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# 6 on map.
February Thaw, 1920 Hosted by Salem High School Alumni Association, 330 E. State Street Burchfield described this view in February Thaw as “a fantasy view of buildings rearranged on Main Street”. It was painted in 1920, when the cobblestone street on this end of State (formerly Main) Street was quite icy in winter and muddy in spring. The painting certainly seems cold and wet, representing perfectly a rainy day in the early spring when the whole world seems like a sea of mud.
The building on the right side is believed to be the existing one on the southeast corner of State and Ellsworth, now the site of BJ’s Family Hair Care. In 1920, its occupant was the Smith Grocery. The other two buildings shown are less identifiable, and the large spaces between must be an artistic license, because the Salem city directory of 1915 shows a solid sequence of buildings in this block. Businesses included another grocery, with milk delivery in the back, a tin ware shop, and the early home of Lyle Printing, still in the same spot. In the distance on the left side is the bell tower of Columbia School, at the site of what is now Sparkle Market. This site is hosted by the Salem High School Alumni Association, a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to qualified alumni of Salem High School, manages the association’s assets including a memorabilia archive, and nurtures friendships and enriching memories. A gallery of original art pieces by SHS alumni may be viewed during open office hours. |
Portion of the 1915 Sanborn Insurance Map for Salem, showing East Main from Ellsworth to Broadway.
Yellow buildings are frame, red are brick, and blue are stone. Image from the Library of Congress.
Yellow buildings are frame, red are brick, and blue are stone. Image from the Library of Congress.
