Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1903-05-13
PART /.

At the outset the whole settlement
was on the park lanl, but within few
months the settlers divided up, the best
citizens coming up to the town laid out
by Mr.. Wilder and securing lots with
titles to hold them, the adventurers and
tough element remaining in the park,
Soon the tents began to disappear and
and board shanties and some good houses |
to take their places. The saloons and
dance halls remained mostly in the park, |
but the business houses spread out over
the blocks bounded by Spruce street on
the SOUTH Pine street on the north and
from Silver to Gold avenues east and
west. The first well was put down by /
old man Chard just back of where Kin
near& Co.'S store is; it was driven
we'll. Three public wells were put
down, one in the street in front of what /
is now the Brewery saloon, one on the
northwest corner OF Spruce street and
Silver avenue, and one at the foot of
Silver avenue in the park. These wells
furnished the water supply of the town
for some time until private wells were
put in, and then were devoted to the
use of the long lines Of OK, horse and
pack trains coming with ore, beans and
other produce from Mexico. This trade
was a great source OF prof. to The bus
mess OF the town and was handled
mostly 10y Aaron Schultz and julius
El5ey. 1t va, an inspiring sight of an
evening 10 watch these gentlemen on
their way ,o the express Office with
bulro load of Mexican pesos for ship
ment east. Until the building of the
Whitney narrow gauge to Silver
City all freight for Grant county and
me NuLolion country went from here by
oS and mule trans, and two coach
lines carried the passenger traffic, All
this made booming business for Dem
ing and the mercantile establishments
were crowded in Us thickly as could be
in the district mentioned. +. Germain
a. Co. q. Fieshmen, manager,) Arm
strong & Lockhart and Hupper Bros.
had the hulk Of the grocery and gen
cral merchandise trade; Aaron Schultz.
Julius Elby and p Allen supplied the
dry goods and clothing; Tony Clark was
the town baker and had nice little
family grocery, and j. A. Mahoney a
modest little news stand and confec-
tionery on Gold avenue. Joe could have
moved his stock those days in hand
basket, and the move wouldn't have
made him tired. Business grew so
rapidly that large and better buildings
were demanded, and the men were on
the ground with the money and nerve
to furnish them. The first good frame
building erected was at the southwest
corner of Spruce steet and Gold avenue,
by Henry Holgate, and was occupied
by Holgate 4 Raithel as a butcher
shop. The building is still in the same
line of business and is owned by Henry
Meyer. The first good residence in the
town was erected by a man named
Garrison just west ofwhere now stands
the drug store of ]. A. Kinnear 4 Co.
Itwas not easy to get building material
to supply the demand, and Barney Mar
tins brick yard was taxed to its ut
most capacity. BY the close OF 1882, or
early in 1888, the tents had completely
disappeared from the business portion
of the town and given place to many
substantial brick and frame structures.
Col. ]. p. McGrorty's brick, now the
telephone central station, was one OF
the first brick buildings erected. This
was followed as quickly as material
could be had by the Cravens brick
(now Killinger's,) the big Lockhart 4
Hopper Bros, store at the corner q
Gold avenue and Pine street, burned il
1889; the two story brick at the cornel
of Gold avenue and Pine street alsC
burned in 1889; the handsome two stor!
brick erected by Jake Raithel on the
lot now occupied by Mahoney's furni
ture store, burned in 1886, and th'
Thurmond & Shephard's Cabinet salOOT
at the corner Of Silver avenue and PINE
street, and brick s&lOon building
about where the Aquarium now stands