Moline Memories - MHS 66 Friends






Monday, February 15, 2010

Fifth Avenue Building - Doctors and Dentists

"Its height and Art Deco style make the 1930 Fifth Avenue Building an impressive statement on the Avenue. It was the last of the large office buildings built in the historic district. Its construction was just getting underway when the Great Depression hit, but local investors pooled their resources and continued construction, bringing jobs to construction workers who would otherwise have been out of work and a major new office and commercial block to the downtown. Over the years it has been a prestigious address for doctors, dentists, lawyers, architects, and other professionals."
Source

I was looking for old photos and pictures of Moline when I found the Fifth Avenue Building. The building seemed elegant, with its elevator operator and many floors. Chicago was much more glamorous and impressive than Moline, but we had our own little Chrysler Building in Art Deco style.

I remember that building well. My dental work at Dr. Paschall's office prit-near paid off the mortgage.

Dr. Paschall was so good that all my future dentists commented on his great work. They said when they first looked into my mouth, "Who did this dental work?"

Dr. Paschall always let us have a free gift at the end of the visit. We got to open a drawer and take anything we wanted. I picked gum once, but found out it was sugar-free and chemically related to road-tar. I would take home Japanese handcuffs and other trinkets. Ann Paschall was in our class, MHS 1966. She is in the Garfield photos already posted.

Don Servine's father, a dentist, also had an office in this building. Don graduated in 1966, but he died far too young of cancer.




Details from the Fifth Avenue Building


---

Marie Flatley has left a new comment on your post "Fifth Avenue Building - Doctors and Dentists":

My father had his office there, too, from the mid-40s until he built his new office on 15th Street.

---

Food map: "The Fifth Avenue Building is across the street from the old library. Fannie Mae is another block down. Then two blocks to Lagomarcino's - yum!"


---

Kris Streed commented:

"I don't remember Grossmans, but I do remember the La Rue Store and Mosenfelders Men's Store, Wahlgreens, Kresges, The New York Store and Block and Kuhl (later Carson Pierie Scott), Josephson's and Carlsons. And then just a little farther down, El Pavito's, which is now on 27th street and 23rd. Ave. Which one is the Reliance Bldg? Is that where Fannie Mae's was?"

***

GJ - I also recall VanderVennett Clothing. Shetter-Fude Furniture was near Melo Cream. I believe there was another furniture store nearby, plus another men's store near the shop. We had a string of Mexican restaurant owners in the space next to the shop. That became a uniform store, which expanded into the Melo Cream space. My father never had a lease and bypassed several offers to buy the building. He retired and began making candy from home with his old equipment.

---
Dave Coopman:

"Wow, did you bring back some memories with some of those names. If I remember correctly, Grossman's was next to the W.T. Grant store. LaRose was next door to Farrell and Farrell Men's Wear. Fitzgibbons Men's Wear was across the street from Farrell's. Next door to the Fifth Avenue Bldg. was VanGoor's Record Shop and next door to that was Fitzgibbons. Carson's was in the Reliance Bldg. Phillips Furniture was across the street from Melo-Cream. El Pavito was pretty much next door to Melo-Cream. Ydeen's Men's Wear was on the corner across from the Shell station and Adolph's Taco House was on the corner across from Ydeen's. Remember the donut-making machine in the corner window of Kresge's? And, of course, how could one forget where you caught the bus to go up 15th Street hill... in front of Shiff's Shoes."



---


Barbara Hawotte commented:

"Kris..you mean the LaRose shop.  Josephson's was nestled between Kresege's on the corner...and Woolworth's which was larger.  I went to work at Woolworth's one week after I turned 16. They had EVERYTHING!   You could get keys made, blinds cut, goldfish, turtles and birds.  You cold have jewelry? engraved, candy bought that was weighed by the smallest fraction of a pound.  There was a bakery where you could get bread sliced thin or wide....and then the 'fountain'.  Pop an orange balloon in October to determine the cost of pumpkin pie.  I hated it when I was put behind the fountain....but I got tips and it really did become a lot of fun for us that worked there.  Being a student, I did Monday and Friday nights and Saturdays."

---

Linda Anderson commented on your link:

"Malcolms was a tiny jewelry store across from Josephsens (with the clock). Got all my charms there for the bracelet. And RE: the luggage store, wasn't it just the Luggage Shop? I know I must have bought 50 purses there through the years. Downtown Moline was so cool then and a big deal to ride the bus downtown (down 27th Street) after school to the library. Greg this is fun, so keep up the blog! "

---

GJ - I bought the engagement and wedding ring for Chris at Malcomb's. She bought my wedding band there. The elderly owner helped us pick out something in our price range. I did not have the cash that day, so he tossed her rings into an envelope. Chris thought that was funny. I redeemed them soon after.

---

Kris Streed commented:

"In case anyone is interested, Dr. Streed did my teeth.  :-)"

---

Linda Anderson commented:

"Hah! Did you get a discount?!"
 
---


Kris Streed commented:

"You're right Barbara, LaRose Shoppe it was and I also remember getting small bags of candy at Woolworths that had been weighed. And, I got my goldfish and a turtle there as well.  Also remember in high school Mickey Johnson bought a purple plastic ring down there and a bunch of us trooped down and also bought purple plastic rings. :-)   Loved the fountain too.  Kath, I don't remember a drug store in the 5th Ave. Bldg.--Rexall???  Linda, did you know Irene Snell?  She went to the Gospel Temple too and worked for my Dad.  Greg--you have 771 friends?  I don't know that many people!"

---

GJ - 775 now. I make it a rule - never kid about dental work - ever! :)
---
 
Kathleen Wilcox Kapetanakis commented:

"Ya know, I think it was a Rexall. Don't you all wish just once we could walk downtown Moline again like it used to be. Linda, did you grow up in Moline? It was all I knew til I moved away with husband. I think it was just friendly, small and really all we knew. "

---

6 comments:

  1. Greg and Kris,
    Wow, did you bring back some memories with some of those names. If I remember correctly, Grossman's was next to the W.T. Grant store. LaRose was next door to Farrell and Farrell Men's Wear. Fitzgibbons Men's Wear was across the street from Farrell's. Next door to the Fifth Avenue Bldg. was VanGoor's Record Shop and next door to that was Fitzgibbons. Carson's was in the Reliance Bldg. Phillips Furniture was across the street from Melo-Cream. El Pavito was pretty much next door to Melo-Cream. Ydeen's Men's Wear was on the corner across from the Shell station and Adolph's Taco House was on the corner across from Ydeen's. Remember the donut-making machine in the corner window of Kresge's? And, of course, how could one forget where you caught the bus to go up 15th Street hill... in front of Shiff's Shoes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr Thomas Carter had his office in the 5th Avenue Building until he passed away. He was my neighbor on the Rock River and good friend. I remember going to the Economy Store for jeans and in the same area as the Economy store was I think either Shinners or Skinners Meat Market. The whole place was a cooler with saw dust on the floor and chickens hanging above the meat counter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My father had his office there, too, from the mid-40s until he built his new office on 15th Street.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marsha Anderson HarveyFebruary 17, 2010 at 1:32 PM

    omg!! Talk about shaking the dust off of memories. I think it was a Rexall Drug store. Mr. Theodore Anderson (no relation to me) had a law office in the building. He lived a block from Logan grade school and he and his wife befriended lots of us kids as we were walking to and from school. He was always good for a cherry coke at the drugstore if he was in his office! I also remember that my sister and I were allowed to go downtown (each with a friend) to buy our own Easter outfits one year. She bought a blue outfit at Grossman's and I bought a yellow outfit EXACTLY like it at Goldsmith's. And, of course, we didn't know it until we got home and showed Mom our new outfits!

    ReplyDelete
  5. John, you're right about Shinner's Meat Market. And remember when Penney's was in the middle of that block? Around the corner from the Economy Store was Moline Toy and Hobby. Almost all of my Lionel train equipment came from that place. Today, it's parking lot and old bank drive-thru.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow.....a trip down memory lane! My Dr. had his office in the 5th Avenue Building before moving to 23rd Ave. Dr. Helfrich. His son, Rob, I believe was in the class of '58 or '59. I was in the class of '60. Servines lived right behind us in Crestwood Hills subdivision.

    ReplyDelete