Photographs spanning decades showing Main Street, the east side of the Gallatin, MO, business square:
Farmers Exchange Bank operated from the cupola building shown at left in this postcard photo of the east side of the Gallatin business square in 1907. Other businesses facing Main Street that can be identified include Lawrence Hardware & Implement Company, and Geo. K. Lockridge. Note the sidewalk clock at mid block, partially hidden behind the horse-drawn cart. The steeple at far right is of the Presbyterian Church.
No date and little identification can be discerned from this postcard scene of the east side of the Gallatin business square, looking north up Main Street. (date unknown)
This postcard shows businesses of Gallatin, MO, on North Main in 1909 including, from left, the office of the Gallatin Democrat (before a prominent street porch was added), express offices, and then the cupola building across Jackson Street. Dirt streets and the buggy parked along the curb are more signs of yesteryear.
Although this post card scene of the east side of the Gallatin business square is not dated, there are clues in determining the businesses shown. At far left edge is the sidewalk porch before the newspaper office of the Gallatin Democrat. The parked car appears to be of 1920s vintage. Few signs are legible until “Furniture” appears on the awning before D.H. Davis Drug Company. The most easily identified is the closest, far right: J.C. Brown’s Cafe, serving meals for 25 cents. (date unknown)
No date and little business identification can be discerned from this postcard scene of the east side of the Gallatin business square. Carn’s Bargain Store, far right, is the exception. Across Jackson Street further north (far left) is the porch of the Gallatin Democrat, built over the sidewalk on North Main Street.
Businesses on the east side of the Gallatin square facing Main Street include the U.S. Post Office with upstairs entry to W.O.W., then Lawrence-Osborn Hardware, Cable & Co. Grocery & Meat Market, McRay-Clagett Rexall Drug, and others. A sign for J.C. Brown Cafe is at the end of the block. An unusual photo of signage for the Arbelia Opera House is at the very edge of this photo.
When parking was a premium as crowds of people patronized local businesses, ample parking was achieved by allowing a center lane of parking spaces such as shown here on the east side of the Gallatin square. (ca 1937)
Businesses on the east side of the Gallatin square from left — Gallatin Post Office, W.O.W. stairway leading to Brandom Law Offices; Lawrence-Osborn Hardware Co., ?able & Co. Grocery Meat Market, McGray Clagett Rexall Drug Store, ?, ?, F.F. Wynne Jewelry, J.Clair, ?, __ Market, ?, J.C. Brown’s Cafe (sign at end of block). Across East Grand Street is the Townsend Building with a sign for Arbelia Opera House at the post card’s edge. Note the street clock behind the team of horses. Also, the ornamental building markers atop buildings, from left — 1887 Grain, 1887 Knauer, 1887 ___, Clark 1909, 1888 Hamilton, ___. ___. (date unknown but after 1909)
Busy times are evident for businesses on the east side of the Gallatin square facing Main Street. Vehicle models suggest this photo was taken circa 1960.
Businesses along Main Street on the east side of the Gallatin square include Hales Super Market, Ben Franklin, Harlow Drug, (Hass Jewelry?), Phyllis Shop, hardware store, ?, D.H. Davis Drug Company, and Binney Hardware. (circa 1965)
Hales Super Market was the dominant storefront in this picture of Main Street, the east side of the Gallatin business square (date unknown)
Hales Super Market was the dominant storefront in this picture of Main Street, the east side of the Gallatin business square (date unknown)
Businesses along Main Street on the east side of the Gallatin square, from right to left, include Dale’s Hardware, D.H. Davis Drug, JP Fashions, Antiques, The Phyllis Shop, Eilene’s Beauty Shop, Hass Jewelry, Pill Box Drug Store, Missouri Telephone Company, Hales Super Market with the cupola building marking the end of the block. (date unknown)
In 2000, as the new century began, Daviess County prepared to install new street lights around the courthouse on the business square. Eight stylized light poles were erected, two for each side of the square, on the perimeter of the courtyard. Storefronts on the east side of the square shown in background are H&R Block, Don Weaver State Farm Insurance, Eilene’s Beauty Shop, Flowers Unlimited, __, Season’s (restaurant), D.H. Davis Drug, and Corner Cafe.
By 2013 businesses facing Main Street on the east side of the Gallatin square included a Hospice office, Don Weaver State Farm Insurance, Eilene’s Beauty Slon, ?, ?, D.H. Davis Drug Company, and Dale’s Hardware.
Vacant buildings were evident on the east side of the Gallatin business square in 2013. Active in business were a hospice office, Tim Tadlock State Farm Insurance, Eilene’s Beauty Shop, Flowers Unlimited, Subway restaurant, Season’s restaurant, a clothing shop and KC Accounting, and Corner Cafe.
A public telephone was still operating at the 4-way stop on the southeast corner of the Gallatin business square in 2003. Businesses shown in this photo, from left, are Eilene’s Beauty Shop, Flowers Unlimited, Subway (sandwich shop), Seasons (restaurant), a clothing shop, KC Accounting, and Corner Cafe (partially shown).
Fire destroyed business buildings in the middle of Main Street so that by 2020 the only three retail businesses operated on the east side of the Gallatin square: Subway, Moon Mullins Family Pool Hall, and the Corner Cafe (Seasons restaurant was no longer open to the public; Fern-Thatcher Company, a leatherworks firm, operated in what previously housed a hospice care at 117 North Main, not shown).
