 1st Street) in the 1951 city directory, with Guy Hall as owner. At the time of the 1981 survey the building housed the Energy Broker business. When the D&RG Railroad abandoned the Monarch spur line in the mid-1980s, the city bought the right-of-way, which included this building. History Colorado's Architectural Inventory Forms have more information and are available at the Salida Library.