McCHESNEY BUILDING.
(AKA; San Francisco Store)
1854
© Bancroft Library.
(c1855)
Bernard and Cheminant first own the lot.
1852 Captain Edward Raspal owns the lot, has a two story frame building on the lot "Captain Raspal's Billiard Saloon" with sleeping quarters on the second floor.
1854 After the building burns in July, the lot is sold to Dr. James McChesney. He starts a two story brick building, and has a store on the lower floor with his office in back and a meeting hall on the second floor. (See image above.)
1855 The store is Toomey and O'Keefe's San Francisco Store--Family Grocery, can still (2006) read the painted sign at the top of the building.
Weekly Columbian newspaper ad - 1856
1856 November - O'Keefe leaves the partnership, Toomey brothers continue advertising the offices and sleeping rooms on the second floor.
Odd Fellow Bldg. on the corner of Jackson and Broadway before the fire.
1857 May - Dr. McChesney has his office in the store and his residence in the back. He says he will open the Empire Drug Store. In August, McChesney sells the building to Albert Carver. As Carver was a member of the IOOF whose meeting house had burned in August, the IOOF became regular tenants of the second floor. Toomey sells the business to Charles Russell Bowen who marries one of Benjamin Harrison's daughters. Harrison's business is next building east.
1859 June - the business sells to Eliab W. Shaw.
1865 April 22 - Odd Fellows advertize in the Tuolumne Courier.
1868 May - Carver sells the building to IOOF. Shaw continues the grocery store until 1871.
1872 For a few months, Tibbits has his office on the lower floor.
1878 summer - the lower floor was used as a drying room for the fruit drying and preserving company across State Street.
1880 spring - the lower floor is being used as a practice room for the brass band.
1949 The building was purchased by the state from local IOOF for $1.00 and is rented back to them. The upper floor is still used as their meeting room. Lower windows were for a display.
1998 The balcony and backstairs repaired and/or replaced.
2006 The I.O.O.F. no longer rent the building.
2007 The state does some major repairs on the building.
2007 November - Candle & Soap Works moves into the refinished building. Kim Kyhl is proprietor.
CANDLE & SOAP WORKS
Corner of State and Broadway Streets.
209-536-9047
This page is created for the benefit of the public by
Columbia Booksellers & Stationers
22725 Main Street
Columbia California 95310-9401
Email contact:
A WORK IN PROGRESS,
created for the visitors to the Columbia State Historic park.
© Columbia State Historic Park & Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.
