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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS - Thursday, May 14, 1981 - Page Five Henry Bowman Building Houses Lots Of Memories by Loren R. Webb An Italian restaurant today, a mercantile grocery store in years past; thats the old Henry Bowman building, now mm housing Pietros Restaurant, in Kanab. According to Peter J. LaCorti, present owner of the west side, the structure was built about 1901, as a general store. It boasted a Mosler safe which not' only served as storage for Bowmans valuables but also for town residents as well, as there was no other safe in town for several years. The main floor and upstairs were built with bricks, while sandstone blocks composed the basement. The blocks were sealed together with a mortar consisting of limestone and sandstone-n- o cement was used. An early picture of the building also shows a steel or iron fence stood along the front of the edifice and, Charlene and Merrill Mickelson L to R and Peter LaCorti far right discuss the history of the old Henry and Othello Bowman building, among the oldest standing in Kanab. store even boasted McAllister said Bowman, a polygamist with two wives, ran a store (whether in the present structure or another) until he fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution from the feds, during the 1880's. Before leaving, he sold to Thomas Chamberlain, also a polygamist. Chamberlain later sold to Henry's son, Othello, about 1912. The store then boasted just about everything. They had buggy whips, groceries, shoes, clothes, furniture, harnesses, blankets, as well as dry goods. The store was also a favorite hangout spot for loafers as well. McAllister remembers the back building when portion was added, a chute was built so canned goods could be slid down into the basement for storage. The ladder on which slide north or south along the wall so as to help the store clerk pull things off the wall. Merchandise was never where you could pick it up and look at it, said Wesley. "You had to ask the clerk to get it. then look at it. Upstairs, rows of shoes according to Wesley McAllister, long-tim- e resident of Kanab, a tie rack also stood out front for customers horses. The coming of the automobile replaced the racks with centrifugal force gas pumps. Gas was cheap at 21 cents a gallon. a wheels fastened to tracks were stacked against one side of the wall, while the other side consisted of blankets, clothes and congoleum. Store employees were Belle and Tone McDonald and Leo Chamberlain, son of Thomas Chamberlain. Othello About 1933-34- . Bowman went broke and the property went to ZCM1 for a time for a branch store until Merrill Tietjen bought it. Pickett Lumber of St. George then leased from Tietjen on the west side, while Dan Frost and Bemell Lewis moved in, in 1936, and leased the east side for their Modern Cash Store. The east side was added about 1924. meat They had a walk-ibox on the main floor and Mrs. Frost said meat inspectors from Salt Lake told her it was the finest meat box they'd seen in the whole state at that time, it had a wooden and not a cement floor. Most of the meat was furnished for the Parry Lodge. n Lewis was coaching football and basketball at Kanab High School. He later sold his share to Frost and went into his own meat business in 1944-45- . Frost continued to run the store until April 1974 when he died. Mrs. Frost then ran it until October of 1974. At the time Frost ran the store, he was a bachelor bishop three sears for the LDS Church in Kanab. After marrying, he was bishop for seven more sears, then stake counselor five ears, before serving as stake president 20 years. When movies came to Kanab, Forst doubled fot movie star Andy Devine in the movie "A Slave Girl." Off the camera set, Devine even introduced tourists to Dan Frost as Devines brother. There are also other stories which go with the building. LaCorti said he was told by Si Hicks that an Indian princess was actually buried where the basement now is, with gold bracelets as big as the tip of a persons finger. Whether it's true is anyones guess. Another happening, with more credibility, was a fire which charred electric wires, wooden pillars, and blackened some of the basement celling in the late 1950's. Merrill and Charlene Mickelson. who came from Richfield in 1956 to manage Bradshaw Auto Parts in the west side after Picketts moved out, said Garth Tietjen, who owned the building, had been painting and stored his paint rags and thinner in a locked the basement. started by spontaneous combustion. Lorna Shumway, an employe of Mickelsen's, remembers smoke seeping through the baseboards as does Leona Frost, whose husband was leasing the east side. Mrs. Shumway says when the Kanab volunteer fire department arrived. Fireman Roy Mackelprang. a single man at the time, wouldn't let any of the other married firemen down for fear they might not come up again. He went down instead. Mrs. Shumway said he was down for a long time before the fire was finally put out. Mrs. Frost said she and her husband later acquied both sides of the building. After they went out of business, and after Bradshaws moved out in 1973, she rented the west side for a to Chad Cram in 1974-7carpeting business. The east side remained vacant. Later some contractors moved their office in on the west side for a while, then a radio place moved in. before Sandy Wilkey moved in her Kanab storage room A in fire then 1TALIAN DIKNERSi PieW , t- SALADS l Floral. Mike Noel then filled the east side with his Kaibab Fountain, while the west remained vacant after the florist moved out. Peter LaCorti then moved in in 1976. Noel later quit last year and the east side is now vacant. LaCorti said the basement was not only used for storage, but ice was also made with an ice machine which still sits there, with ice containers used box to haul ice to the walk-in upstairs. LaCorti said while the ice machine was still in use, a compressor (still in the basement) would circulate ammonia around the water to freeze it. Nails with strings hung for jerky by Dan Frost are also still visible. The upstairs, meanwhile, now serves as living quarters for LaCortis family. Today, the Bowman building is one of the few original & Saturday 15-1- i PIZZA . SMWCf , S44Qm 6 ,17 The old Henry Bowman building, now an Italian restaurant, looks much the same as it did when it was a downtown structures standing in Kanab. You have enjoyed our Dinners for 3 years, Now try our Homemade Scones & Fritters for breakfast & sandwiches on homemade buns or salad bar for lunch the century In downtown Not Required For License As of May 12, marriage licenses in Utah will be easier to obtain for couples as no blood test for syphilis oi physical exam is required. Dorothy Norton, Kane County Cleik, said the 44th general session of the I'tah Legislature repealed the re quirement upon the recommendation of the Utah Bureau of Communicable Disease Control because the incidence of syphilis was so low that it didn't justify the cost of the serology test. Mrs. Norton said two marriage licenses were obtained in Kane County during the month of April. Peter LaCorti holds one of the original ice containers used to make Ice in the basement of the old Henry Bowman building in Kanab. The ice would Then be stored in a nearby walk-i- n box. Kanab Students Win Vocational Day Honors at SUSC Competition Kanao High School business students won honors in the Vocational Dav Competition at Southern Utah State College on April 28, 1981 Lynn Russell plated first, Tami Cox plated second Amv and Douglas Jacobs reteived honorable mention in Business Fnghsh. This team won first plate in the team event. LaRae Swallow reteived honorable mention in Business Mathines Math Kim four-memb- Now Open For Breakfast & Lunch Open 7 a.m. Monday thru Saturday of Blood Tests Fondren reteivcd excellent STEAKBSCAFOODl mercantile store at the turn Kanab. left . Potter reteived honorable mention in Filing. Trent Glazier placed second in the Free Enterprise System, Sandra Robinson reteived honorable mention in Shorthand. Georgia Chatterley plated first in Type I, Georgia Chatterley, Sylvia Mitkelson, Debbie Martin and Jamie Pugh placed second in Tvpe I team event. Tami Cox received honor-Tam- i Cox received honorable mention in Type II. Team members in all events were: Accounting Georgia Chatterley. Sylvia Mitkelson, Dawn Reed, and Craig Roberts. Allred. Kanani Wesley Brown, Colette Shumway and 1 ric Smith. Business Machines Math Dawn Reed. Craig Roberts. LaRae Swallow, Boyd Corry, Thearon Crosby, Maughn Ramsay and Tammy Waters. I Iling - Minday F.asterhng, Kim Potter, and Susan Reed. Free Enterprise System Trent Glazier, Douglas Jacobs, Deena Ott and Lynn Russell. Rosa Araniva, Shorthand Kris Potter and Sandra Robinson. Spelling Lisa Barney, Thearon Crosby and Penny Jo Kirby. Larry Clarkson, Boyd Cory and Jill Reher. Type I - Georgia Chatterley, Debbie Martin, Sylvia Mickelson, Jamie Pugh. Wesley Allred, Jill Reher, Colette Shumway and LaRae Swallow. Type - Lisa Barney, Kanani Brown and Tami Cox. Larry Clarkson, Christian Reher, and Jeff Turner were machine managers and Glen da Anderson, Cheryl Cram and Diane Jacobs were in charge of supplies and team escorting. Richard Judds Moving To Orem Richard and Nancy Judd and four children are moving back to Orem. Richard will be teaching in the Religion Department at BYU. They have spent the last four years living in Ellensburg, Washington, where Richard was Institute Director at the Western States College. If you enjoyed our Italian Food . . . Try our Steak and Seafood AC . CREAM - SANDWICHES- UKi-OL- real .ICE 5 Friday W FOUNTAIN to Mr. and Mrs. Murray and Iris Masterson, Kanab, grandparents of L. to R. Pauline, Halona and Darlene Welcome Race Fans Come as you are Bob & Nita West 644-574- 4 Reservations Accepted Siufanua, formerly of Kanab, are proud of their granddaughters, who have been active in several events in Hawaii, where they now live. Pauline has been accepted as a national honor student. A student cheerleader at Kahuku Red Raiders, she will receive a week of professional cheerleading school. Darlene is of the Showcase Hawaii at the BYU College at Laie, while Halcna is in Kindergarten, learning the Hawaiian language. Parents are Talive and Elaine Siufanua, formerly of Kanab. LUTHERAN CHURCH SERVICES Pastor Da'e Schu'tz Service Worship Sunday 6 30 p m KANAB CREEK RANCHOS FIREHOUSE dinners Italian. fiesdaurant and Bell |