Floral shops conclude the series on lot 10

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
With Leonard Cash
 
In this week’s installment of “History on Main,” historian Leonard Cash continues his series on lot 10 and the various businesses that occupied that building. Once home to mercantile establishments and clothing stores, Cash focuses this week on the
floral shops that operated from lot 10. 
According to an article from the July 15, 1948, edition of the News Letter Journal, Newcastle Floral Shop was opening at the end of the month in the former C.H. Ward residence, which was west of the high school (Cash said at the time, the high school was located on Seneca street). Mary Harris and her daughter Selma Lewis from Denver were operating the shop, and they brought a wide range of experience. Harris was a member of the Order of Eastern Star of Colorado, and both she and Lewis were “inactive members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club.” 
By Nov. 10, 1949, the floral shop was moved to block 10, next to Castle Theater in the former Wallack Department store building. At the grand opening on Nov. 12, the lady guests were to receive a
free rose.
But that wasn’t the only business moving in. 
The Nov. 17, 1949, paper announced that Grieves Insurance and Real Estate Co. was moving into the
floral shop. 
“Everyone is cordially invited to stop in and visit them at any time,” the
article says. 
The next two articles in Cash’s records give us an update on some of the former businessmen that occupied the building. The Jan. 1, 1953, issue reported that the Olingers sold their Lusk business to E.L. McKnight and wife, and the Sept. 17, 1953, paper said that O.M.
Duckett, former Wallack manager, was moving to Missoula, Montana. 
Around April 15, 1954, a new member joined the floral staff. Manager Martha Sorenson announced the arrival of Al Gordon, who was an experienced florist in various states, such as Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Iowa and in “several prominent flower shops in other parts of the country.” 
By that summer, the store also had a new owner. The July 8, 1954, paper reported that Lenora Sundstrum and Cora Johnson purchased the shop, and Sundstrum was attending a floral arrangement course
in Denver. 
Eight years later, Sundstrum and Johnson sold the business to James Smith and his wife, Audrey, according to the Oct. 4, 1962, issue of the News Letter Journal, who would use the building to operate their Pine Grove Greenhouse. 
An article from April 2, 1964, announced that Pine Grove moved out and Norine Tate and Jean Koski started their floral shop but changed the name to “Forget-Me-Not Floral and Gift” and were attending their first florist school in Denver. They planned on continuing “to operate the Western Union office in connection with the floral shop,” which was where they were employed before. Tate also owned Mary Ann Drive-In, and Koski worked for Pioneer Construction. Meanwhile, Smith was to continue to operate the
Pine Grove Greenhouse from her home.  
On Jan. 14, 1965, the paper reported that Koski sold her interest to Tate, but by April 8, 1965, Hugh Johnson and his wife bought the business and changed the name back to Newcastle Floral,
according to an article from Jan. 27, 1966. 
The March 13, 1969, issue of the Journal announced that the business was sold to Patricia Smith, who was attending the Cliff Man Floral School in Denver, and her son Rod. Not only was the store under new management, but it was also moved to a new location, according to the March 13, 1969, paper. Although unsure, Cash said he believes that the business was operated in the former Weston County Drug Store next to Perkins’ Tavern, when the Bermans owned it. Don Berman Jr. bought it, according to the Jan. 3, 1974, issue of the paper, after his wife, Barb, was employed at the shop for four of the years that the Smiths owned it (later, the Aug. 5, 1976, paper said that Dale Weick of Rapid City purchased and remodeled
the shop).
An article from Oct. 30, 1975, reported that, once again, lot 10 would be home to a clothing store when Lavina Shook opened Country Castle Shop as a ladies and junior apparel store, which at the time, was next to Newcastle Drug. Shook was putting a Kiddie Corner in her store for newborns and kids up to 6 years old. 
The grand opening was held on Nov. 6, 1975, and the store’s hours were set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday
through Saturday.  
The next article in Cash’s records comes from the Jan. 10, 1985, issue, when Rick’s Trading Post began. At the time, it was located next to the Howdy Drive-In, but this antiques and secondhand store eventually moved to lot 10, although Cash couldn’t recall the exact date.
Following Rick’s, Kirby Vacuum Cleaner, and Newcastle Zoo (a place where animals were sold) sold their wares in the building until the 1998 fire destroyed it, causing the “zoo” to lose some of its animals. However, Cash will cover more details on that when he pulls out his records on the fire in future installments of “History on Main.” 
That concludes the series on lot 10, and next week, Cash will begin with lot 11, which intertwines with the history of this series due to the tri-unit structure of the building, so more details will be given on the history of
McCrea Mercantile.