This old automotive garage building is located directly across the railroad tracks from the former Denver & Rio Grande Western/ CO Southern Railway Union depot, now home to the Huerfano County Chamber of Commerce.
There are several ghost signs here. They are arranged to cover almost all the real estate on the face of the building. We had to do A LOT of crazy photoshop manipulation to pull these signs out -- it were ugly.
Painted vertically down the left side of the building:
"Glass Work"
Horizontally down the L recessed panel:
Radiators
Starters
Transmissions
Motors
Fuel Pumps
Across the front:
"[inset in a brick frame] SALES
SEARS & SEARS
MOTOR CO.
Day or Night
Sales & Service
Ph. 1840"
Horizontally down the R side recessed panel"
"Seat Covers
Gaskets
Brakes
Lubricants
Accessories
Batteries"
We can tell there is a sign painted vertically down the right side of the building, but we can only make out the letter "S".
We found a little context for this building in this article from the Huerfano Journal: (
visit link)
". . . James W. and Everett L. Sears, cousins, came to Walsenburg in 1915 when there were said to be 60 cars in the entire county. Still, they figured they could repair them, and opened a repair shop. By 1918 they were selling “Fordson” tractors and other farm equipment. That year they bought the property at 4th and Main streets, tore down an old building and put up their “modern” garage. In 1919 they installed an 11,000 gallon gasoline tank on the south side of their building. The tank could be filled directly from the railroad tankers that supplied it. By 1933 they had built a “super service station”, as these things were then called for their attention to the needs of the motorist, had razed three small buildings to their north and added a showroom. They sold Pontiacs and Texaco products, the latter replacing their Bowser gasoline franchise of 1921. J.W. was elected Walsenburg’s mayor in 1921. . . ."
From the website Huerfano County News of the Day 1924-1929: (
visit link)
"1925 February Walsenburg: The mysterious I.C.M. Club was organized at Huerfano County High School with 23 members. Christy Mosco is president, Henry Sears, vice president, Sam Bulavsky, secretary and Arthur Benine, treasurer.
1925 October Walsenburg: The site for the joint depot for the Colorado and Southern and Denver and Rio Grande Western railroads was chosen between Russell and Main Streets across the tracks from the Sears and Sears Garage.
1925 November Walsenburg: When J.W. and E.L. Sears first came here in 1915 to open a small garage on East Fifth, there were 60 cars in Huerfano County. Now there are 2,847 and they have one of the largest auto concerns in southern Colorado, employing 24.
1927 January Walsenburg: George Mavroganis of Tioga won $15 in the Sears and Sears Garage mileage contest, getting 35.3 miles per gallon.
1928 March Walsenburg: Thousands of people attended the annual Auto Show held this year in the Sears and Sears showrooms.
Walsenburg World 2-25-1929 Couple's Secret Marriage Made Known Today – The secret marriage on last November 17 of Miss LaVerne Thornberry, 15 years old, of Walsenburg, and Lee Howard, 18, a contractor at Alamo, was announced here last week by the bride's parents. The ceremony took place in Alamosa. The bride is the daughter of J.E. Thornberry of Sears & Sears garage, and Mrs. Thornberry. Young Howard is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Howard of Alamo. The announcement of the marriage was a complete surprise, Mrs. Thornberry said this morning. The couple plan to make their home in Alamo where Mr. Howard will continue in business.
The same website, with tidbits from 1930-1934: (
visit link)
1930 February Walsenburg: Doors of the Sears Motor Company will swing open at noon Saturday for Walsenburg's fifth annual Automotive Show, following a parade of the city's 12 auto dealers' floats.
1930 July Walsenburg: Wylie Babbitt and Toots Sears tied for low score in the miniature golf tourney and Babbitt won the playoff.
1930 October La Veta: Allen J. Roush and Fred H. Baker, owners of the La Veta Automotive Company the past 11 years, bought the Sears Motor Company of Walsenburg, the local Ford dealers.
1930 October La Veta: Baker and Roush bought the Sears garage in Walsenburg and Mr. Baker is moving there to run the business.
[but apparently the name remained the same -- BMB]
1932 October Walsenburg: One of the largest political gatherings this year occurred Monday when Karl C. Schuyler, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, spoke at a barbeque at the Sears Garage.
1933 July Walsenburg: A.J. Sears and Son will have a gala opening this weekend of their new one stop service station and auto agency at Fourth and Main.
1933 July Walsenburg: J.W. Sears and Son will open their newly remodeled building at Main and Fourth Streets with a super service station next Saturday.
1934 February Walsenburg: Sears and Sears now sell Diamond T trucks."