Like Douglas Street Pierce Street, from 3rd St to 7th also has a walking tour. The street scenes & buildings shown in the walking tour guide date back as far as 1885. Much has changes since then but some of the buildings still stand today & are still being used. As in the previous post about the Douglas Street Walking Tour I will show what building used to be on the corners & what building or parking lot is there now or if the building is still there. This tour starts at the intersection of Pierce & 3rd Streets & goes north to Pierce & 7th Streets.
Enjoy:
Here is the map with which to start the tour. You can download a printer friendly version of it if you would like:
Pierce Street Walking TourOn the Southwest corner of 3rd & Pierce was the Red Owl Grocery Store. The store was there from 1958 to 1982. From 1982 to 2008 the Siouxland Senior Center used the building. The senior center has now moved further west to an old Hy-Vee Food Store building. As I mentioned before in the Douglas Street post the senior center moved because of the new hotel now being built at this corner today.
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Red Owl Grocery Store/Parking Lot c. 1958Photo of corner today:
On the Northwest corner of 3rd & Pierce used to be the Moore & Shenkberg Grocer Company. The building was built in 1915. It is no longer there. What is there now is a parking lot for Vantus Bank.
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Moore & Shenkberg Grocer Company c. 1915Photo of what is there today:
Here is what the City View looking Southeast from between 3rd & 4th streets used to look like:
City View c. 1918Here is what it looks like today:
One block north from 3rd at 4th & Pirece on the Southwest corner used to stand the Davidson Brother's Department Store. On that corner now is Vantus Bank, the same bank with the parking lot on the Northwest corner of 3rd & Pierce.
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Davidson Brother's Department Store c. 1930Photo of the corner today:
On the Sortheast corner of 4th & Pierce was the Northwestern National Bank building. Aftger the bank moved out it was then a drug store then a really great sandwhich shop called Little Chicago Deli. Now it is the parking lot for Central Bank. The original building has been torn down. Little Chicago Deli moved one block east & across the street. This happened with the last 10 years.
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Northwestern National Bank c. 1909Photo of corner today:
Further up about half way between 4th & 5th Streets on the west side of Pierce was the old Pelletier's Department Store. I do not think the building is there any more but another one is in it's place. Link:
Pelletier's Department Store c. 1930Here is a photo of the building there now:
About half way between 4th & 5th Streets on the east side of Pierce was the Hills (Taylor) Block. Here is what the building looked like in 1916:
Hills (Taylor) Block c. 1916 I have a photo of this area but the buildings look different. I am not going to post the pic until I know for sure this is what the buildlings look like now, or if this is the buildings that replaced these in the link.
At the Southeast corner of 5th & Pierce was the Richardson Block. It was built in 1885 & housed many companies. It was razed the 1940's. Link:
Richardson Block c. 1916Now it the M&M Copy Quick building that is there.
Photo:
On the Southwest corner was the Continental Bank (Iowa Building), built in 1889. The building there now is an eye care office. Link:
Continental Bank (Iowa Building) c. 1925Current photo:
At the Northwest corner of 5th & Pirece was the First National Bank building. The only part of the bank that remains to day is actually at 5th & Douglas. The building there now is the US Bank building, which was formally Firstar Bank.
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First National Bank c. 1925Photos:
At the Northeast corner was the Garretson Hotel. This building was destroyed by fire in 1914. in 1925 the Frances building was built & is still there today.
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Garretson Hotel c. 1910Frances Building c. 1925Photo:
At the Northwest corner of 6th & Pierce was the War Eagle Building. It was razed in the mid 1970's & the building that is now the Wilbur Alfs Library was built.
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War Eagle Building c. 1923Photo:
On the Southeast corner used to be the Woodbuy County Courthouse. It is now at the corner of 7th & Douglas. The building on the Southeast corner of 6th & Pierce is now the One of the Crown Jewels of Sioux City, Iowa. The Orpheum Theater. It was once a Vaudville Theater in the 1920's & 1930's. Over time it was turned into a movie theater & the 2nd floor balcony was blocked off. It fell into disrepair & was closed. In the late 1990's a restoration effort was made to turn the theater back into it's original beauty. I am proud to say I was part of the restoration project. The Orpheum is truely a Jewel of the city. It is now used for both movies & live productions. We are very proud of it.
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Woodbury County Courthouse c. 1889Orpheum Theater c. 1939Orpheum TheaterPhoto's:
On the Northwest corner of 6th & Pierce is the Trimble Block (Security National Bank), which today is the Security National Bank building.
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Trimble Block (Security National Bank) c. 1915Photo:
On the Northeast corner of 6th & Pierce is the Davidson Office Building. This building along with the Scottish Rite Temple & the Woodbury County Courthouse was designed by William L. Steele.
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Davidson Office Building c. 1915Photo:
Sioux City at one time had Corn Palaces built. In fact Sioux City was home of the original Corn Palaces before Mitchell, South Dakota ever thought about building theirs. they spanned Pierce St on 6th in the late 1800's.
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The World's First Corn Palaces c. 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891On the west side of Pierce between 6th & 7th Streets is the Williges Women's Wear and Furs building.
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Williges Women's Wear and Furs c. 1970Photo:
The first Young Men's Christian Association was on the Northwest corner of 7th & Pierce. The 2nd was built on Nebraska & was closed this year in favor of the new Siouxland Y in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The building on the Northwest corner today is the Pioneer Bank Building.
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Young Men's Christian Association c. 1910Photo:
Finally on the Pierce Street Walking Tour is the Insurance Exchange Building. It is located on the Northeast corner of 7th & Pierce.
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Insurance (Exchange) Centre c. 1925Photo:
Well that is it for this walking tour. I hope you enjoy it. I have both walked & rode it by bicycle as well. Next will be the Nebraska Street walking Tour.
