Cranky Yellow is packing up and heading to this new store front location on our street. 2847 Cherokee Street to be precise (goodbye forever 2122)! We’ve already boxed so many things up. We’re hittin’ the road: even if it is just a few blocks. If everything goes as planned we will be open again in February with at least 3.5 times the merchandise. It’s going to bleach your socks!
I snagged the picture above from cherokeestreetphotos.com. Here’s the amazing history blurb about the building:
This store and dwelling was constructed for Henry W. Kaiser in 1896 for the cost of $2,957. The appearance of the façade has changed very little since its construction. The elaborate metal cornices, made of cast iron or tin, would have been chosen from a catalog and sized to fit the building. The large cast iron and turned wooden posts create an opening for a large display widow. Above the window are large transom windows bounded by smaller panes of colored glass. Before the advent of the incandescent light and neon signage, stores utilized these decorative elements to capture a potential customer’s attention. These elements also gave individuality to the uniform design of stores.
Henry Kaiser operated a hardware store in this location until 1919. The following year, Kroger Grocery and Baking Company rented the store front from the Kaiser Family. This was the fourth Kroger store located on Cherokee St. Nascent chain stores, such as Kroger, were accused of driving small merchants out of business. The store was viewed as a menace, changing the commerce of communities and commercial districts. In 1928, owner Bernard Kroger sold his entire stock for $28 million and stepped down as President of the Kroger Company. Kroger Grocery discontinued operations at this location during same year. The Kaiser Family continued to reside in the second-story residence until 1958.
