Wallace Garage


The Wallace Garage as depicted on the 1923 Sanborn Map.

See larger version

Known Name(s)

Wallace Garage

Address

S. Lincoln St. Aberdeen, SD

Establishment Type(s)

Garage

Physical Status

Demolished

Description

On the 1923 and 1929 Sanborn Insurance maps, the north end of the west side of the 300-block of Lincoln Street had multiple brick commercial buildings, all of which were marked as garages and auto repair/storage.  301-303 S. Lincoln was three stories tall. The only building now standing on that block is a federal building, constructed in 1974.

Source: Sanborn Fire Insurance Co., Aberdeen, South Dakota (November 1923), sheet 3, and (July 1929), sheet 3.  

Detailed History

The Wallace Parry Garage was located at 301 S. Lincoln and, looking at local newspapers, appears to have started in about 1914. In the 1920 US census, Wallace and Mary (Mae) Parry were listed in Aberdeen at the Sherman Hotel, with the occupations noted as “automobile dealer” and “helps husband.” According to the 1922 City Directory, they lived above their business and rented out the other apartments in the building, which they continued to do at least into the mid-1940s. Later, the business became the Martyn-Parry Co. and then the Martyn-Edwards Co., under William F. Martyn and W.H. Edwards. Under Martyn's ownership, the business was a Dodge-Plymouth dealer (sales/service). Sometime before 1974, Martyn-Edwards built a new dealership at another location.

 

Sources: Aberdeen Daily News (SD), March 27, 1921, June 9, 1985; Automobile Trade Directory 18(3) (July 1920), 444; The Daily Plainsman (Huron SD), November 26, 1972; 1920 US Census and 1917-1948 Aberdeen city directories via Ancestry.com;  Polk's Aberdeen City Directories from 1950 to 1956, South Dakota State Archives, Pierre; Aberdeen, South Dakota (North Plains Press, 1974), 26.

Related Issues