230 S. Phillips Ave.

Back before Shriver's moved to the Western Mall to die, it thrived downtown. Below are some iterations of the sign painted on the Northern wall of the building.

Here in May of 1919 you can see the Shriver-Johnson Comapny as we look South on Phillips from about 10th street. It was common in these times to paint a sign on the side of the building as most buildings downtown had at least one "ugly" side devoid of windows.

In 1973 it was clear that downtown was not soon going to be the hoppin' place it was before the malls. Phillips avenue was turned into a walking mall between 9th and 11th streets. The painting on the building is crisp and well-cared for. In 1979 Shriver's said goodbye to downtown and moved to the Western Mall. It was the last major department store to do so. The windows got boarded up and the paint was allowed to peel and fade.

Here it is in 2006, the multi-colored boards pulled from the windows, the first floor at least has been renovated for retail space and the upper floors are on their way to becoming residential. A pleasing trend to be sure. This is now called Shriver's Square.

Apparently Johnson has come back from the mists of time to take his place in the organization once more. In my opinion, Shriver's Square needs to repaint the sign just as we see it here.

Information used in this page was gotten from:

Sioux Falls, South Dakota A Pictorial History by Gary D. Olson and Erik L. Olson
Where would I be without this book?

© www.GreetingsFromSiouxFalls.com