This package is the result of a partnership between a class at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and CoMoHistoricPlaces.com
Category: Commercial
Jim Ussary, a founder of one of Columbia’s major employers, dies
Jim Ussary Sr., one of the founders of one of Columbia’s top employers, died on March 10, 2022, according to this March 11, 2022 obituary in the Columbia Daily Tribune. But you could be excused if you didn’t recognize his name today. Ussary was one of the three founders of ABC Laboratories when it was…
A fresh update of 121 N. West Blvd.
Whether you call it the Fairy Tale House, the Hobbit House or the Hansel and Gretel House, you’ll love this article about the house and Jessie Yankee, who is one of the owners of 121 N. West Blvd. An article in CoMo Magazine’s January issue with stunning photographs gives you a peek inside of the…
The Blue Note and Ragtag/Uprise/Hitt Records buildings honored
This just in — the buildings that house The Blue Note, Ragtag Cinema, Uprise Bakery and Hitt Records will be honored with a new award. According to this Columbia Missourian March 28, 2017 article, Brent Gardner is creating Cornerstones to highlight downtown businesses and buildings. The article states that the building at 10 Hitt St….
Bull Pen Cafe set for salvage and demolition, looking for stories and help
Bull Pen Cafe salvage prior to demolition set for March 25, 2017
Did you miss this good news?
Downtown historic Columbia, Missouri might just be getting bigger. Here are some news articles about John Ott and Alley A, his firm’s plans for 300 N. Tenth St. The former Koonse Glass building is on the other side of the historically acknowledged downtown area of Columbia. The building at Tenth Street and Park Avenue could soon…
Ninth and Elm streets until 1969, Columbia Commercial Club
If you thought the destruction of the old Shakespeare’s Pizza at Ninth and Elm the fall of 2015 was a tragedy, it wasn’t the first one at that intersection. This article by Sarah Everett published in the Columbia Business Time on July 27, 2016 shows the a brick building with a columned portico that once…
Hidden high-rise highlighted twice
Here in 2015, there’s lots of talk about whether downtown Columbia should sport so many high-rise apartment buildings, but in 1910, another high-rise faced a different kind of problem — a shortage of steel. The Guitar Building — which has nothing to do with guitars — at 28 N. Eighth St. was spotlighted in the…
The history behind The Blue Note building
Yes, you’ve heard right: Richard King is selling The Blue Note at 17 N. Ninth St. But this former “movie palace,” won’t be going the way of other movie venues in downtown Columbia, Missouri. These two articles, “Richard King sells The Blue Note, Mojo’s,” and “Richard King passes torch, sells The Blue Note, Mojo’s.” The…
Skyscrapers, preservation and development
Can preservationists learn to love skyscrapers? Sure. Because it’s not the height, the location or how old a build is that matters — it’s quality and how the building will serve people. In this article in the New York Times, “Sure, Build it in My Backyard,” the website of Nikolai Fedak is highlighted. The name…