Historic Helper Main Street
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Steam Engines, Helper, Utah

Historic Helper Main Street, also, Steam Engines, Helper, Utah. . , Historic Helper Main Street , Helper Main Street these were some of the first wooden buildings on Helper Main Street. They were either replaced or burned in the fire of 1919. All of the other buildings mentioned in this display currently exist in some form , , 58 S. Main The Helper bakery, meat, grocery was continuously operated from 1913 until 1940 by Louis Fossat, a first generation Italian immigrant who catered to the surrounding coal camps by delivery truck as well as to the local population. , , 66-68 S. Main The bulding housed a Japanese fish market, a dentist office, and smiley's beauty shop. The upstairs rooms were rented and ladies of the night were available. Many other buildings on Main Street also offered these services. , , 70-72 S. Main (right) Built in 1919 and originally owned by Baptist Flaim. The second story was the Idaho Hotel. The downstairs had the Helper chop suey, beauty shop, professional offices, and trocadero bar. , , 76 S. Main was built in 1979 as the Utah Hotel. Constructed from the brick and stone rubble of the double rock store building that burned in May 1919. The Helper Furniture was on the first floor in 1923 and the J.C. Penny store was on the left. , , 136 S. Main was built in 1914 by multhethnic group of 24 incorporators headed by Joseph Barboglio. This bulding and one later built to the right of it, Castle Rock Mercantile, were combined and are now concealed behind a large flat facade. , , 148 S. Main built in 1908. Originally the Lowenstein Mercantile Mutual Furniture Co. (1924-1998) was the longest running business in Helper when it closed. Central Commission located at 56 N. Main now holds that distinction, starting in 1926 to present. , , 178 S. Main (pictured on left) built in 1922 and owned originally by Victor Lizzette. Businesses in the lower part include Golden Rule store, Castle Rock Mercantile, Progressive Marker, Liquor Store, law offices and Avalon Hotel. , , 190 S. Main (pictured on left.)A 1921 hotel was upstairs.On the main floor was Schram Johnson Drugstore, New Paris Cafe, Merchants Cafe, Palace Furniture and Hardware, and Helper Journal. Most of this block is intact today. , , 210 S. Main was built in 1920. Owner of California Hotel Lendaris. In the lower portion was the Greek Zappion Coffee Shop run by Steve Griekas and Tony Stamatakis. Ladies of the night were in business in the hotel. , , 248 S. Main Built in 1922. The right side was the Athens Coffee House. On the left side was John Krissmans Shoe Repair Shop. As in most buldings, there were rooms to rent on the second floor. Later taken over by Mutual Furniture for storage. , , 294 S. Main (Hotel Helper Sign) Built in 1914 as a hotel by a multiethnic group of investors. The D&RGW Railroad took it over in 1942 as a place for its crew to stay over. It was purchased by Helper City in the 1980s and converted to a museum. , , Steam Engines, Helper, Utah , Warren John Kiefer was born September 28, 1920 in Yakima, Washington. When he was young his mother would take him to the North Pacific train station where he could watch the daily activities. After graduating in 1938, Keifer hired on at the Southern Pacific Railroad. , , In 1941 he then hired on at the D&RGW Railroad as a fireman. During his decades of rail fanning, Keifer photographed the operations of all the railroad of Utah. The above photographs were made in Helper, Utah between 1945-51 of Denver and Rio Grande Western steam engines. , , In 1981 Keifer donated many of his photos to the Loyd Files Research Library of the Museum of Western Colorado in Grand Junction. These photos courtesy of the Museum of Western Colorado. Visit the Western Mining and Railroad Museum, 294 South Main Street, to see more.