by Jerry Flook, Garland Historian
Published in the Garland-Rowlett Messenger, October 2010
Main Street, now located on the southside of the Historic Square, was originally known as Embree Street. Embree was one of the two railroad towns that combined to form Garland in 1887. The name shown on the plat is Neam Street, but the source of that name is unknown, no one of that surname having been identified in Garland, or even in Texas, in that time period. At first it was simply a local street terminating at the Santa Fe railroad at one end and what is presently Ninth Street on the other end.
In 1914 it became part of the route of Texas Highway 1, which connected Texarkana and El Paso. Then in 1919 the entire route of Texas 1 was incorporated into the famous Bankhead Highway, America’s second (debatably first) transcontinental all-weather auto route, extending from Washington, D.C., to San Diego. In 1926 the name Bankhead Highway was officially discontinued in favor of the designation U.S. Highway 67, but the Bankhead name continued to be used locally until well into the 1950s. In June of this year [2010] an Official Texas Historical marker recognizing the significance of the Bankhead Highway to the economic development of Garland was erected on the south side of the plaza, facing Main Street. [This marker is now on Main Street across from Roach Feed and Seed, near the Big Hat]
The first commercial building built on the south side of the Historic Square is believed to have been M. D. Williams General Merchandise (1896) at the southeast corner, now Sixth Street. Williams and H. W. Jones across the Square were Garland’s earliest undertakers. The Williams building apparently survived the Fire of 1899, which razed most of the rest of Garland’s business district. Fire eventually took that building in 1902. Between 1906 and 1911 Williams erected three brick structures on the site. Those buildings still lie beneath the facade now combining the three Williams buildings at the west end of the block. Beginning in 1920 Williams devoted his business wholly to undertaking.
In 1931 the Williams facade was modernized in the Spanish Eclectic style popular at that time, and still evident despite subsequent remodelings. That same year Williams built a new mortuary at the corner of what is now Glenbrook and Main, also in the Spanish Eclectic style, which recently became part of the First Christian Church complex.
Other occupants of the Williams row have over the years included W. H. Roach Grocery (1920s), Billingsley Meats (1940s), Safeway Grocery (1940s), and Worthington Variety (1950s). The third Williams building from the corner has been home of Cruce’s Dry Goods (1940s). and Payne Drugs (1950s-1970s). Payne’s lunch counter was for several years the number one lunch spot for downtown business folk. On a personal note, I remember that a phone call from my grandmother would bring a Payne’s delivery of hand-packed vanilla ice cream.
Just east of the old Payne’s location is a building constructed in 1911 which first housed Garland Hardware and later Walton’s Variety (c. 1916). Probably the longest occupant of that building, however, was Powell Dry Goods (1917-1950s). Powell was followed for a few years by Hunt’s Department Store.
The lot now occupied by Baker Furniture’s two story brick was originally the site of Naylot Furniture and Hardware, a frame structure destroyed by the same 1902 fire that destroyed the Williams buildings. Also destroyed just east of Naylor’s were Pace & Lyles Livery Stable, Martin’s Saddle Shop, a meat market, the Garland News office, Graham’s restaurant, Erwin’s barbershop, and Joyce Jewelry Company.
The two story Baker building was originally erected by banker T. N. Hickman in 1911. The first floor early on was occupied by grocery and drug stores. The upper floor was used as an “opera hall” and public auditorium. In 1932 Baker Hardware moved to the north side of the Square into this building. In 1952, A.M. Baker, founder of the business, had the floor of the second story raised to make way for inserting another floor above the first, in effect creating a three-story building. In 1981 the Bakers discontinued their hardware operation and specialized exclusively in furniture.
The building adjacent to the two story building was built in 1911 and was first occupied by the Garland News. Sometime around 1919 it became a drug and jewlery store. In later years it was the location of Weir’s Drugs and by 1947, Garland Pharmacy. In the late 1950s it became a furniture store. To its east, now housing the Ivy Cottage, is a building also probably erected around 1911 which early on was Souter’s Cafe and Hoffard’s Bakery. In 1944 it was Bradley’s Restaurant and by 1945, the Texan Theater, at that time Garland’s third movie house, along with the Plaza Theater and the Gar-Tex Theater (now the location of R-Delta Engineering father west on Main Street). As I recall, the Gar-Tex and the Texan were known for their western serials on Saturday afternoons.
The building on the east end of the block, now occupied by Garland Furniture, was built in 1946 by Joe T. Wood, a local auto dealer. Prior to construction of that building, a service station owned by Haskell Monroe occupied that corner, which is now the intersection of Fifth and Main Streets.