Welcome at the Marquee
Good afternoon and welcome to the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce Historical Scavenger hunt. Today’s event is a fundraiser for the chamber as we raise funds to add murals in various locations around Salisbury. We have provided you with a list of 20 clues related to historical places and events in Salisbury. If you can solve the clue, there will be a QR code at the location. You can scan the QR code and get the history of the location in both audio and written format. The website will also include a few pictures if there are any connected to the historical significance.
Your journey today begins at 110 E 2nd Street. This location is part of the original city of Salisbury. The building currently houses the Chariton Marquee in lot 18. Lot 19 has been purchased and is awaiting renovation. Lot 20 is currently under renovation.
The first verified records of a business in this location was the J.H. Green Lumber Yard which covered all three city lots in 1893. 1899 records record lot 18 (the Marquee) as a barbershop.
A fire swept through the town and the current building is thought to have been built in approximately 1904. Records from 1910 show lots 18 and 19 housing the Winklemeyer Funeral Home and Furniture Store and a drugstore in lot 20. In 1916, Winklemeyer moved to the location which now is home to the Balcony Ballroom.
Records from 1928 list lots 18 and 19 as a tractor and implement dealer and included one of many gas pumps around town in the front of the establishment. Lot 20 was listed as a dance hall.
There is not a lot of information available from 1930-1949. In fact, we haven’t been able to unearth any solid information until 1949 when Jean Harper Coats, an upscale manufacturer of women’s coats moved in and stayed until 1951.
A group of local businessmen formed the Salisbury Development Company which was a consortium of investors interested in keeping some kind of factory in town for jobs. In 1953, the building was leased to Biltwell Manufacturing which was housed here until 1992.
A few small businesses occupied the store fronts over the years following the exit of Biltwell, including the Salisbury Printing Company ran by Johnnie Summers, the Pastry Palace, home of Paradise donuts, Little Italy and Tom Foster Shoe Repair.
The building changed ownership a few times over the course of the 90’s, and into the 2000’s. In 2022, lot 18 was purchased by Melanie Latamondeer and became home to the Marquee. Lot 20 was purchased by Melanie Sparr and is currently under renovation to be the new home to Stop A While Vintiques and lot 19 is awaiting renovation.
We hope you enjoyed the brief history of this historic section of Salisbury. We are excited for the start of the large mural that will be the foundational building block for a project called the Salisbury Canvas Cruise. This cruise will feature some interactive models (aka selfie stations), historical points of interest and a series of murals the chamber is working to bring to life in various locations across town.
We hope you enjoy cracking the hints and finding other historically significant locations in Salisbury and thank you for your support of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce.
Clue
A spirited place which served spirits for many years and hosted many trades including a bank.