Things in Downey That Aren't There Anymore -- #1  by Hugh T. Hoskins

For those of you who may have visited this page before,
 please be aware that it has been RE-ORDERED to read from north to south and west to east,
  in typical map fashion.

Please forward any corrections or additions to ...
           dowtech@verizon.net

== Downey Ave - South from 6-th St. - West Side
- Service station - burned in a big historic fire; replaced by the Church.
- Catholic Church - O.L.P.H.   - still there

== Downey Ave - South from 6-th St. - East Side -
-
-
- Sachs' Ford, Mercury, Lincoln dealership
   Later Sachs and Sons, but widow Sachs had NO children.

== Downey Ave - South from 5-th St. - West Side -
- Methodist Church   - still there
- Downey Judicial District Court House
- Olson's Surveying
- So.Cal.Edison

== Downey Ave - South from 5-th St. - East Side ___
- Service Station

== Downey Ave - South from 4-th-St - West Side. ___
- Harry Wilhelm-  Chiropractor
- The Downey Cafe
- Coy's Barber shop -  later by his son "Kid Coy"
- Coy's Sporting Goods
- County Library (librarian: Elizabeth Bryson, wife of Postmaster John Bryson)
- Millers, Meis, McComb Mortuary

== Downey Ave - South from 4-th-St. (LaVilla) - East Side ___
- Flying-A Service Station
-
- Yankee Doodle Cafe
- Meralta Theater
- Covey's Auto Parts
- Safeway Market - prop:Mr.Durham (w/dtr.Connie DHUS'53)
- Safeway Parking Lot

== Downey Ave - South from 3rd St. - West Side ___
- Downey Masonic Temple upstairs over store fronts; entrance off of 3-rd St.
- Pulley's Drugstore - typical mid-40's pharmacy with soda fountain-- owned by Guy Pulley;
     Guy was a brother of Leamon, but there seemed not to be much of family closeness.
- The LiveWire Newspaper - owned by K.C. and Fanny Weiss
- Downey Department Store
- Western Auto Supply
- Briggs Candy and ice cream.
- Wallar's Appliance
- Zella Brumley's ladies clothes

== Downey Ave - South from 3rd St. - East Side ___
-
- Victory Theater - the Avenue Theater(after WW2)  (possibly one time the Downey Thester)
- Steck's Hardware - owned by Mr.Stecklin
- The Freezer Cafe
- Bob's Billiards
- Johnny's Pool Hall
- Bean and Wheeler's Appliance
- Downey Hotel (annex) - upstairs over store fronts; access was off 2nd St.

== Downey Ave - South from 2nd St. - West Side __
- Bank Of America - on s.w. cor at 2-nd St. - thick walled; manager at one-time Malcolm Baker.
- Ben Franklin Store - prop:Hyman Bortnick  (son Neil opened Neil's Stationers elsewhere)
- Downey Hardware - owned and/or operated by Herbert Douglas
- Preston's Pharmacy - typical mid-40's pharmacy with soda fountain.
- Home Boys Market - typical mid-40's market with butcher shop.
  	Offices upstairs - accountants, etc., and the Dewey-Warren 1948 campaign headquarters.
- Home Bakery - lovely bread and sweet rolls; first time I ever saw a bread-slicing machine.
- Marie's Lounge (once co-owned by Gorgeous George the wrestler,
                    who used to drive thru Downey in his pink Caddy)
- 101 Cafe - on the n.w.corner at Forestone;
     it was NOT named for U.S.Highway 101 as some have claimed,
          rather 101 was its address before the County re-numbering circa 1946.

== Downey Ave - South from 2-nd-St. - East Side ___
- Krueger's Shoe store - prop Carl Alfred Krueger
          evolved from a prior harness and then shoe repair business.
- Downey Pharmacy - typical mid-40's pharmacy with soda fountain  - owned by Leamon Pulley.
- Downey Hotel - upstairs over store fronts; owned by Mr.Hogan
- Leo's Men's Shop - typical mid-40's haberdashery; prop:Leo Strassburger.
- Mode O'Day dress shop
- an Alley - through to Dolan St.
- Mannino's Shoe Repair
- Potashnick's Mens Store
- Harold's Jewelry
- IOOF Lodge and meeting hall upstairs
- A department store with a family name.
- Radford's Cafe  - typical mid-40's cafe with soda fountain; prop:Radford Walker

== Downey Ave - South from Firestone - West Side
- Mobil Oil Station - on s.w.cor -- owned at one time by Lee Richard Dickerson
     who was a long-time member of the School Board and Secretary of the Masonic Lodge.
- Feed and Lumber
- Grain and Milling

== Downey Ave - South from Phlox - West Side
- Fire Station - on the corner  L.A.County then Downey City
    had an air-raid siren on top povered by a big Chrysler gasoline engine
     controlled by a radio signal from "headquarters"; occasional false alarms.

== Downey Ave - South from Firestone - East Side
- Nash Deaker - later Buick Dealer - then Calif.Bank
- Clyde Downing's Auto Repair (Clyde DUHS

------------------------------------------

== Firestone Blvd - East from Rives - South Side
-
- Mandala's Liquor   prop:Mandala family  (w/son Mark DUHS'54)
-
- Herald-Express distribution office (mgr: Mr.Griffith)
- Barnett's Radio TV & Appliance
- Cafe  many names,  then Pops, then ...
- L & S Gasoline  prop:Gerald Litsey and Mr.Stevenson
    - one pump was crank to fill glass reservoir and then gravity drain to car's tank.

== Firestone Blvd - East from Rives - North Side
- Foster's Freeze(?)
-
- Cafe/Bar  - prop:stepfather of Delma Walls(DUHS'51)
      (family lived in red frame house on 2nd St over the back fence)
- Port Mar Seafood Restaurant
-
- Paramount Chevrolet's Used Cars

== Firestone Blvd - East from Paramount - South Side
- Paramount Chevrolet - New Car dealership and service
- Trailer Park - prop:Frank Woodward
- Trenery & Moore Cabinet Shop
-
- Studebaker Dealership - later DutchBoy Paint

== Firestone Blvd - East from Paramount - North Side
-
- Hot Spot Cafe
- Russel's Bike Shop  - still there
-

== Firestone Blvd - East from Myrtle St - South Side
- Corner Market  -prop: SamAdragna and wife Bessie (w/son Joe(DUHS'51))
- Liquor store   -prop: Adragna family
- Big vacant lot where the Carnival used to set up when it came to town
- Charles Pace Photography
- L.S.Puls     (the DUHS'53 class sweaters came from there)
-
- last bldg on corner at LaReina was an unfinished pre-WW2 shell
      vacant for MANY years - then furniture - then Neil's Stationers

== Firestone Blvd - East from Myrtle St - North Side
- Service Station  - Signal Oil(?)
- Chrysler Dealership
- Clayton's Automotive
-
- Curry's Ice-Cream Parlor

== Firestone Blvd - East from LaReina St - South Side
- Sontag Drug Store - with a lunch-counter/soda-fountain   - later Owl-Rexall
- J.C.Penny's     - with wires & pulleys to take cash to the office
- J.J.Newberry's  - with pneumatic tubes to take cash to the office

== Firestone Blvd - East from LaReina St - North Side
- Dr. Altig's office & residence

== Firestone Blvd - East from New St - South Side
- Van DeKamps Bakery
- Roth's Market - later Liberty Market
- Mobil Station

== Firestone Blvd - East from New St - North Side
-
-
- 101 Cafe

== Firestone Blvd - East from Downey Ave. - South Side
- Car Dealer
- Downey Lumber

== Firestone Blvd - East from Downey Ave. - North Side
- Radford's Coffee Shop
-
- Firestone Store (tires & auto accessories)
- Humphrey's Harmony House
-
- All American Market   (burned on NewYear's Day 19__?)  - later AllAmerican HomeCenter

== Firestone Blvd - East from Dolan St. - South Side
- Buick Dealer  - moved from a block west then to BuenaPark
- Orange Packing House
- Bowling Alley
- Burger Joint

== Firestone Blvd - East from Dolan St. - North Side
-
-

== Firestone Blvd - East from Church St. - South Side
-
- Service Station
- Orange Blossom Trailer Park - prop: Hayden family (w/ Robert (DUHS'51) & Alice'53)
- Downey Dodge

== Firestone Blvd - East from Church St. - North Side
- DOWNEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL   - with the best Gym and Auditorium in town!	
-

----------------------
== Dolan St. - South from 2nd St - East Side
- Dolan Donuts  - run by the Laubach family (dtr.Marilyn of DUHS'53)
-

== Dolan St. - South from Firestone - East Side
-
- Old Fire House with Dentist Office above


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other things further out _ _
  (ALL still a work in progress - any assistance will be appreciated)
- White Front discount store - s.e.cor. Imperial and Woodruff
- U-Disco   discount store   - n.e.cor. Imperial and Bellflower
- Archery Lanes  - e.of.s.e.cor.of Imperial & Bellflower
- Red Star Fertilizer - n.w.cor.of Imperial & Bellflower
- Bus Depot  2nd & New (Holbrook Transit & Downey Manor Bus Co's.; Whittier, too)
- Gay Dog  (hot dogs etc)  e.of.n.e.cor. Gallatin & Lakewood
- Community Pharmacy   - next to GayDog
- Chrysler Dealer on n.e.cor. Gallatin & Lakewood - had circular ramp.
- Miniature Golf  n.e.cor. 3rd & Paramount - owner lived upstairs
- Miniature Golf  w.of s.w.cor. Old River & Firestone
- Silver Saddle Restaurant   - w.of.nw.cor.of OldRiver & Florence prop: Lyle Williams
               later Raffles which was associated w/ TamO'Shanter in LosFelix area)
- Hearth Restaurant  w.of.n.w.cor. Tweedy and Florence
- Regency Restaurant - s.w.cor. Wiley-Burke and Firestone
- Pleasant Pheasant Restaurant - w.of.s.w.cor.of OldRiver & FLorence
- Marmac's Restaurant - all-you-can eat PrimeRib = just e.of s.e.cor of Lakeweed And Florence
                  (price was $2.50 when they opened)
- Downey Lincoln - s.w. cor. Gallatin & Lakewood
- Downey Ford    - s.e. cor. Gallatin & Lakewood
- Sultan Car Wash  - Imperial and Lakewood
- Sambo's Restaurant - later a Baker's Square
- Water Tower on so.Dolan  - n.of.Davis  apx 11515 Dolan
- Valley Florist - (later Stats Floral, like Moskatell's) -
                            s.e.cor. Hall and Lakewood
- Bigsby's Guitars - Phlox St.
- Jess Coates Blacksmithing - Phlox St.
- All American Nut Co.  prop:John Ritchie family, later his son Bill
- Boand Daly Lumber
- VanMater-Manning Lumber just s.of.s.w.cor.of Paramount and Firestone
- Southeast News
- Downey Livewire
- Downey Champion
- Herald American
- Southern Pacific Railroad Station w/ Railway Express and Western Union
- Country Butcher at w.end of Alameda on Paramount.
- Craun's Market - n.w.cor Cole and Paramount                              
- Mr. K's Hardware - w.side of Paramount at Alameda
- Rasin Market #1 & #2
- Gallatin Market / Gallatin Meats (Jim Mraz)
- Duck Farm on e.side of Lakewood at Cleta
- Courthouse - s.e.cor.of 3rd St & LaReina
- Library - s.w.cor.of 3rd St & New St.
- Memory House Restaurant   - Downey Ave
- Pink Carousel Restaurant  - Florence Ave
- Downey Pet Shop 812n 2nd St.
- Corn Crib - abt.832n 2nd St, just w.of the Telco; RadarCooked Hotdogs & PopCorn
- Los Nietos Valley Ice Co. - n.e.cor.of 4th and New - prop:Corkum then s.i.law Benj'm D'Corbin
- Alley Lumber - on w.side of Lakewood at Bellflower - became NAA bldg then Coke plant
- PDQ Gas Station (w/Pelican) - s.w.cor. 2nd & New
- U.S.Post Office (THICK walls; draft board in bsmt) - s.e.cor. 2nd & LaReina

- Bouge-Maikson Lumber just s.of SPRR on w.side of Downey Ave.
- Ritchie's DriveIn (w/car hops) - just w.of.n.w.cor.of Rives and Firestone
       (may have been an A&W before/during/after).
- Wonder Bowl - bankruptcy left it to AMF and it folded - then Albertson's & McD's
- Harvey's Broiler - then Johnie's Broiler, used cars, a Bob's Big Boy
- Cook's Drive-In - just e.of.n.e.cor. of  Paramount and Imperial
        (also a restaurant/cafe associated with it very nearby)
- Henry's, Burger Garden -  just e.of.s.e.cor. Paramount and Imperial
      need to get firm location and were they all the same?
- xx Drive-In on Firestone e.of Woodruff
- Chris & Pitt's bbq Restaurant - just n.of the nw.corner of Paramount & Imperial
- Uncle Gabriel's Log Cabin restaurant - just.n.of Brookmill on w.side of Pmt.

---
Ugene’s Bar and Grill - SE corner of Firestone and Woodruff.
The Downey Hofbrau (later The Outhouse) - just south of the SW corner of Woodruff and Washburn
Tasso’s Burgers - which later became Frisco's
Lloyd’s Smorgasbord - SE corner of Woodruff and Washburn
Col. Sanders KFC - just south of SW corner of Woodruff and Washburn
Stan's Patio - across from Woodruff Jr. High
The Keg - just south of SE corner of Woodruff and Washburn
Norm Reeves Honda Repair on Firestone kitty corner from McDonalds which was originally Burger King
Mohawk Gas Station - on U-Disco property NE corner of Bellflower and Imperial Hwy.
Mohawk Gas Station - NE corner of Hall and Lakewood Blvd.
Orange Julius - just south of Carls Jr. near SE corner Lakewood and Firestone
Firelake Carwash -  just south of SE cor Lakewood & Firestone
The PowWow Restaurant and Saloon - NE corner of Firestone and Lakewood
The FirewaterRoom (remnant of the PowWow) - same location
5 Brothers Burgers - NE corner Firestone and Lakewood
Union 76 Station - SW cor Lakewood and Firestone
MinuteMan Cafe - just s.of Union 76 Station with which it was affiliated;
        later a Licorice Pizza..

Don's Market - NE cor. of Paramount & Florence
Burbeck's Automotive - n.of NE cor. of Paramount & Florence; now a BurgerKing
Von's Market- n.of NW cor. of Paramount & Florence


// "The Clock" Drive-Ins were not in Downey; they were nearby ...
    - Norwalk: e.cor.of the point at Imperial and Paramount
    - Lynwood: s.e.cor.of Imperial and Atlantic
    - Bell: somewhere

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When my family came to Downey in Sept 1943, there was only one traffic light;
  it was at the corner of Lakewood & Firestone.
 All other busy intersections only had STOP signs.