Main Street as it appeared in the 1930s; the old State Exchange Bank can be seen to the left, the Culver Public Library at right.
Memorial Day Parade, Main Street -- facing east from corner of Main & Jefferson, 1950s (photo donated by Edna Taber).
Main Street, Culver, Ind.
This view of Main Street, on a postcard captioned only, "Main Street, Culver, Ind." appears to be looking south.
Main Street, Culver, Ind.
A version of the same turn-of-the-century postcard showing Main Street looking south, this one a colorized version from the Mike Shesky collection.
The City News Agency is the most visible business in this early 1970s photo of South Main Street's east side. The News Agency was owned and operated by William Taber, also a consummate photographer whose photos grace several pages of this website.
This very early postcard showing Main Street while still unpaved, also shows clearly Rector's Pharmacy and the other businesses on the east side of this block.
A Lakefest Parade in the 1980s. While not as vintage as many pictures here, it does depict some of the changes to Main St. Note the Corner Tavern, for many years a downtown staple, Al's TV and Appliances at its former location, and Andy's clothiers, all no longer part of Main Street's scenery today.
Another shot from the same day as the previous photo. Note the former gas station on the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets, where Mary's Shoppe has since been constructed.
The Hardware Store was an early fixture in Culver; this picture was taken at its location on the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets in 1903.
Postcard depicting Main Street as it appeared in the late 1930s.
Rector's Pharmacy on the east side of Main Street, an undated postcard. The Pharmacy was opened in 1909, operated by Nathan Rector until its purchase by Robert McKinnis in 1962, and moved before eventually shutting down in 1977 when McKinning and Ron Tusing merged to form Mr. T's Drugs.
Street Scene, Culver, Indiana
"Street Scene, Culver, Indiana," proclaims a 1950s postcard depicting Main Street looking south. On the right, the Methodist Church, now gone, can be seen, the library just to the south of it, and the State Exchange Bank to the south of the library.
The Culver Public Library is seen at left in this early 1970s photo of the west side of North main Street in downtown Culver. At right is the building that would house Norcen Insurance, demolished in the early 2000s to make way for the library's new addition.
1939 postcard showcasing the United Methodist Church on Main St., seen from the northeast (the library is due south of the church, and the State Exchange Bank due south of the library).
Gretter's Market was located on the east side of Main Street, in what is today a vacant lot just south of Verl's Barber shop, directly across the street from the bank. Detailed information about the years of operation of Gretter's would be welcome (photo courtesy Phil Gretter).
The IGA Grocery Store and the Culver City Drug store, 107 and 109 S. Main Street (the west side of Main). As a point of reference, Colwell (formerly Abad & Epley) Realt Estate is presently at 107 S. Main.
Erecting the sign for J's 5 & ?, a dimestore that opened in Culver, under Cindy Johnston, in 1975 and closed in the 1980s. It was located at 114 N. Main, on the east side of the street across from the Library, where Michelle's Headquarters is today.
The west side of Main Street as it appeared sometime in the 1970s. Notice the McKinnis Drug Store, which preceded the existence of Mr. T's (which opened in 1977), and the reflection of the Marathon sign across the street. Also present is Culver Clothiers, later to become Andy's Clothiers.
Main Street being oiled in 1906 by Monton Foss and an assistant. This picture seems to be taken at the corner of Main and Washington Streets, the Methodist Episcopal Church in the background.
Main Street facing north in 1919. Note what appears to be brick paving. The hardware store, today operated by Bill Snyder, was still owned by O.T. Goss. The State Exchange Bank is visible at left, with the steeple of the Methodist Church behind.
An early 1970s shot of the east side of Culver's downtown North Main Street shows the Back Door Boutique shop and Kline's TV and Appliances.; Judi Burns, who corrected me on an earlier mistake on the naming of the TV shop, notes that the Boutique and Kline's occupy buildings that were mainstays of Culver's downtown businesses (among their previous occupants: Rector's Pharmacy and a number of restaurants -- including one once operated by the Snyder family -- and other shops over the years)
and that those buildings are now gone, and an empty lot exists
where they once were.
East Side of North Main St.
View of the east side of north main Street in downtown Culver in the early 1970s. Visible, in spite of the poor quality of the original image, is the Kelly shop, run by Marilyn Kelly of Culver.
J's 5 &...? the dime store that once operated where Michelle's Headquarters is located today on the east side of north Main Street, across from the public library in downtown Culver. This photo, taken in the early 1970s, also shows a portion of Marilyn Kelly's Kelly Shop at right.
A kid's memory of downtown Culver (Judi Burns):
West Side of street:
1) Standard Oil
Washington Street
1) Nipsco (in basement Dr. Oldham, D.D.S; Library Addition; 2) Library; 3) Bank;
Jefferson street
1) Texaco; 2) Shoe Repair; 3a) Barret Irvin's City Drug; Mr. T's Rexall; Shoe Stable; Caudill's Beauty Salon; Culver Citizen; Reality CO. now; 3a) Strader's Quality Grocery
Jim James Grocery; 4) Culver Clothiers; 5) M&M Restaurant; ? Restaurant; Sensibaugh Restaurant; Nan lous Restaurant; Cafe Max; 6) Sytsma Appliance; Now Cafe Max expansion; 7) Corner Tavern; CornDance Cafe;
Madison St.
1) Babock Eye Dr.; Bed & breakfast now
East Side of street:
Johnson Tire Service; Yarn Shop ? Muhlausen's; Family Vision; Washington Street; Trones; Easterday & Uummel; Now ????; 2A - Hersh Strang Barber; 2B - Beauty Salon and numerous business occupied; NOW _ Insurance Agency; 3 - 5and 10 Frank Amond's Taylor's; Johnson's Pool Parlor; 4A A & P; 4B Foreman's Dress Shop; Kelly's Dress Shop & Fabric expanded to A&P side; Upstairs was the Lions & Masonic Quarters; 5 - Easterday Funeral Home; Easterday-Bonine Funeral Home; Bonine Funeral Home; Verl the Barber; 6 - Gretter's; Chuck Robeson Inc.; 7 - Rexall Drug store Rob McKinnis; Klines expanded to it; empty lot; 8 - restaurant; Klines; empty lot;
Jefferson street;
1) Marathon; 2A ??? B Taber Newspaper Stand; 3A Culver Scholl Sup. office; Sytsma Appliance; Mackey's Antique's; B Hair Salon; Mackey's Antiques; 4) Spencer Plumbing; Sages Ins.; Mackey's Antique & Bear Shop now; 5) Culver Hardware; 1) Ricarrdi Dry Cleaners; Auto Parts store - various owners;