(The following was written by Paul Grossman and is reprinted from “Reflections II”, a collection of local stories available at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. Any opinions made in the article are from the author.)

My dad, Herman Grossman, Sr., was inaugurated Mayor of Grove City January 1, 1928 and, during that summer, a new main dtreet was built through town. A base concrete was poured, then bricks were dropped and a coat of asphalt was layered over the top. The completion was the first week of September and a street opening celebration and homecoming was held. I think that this was the first of the celebrations. The main street was blocked from Columbus Street to Kingston Avenue for the affair.

The following is as much as I can remember from the early twenties. We will start at Kingston Avenue on the east side of Broadway, and go north.

The Presbyterian church is on the corner. Next is the Township Trustee house. Then there is Mr. Carl Willert’s residence. Then there is Carl Willert’s dry goods store. Then, Mr. William Neff’s home, who is a retired livestock buyer. There is an old brick house next to the Doty and Denton Funeral Home. The Mark Hugonoit home, the William Flach home and then came the little white building, the library. Across the alley stood the Elias White home (my grandfather) and behind that the White Livery Stable. In the olden days, the stagecoach horses were put up there. The Otto Galle’s grocery was next and then first gasoline pump in Grove City. The “Cozy Corner” Restaurant operated by D.C. Lawless, the Rolla White Goods Store and then the Elias white building occupied by the H.G. Grossman hardware store, an automobile sales agency, and in back, a garage and post office.

Next, we cross Park Street to the Ketter and Endres saloon and hotel. (This is where the stagecoach passengers stayed in rooms upstairs.) We move north to the Otto Hensel garage, the M.V. Kegg grocery store (the first licensed whiskey agency), the original telephone exchange a building owned by G.J. Meyer that housed the Kroger Grocery and the Urlin Barbee Store. Across the alley we had the Jacob Galle Saloon, the Jacob Galle home, Sawyer and Sells restaurant (Ruth Jividend’s parents), and the First National Bank. Across Columbus Street, Irvin Trapp operated a Linco Service Station. A small brick house was the Edelman home and shoe repair shop. Further north was the Harley Ford agency, and across another alley was the Art Breckenridge double, which later would become the site of the Norris Funeral Home. More houses, include the home of Ray Grant, a lumber salesman, Nan Donaldson’s home where a small stream ran across the road (since has been covered). Mrs. Donaldson was the wife of Sterle Donaldson founder of The Donaldson Baking Co., who ran bakery trucks around Grove City streets selling baked goods. Next, the McGregor Home. The large red tile home was Jap Stump’s place. Later, it became known as Elinor Inn, it was named after one of Stump’s daughters. It also became a boarding house.

(The continuation of this story in the next blog entry.)