From collection Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Company Collection
LB2007.1.72035
"City Drug Store", Shops, "Edison (Record Shop)", "William L. Luce, Inc.", "Ralph D. Southworth", Downtown View of Main Street looking toward the waterfront. On the left is City Drug. The proprietors of City Drug in 1923 were Norman Read and Maine Hills (both natives of Belfast), both with a wealth of experience in the drug business. In the rear of the store was the laboratory, equipped with every modern device and safeguard to ensure promptness and accuracy in the compounding prescriptions and family medicines. In the store you would find the best values in toilet articles and preparations. Sick room requisites and hospital supplies, guaranteed rubber goods were carried here as well as Rexall products. One of the pleasing features of this pharmacy is the splendid soda fountain, at which was dispensed the purest and most wholesome summer beverages, ice cream, sundaes and other popular confections. A choice line of the freshest candy and leading brands of cigars and cigarettes made this store a popular headquarters. Also on the left is Fred D. Jones' store featuring Edison Records. This store carried many household necessities such as kitchenware, wallpapers, glassware, garden books, dinner sets, etc.. On the second floor was the department for Edison Phonographs of all styles. Edison, Victor and Columbia machines and records were carried as well as some sheet music. Mr. Jones was been in business for many years, coming to Belfast from Brooksville. He added "& Sons" to the business name even though the sons were just kiddies. This way they could grow up in the business if they desired. Crossing the street at the intersection of High & Main Streets is the Masonic Temple Building (featuring the prominent tower at its corner). The partial destruction of the original Masonic Hall, by an accidental fire on the evening of May 24, 1875, induced a movement for more spacious accommodations, which resulted in the incorporation, by the Legislature of 1876, of the Masonic Temple Association of Belfast, for the purpose of procuring a lot and erecting a Masonic building thereon. Early the next year, sufficient subscriptions warranted the purchase of the lot at the corner of Main and High streets, for $7500, and in June, ground for the foundation of the present Masonic Temple was broken. The building was completed in 1878. It is 83½ feet long on High Street, and 54 feet wide on Main Street. It is three stories high, surmounted by a mansard roof, and has a tower at the northwest corner. The material is brick, with freestone trimmings. The whole structure is supplied with water, steam, and gas. There are three stores on High Street, first occupied by Charles Henry Mitchell, confectioner; Cyrus R. Davis, groceries, and Carle & Mansfield, dry goods dealers. The adjoining corner store, having entrances on both streets, was taken by Horace Eugene McDonald, jeweler; and that below on Main Street by Ferguson & Rackliff, milliners. The second story was devoted to offices, and the third and fourth to the Masonic Fraternity, whose hall proper, at the south end, is 46½ by 40½ feet, and 21½ feet high. George M. Harding was the architect of the building, and Israel Wood Parker the builder. Charles Henry Bray was master of the brickwork. The cost of the structure, including the land, was about $35,000. On the 4th of July, 1879, the building was dedicated by the Grand Lodge of Maine, on which occasion ten thousand visitors were in the city. In this image the Waldo Trust Company occupies the ground floor at the corner of the building. The Waldo Trust Co. of Belfast was organized March 22, 1901 and from its conception, due to careful study of conditions and its soundly conservative progression, had made a remarkable record in Maine banking circles. The trustees of the institution were all successful businessmen. The treasurer, Charles H. Hubbard, actively in charge of the bank's affairs was a man of broad experience in banking investments He was with the Bangor Savings Bank for 25 years and with the National City Company of New York. The Waldo Trust Company had branches in Unity and Brooks and an agency in Castine. Rounding the corner and heading back up Main Street one can see, first, the A. (Asa) A. Howes Company which carried a large supply of stock in the line of staple and fancy groceries as well as provisions, fruits, vegetables and creamery items. Their canned, bottled and jarred goods are from world known suppliers. Tea and coffee are procured directly from the importers. They had a large selection of everyday items as well as table luxuries. Besides the grocery department, one side of the store was devoted to drugs. A well-stocked line of drugs was carried as well as druggist's and sick room supplies. They also handled a fine line of perfumes, toilet articles, soaps, etc. The laboratory was provided with every safeguard to insure accuracy in charge of registered pharmacists. Next is James Howes (son of Asa Howes) dry goods store, one of the most prosperous department stores in Maine. Every department in the store was fully stocked with everything that appealed to the feminine eye and heart, featuring Ladies Home Journal patterns. In their ready-to-wear department one would find suits, coats of all weights, dresses of all kinds, from the simple morning smock to elaborate evening gowns. Mr. Howes carried the famous Wooltex coats and suits and always had a smart variety of styles to please the different tastes of his customers. Mr. Howes was especially particular about his staple lines which had real qualities such as hosiery, underwear, yard goods, blankets, cottons and linens. Mr. Howes was formerly a member of the firm of A. A. Howes & Co., grocers and druggists, before going into the dry goods business. Next is the business of William L. Luce, Inc. To its right is Ralph D. Southworth's store. "As I recall, the store (Southworth's)sold all types of clothing, mostly from quality suppliers of the period, stuff like Hart, Schaffner & Marx. At the time, My grandfather also had a livery stable, located at the current Belfast Police Department location, and a blacksmith shop in Beaver Alley. He was also Belfast City Clerk. The crash of the stock market killed most of that". Warren Southworth 2015
