Downtown Golden had a book store for nearly a century.
The January 25, 1871 Colorado Transcript referred to Yeoman’s Post-Office News Room, which sold “All the latest periodicals, pictorial and weekly papers, and best brands of tobacco, cigars.” The “News Room,” which operated inside the Golden Post Office, was acquired by a Mr. McClanahan in 1872. He added school books and sheet music to the inventory. McClanahan sold the business to J. T. King in 1873.
King expanded the business and in 1877 moved out of the post office and into a stand-alone store on 12th Street, between Washington and Ford. The new store carried additional paper goods, including stationery, wall paper, building paper, window shades, and picture framing materials.
J. G. Schall bought the store in 1881. He moved it into the brand new Bella Vista Hotel. Schall added fancy china, silverware, and toys to his stock. In 1903, he moved the store into the Rubey block. Schall died in 1909. His widow held onto the store until 1912, then sold it to Fred Robinson. The Schalls had owned the store for 28 years.
Fred Robinson came from pioneer Golden stock. His paternal grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Burgess, who arrived by covered wagon and built the Burgess House on Ford Street in 1866. His mother, likewise, came to Golden in an ox-drawn wagon. Fred was 29 when he bought the store and he and his wife operated it for 35 years, through two World Wars and the Great Depression. Mr. Robinson may be best remembered for his annual celebrations of Armistice Day. When peace was declared at the end of World War I (1918), Fred brought a toy cannon out to Washington Avenue and fired it in celebration. He did that every year on November 11th until his retirement in 1947.
Frank and Barbara Strawn were the next owners. They moved the store half a block south, to 1213 Washington (now occupied by Toad & Co.). In addition to books and stationery, they sold billfolds, briefcases, bookends, fountain pens and pencils. They called the store “Strawn’s Book Store & School Supplies.”
Speaking of school supplies–one of the reasons a book store was able to survive in such a small town was that it served as the college bookstore for the School of Mines. In fact–in the early years, parents had to buy the books for their grade school and high school children.
The venerable store came to a sad and ignominious end. The Strawns retired in 1961 and sold the store to Lloyd Johnson. Johnson was involved in some shady business dealings, was sued by both a fraternity and his own mother, and declared bankruptcy. The store closed in 1968.
There have been other book stores in Golden, but none that lasted nearly as long.
Many thanks to Esther Kettering for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of August.
