On The Bridge

On The Bridge. Where The Rivers Meet. , North Side , At one time buildings nearly filled the north side of the Bridge except for a small opening east of Mainstreet Inn. The most prominent building is the old Post Office building, built in 1884 after a fire destroyed the original wooden Post Office there. This building marks the center of town. Originally, the street to the west was Main Street and the street to the east was Bridge Street. Today, addresses to the east are East Main Street and to the west are West Main Street. There once was an East Side-West Side rivalry in this town. This building remained Lowell's Post Office until a new one was built in 1940. , South Side , Looking west down the street , There were two additional buildings on the south side of the street before the flood of 1905. The waters tore through town and washed them away smashing them against the railroad trestle downstream. Mr. Schreiner was pulled out of his sinking harness shop just as his building was swept away. , The westernmost building was also destroyed in the flood and then rebuilt. The building has housed millinery shops, shoe repairs, Lowell Nature's Pantry and Rookies. Other businesses that have been on the south side include: barber shops, Dr. Kyser's dental office, Bookabout, Modern Photographics, Art's TV, The Debonaire Shop, Touch of Country, MacFarlane's oil office, Nash's Axe Factory and Machine Shop, and the Central Garage. , Timeline , 1866 , Nash's Axe Factory built; first known business on south side , 1884 , Fire in photography studio east of the Post Office spreads west destroying 16 businesses on north side and around corner along Riverside Dr., plus 4 buildings on south side of Main Street; Post Office rebuilt on site of former wooden post office , 1905 , Flood washes out the bridge in the center of town , 1940 , Post Office moves into new building on N. Broadway St , 1955 , Kroger Store (north side, 1933-56) stockroom collapses into the river losing the week's delivery of groceries , 1958 , Fire destroys buildings on north side from the Riverwalk to the Post Office; only Molly Wepman's Clothing and Shoe Store rebuilds, now the dental office , 1971 , New Orleans wrought iron architectural detail added to some Main Street facades , , When the 1905 flood waters receded, temporary planking was quickly put across the river until a permanent bridge could be built. The large building being built next to the Post Office later housed popular Christensen's Drugs and Soda Fountain. Many memories were made there. It was torn down in 1997. , The Post Office was built in the exact center of town. Nine rural postal carriers and the postmaster are shown here circa 1909., “Fire Rips Through Lowell; Lays Waste Six Buildings in Village Business District – Jan. 2, 1955. The fire was blamed on a fuel oil tank explosion in Mel’s tavern. Note the Showboat Grandstand on left where the Chamber of Commerce office currently is.