Two variety stores sprouted in Fresno's Tower District

Published online on Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009

Question: What is the history of the Rhodes and Sprouse Reitz variety stores in the Tower District? I remember them from the 1950s.

-- Judy Ellis, Fresno

Answer: H. Glenn Rhodes of Fresno opened the Tower Variety store at 822 Olive Ave. in 1940. The one-story building was built of brick and was "modern throughout," according to a Fresno Bee story.

The store carried a variety of items, including "novelties," candy, stationery, art and needlework materials, household goods, fishing supplies, cosmetics, lingerie, and men's and boys "furnishings" -- clothing accessories.

In 1947, Rhodes opened the Rhodes Echo Variety store at 1940 Echo Ave. in the former KP Kut Price Drug Store building. By that time, the name of Tower Variety had been changed to Rhodes Variety.

The Olive Avenue store was sold in 1958, and the new owners returned the name to the original Tower Variety.

The Sprouse Reitz Co. started building its store at 1226 Wishon Ave. in 1947. Lorena R. Huffman of Fresno was the owner of the one-story brick variety store, which opened in 1948 with a staff of eight.

In 1978, the store was remodeled and opened as Roger Rocka's Dinner Theatre.

Q: I have a dime-sized token that says "711 G St. Fresno -- G.W." on one side and "Good For In Trade -- 25 cents" on the other. Can you tell me something about it?

-- Rueben Contreras, Yreka

A: John Reynolds of Fresno, a trade-token collector and expert, says the token you have was likely issued by a Fresno shop owner and was "good in trade" for merchandise.

Saloon tokens did not have the word "trade" stamped on them, but instead said "good for" a monetary value in exchange for drinks.

The store's address at 711 G St. is near Mono Street and is one block from China Alley in Chinatown, south of downtown Fresno.

"It's on my maverick list," Reynolds said of the token, because of its uncertain history.

But Reynolds suspects the token is rare. Among a group of 20 other trade-token collectors in California that Reynolds belongs to, only two other tokens like it are known to exist.

Local historian and librarian Bill Secrest Jr. said John A. Starkel owned a store at 711 G St. from 1909-15.

Starkel sold bicycles, motorcycles and a cleaning solution he invented called "No-Rubbing Laundry Help."

Secrest thinks "G.W." may have meant "general merchandise," since Starkel also sold a wide range of wholesale and retail goods. "It was some type of trade abbreviation, for sure," Secrest said.

The 711 G St. address disappears from directories and maps after 1915.

Q: What is the history of the Lyceum Theater?

-- Bob Thompson, Fresno

A: The Lyceum Theater at 1019 F St. near Tulare Street was in operation by 1933, when it came under the management of Wiley R. Conley, who also operated a theater in Reedley.

The 360-seat theater, which had closed in spring 1933, reopened that August after a $2,000 remodel. Conley advertised that the theater featured "talking picture equipment and a cooling system."

In 1952, Ben Nakamura, who also owned the nearby Cal Theater at 909 F St., bought the Lyceum. That was about seven years after the end of World War II, and Nakamura announced plans to add 200 seats "when government restrictions are lifted on materials."

In 1957, three female dancers and three men were arrested for staging a striptease act during a "burlesque-type show" at the theater.

Fresno police detectives were in the all-male audience for the first -- and only -- show, which they filmed.

The original Lyceum in Greece was the place where Aristotle taught, and "lyceum" came to mean a building for "popular education, discussions, lectures and concerts."