Klamath Heritage: Ninth and Main c. 1960
/
Currin’s for Drugs at the corner of Ninth and Main streets is seen in the Klamath County Museum’s Photo of the Week for Dec. 16, 2018. The drug store opened May 27, 1922 in the corner space of the new Central Hotel building, and remained at the same address until about 1970, when it moved a few doors down Main.
Tomags magazines and books was in the corner space of the old building for a few years before the building was demolished around 1977. Various other businesses occupied other storefont spaces in the building over the years, including Leo’s Camera Shop as seen in this photo taken around 1960 by the late Leo Morstad. This photo is one of hundreds Leo donated to the Klamath County Museum in 2011.
Here's a newspaper ad announcing the opening of Currin's for Drugs in 1922. Three rolls of toilet paper for 29 cents!
The space where this building stood is a parking lot today, running along the section of Ninth Street where the farmer's market operates on Saturdays during the summer months. Click on this link to see this photo mapped and overlaid on a Google StreetView image.
The center storefront space in this building was occupied by MacMarr Stores (groceries) in 1930, Safeway in 1940, Klamath Variety Store in 1950, and Leo’s in 1960 and ’70.
Signs advertising Hafter’s Furniture are seen on the second floor of the old hotel building. Harry Hafter operated the store in the other end of the building, at the corner of South Ninth Street and Klamath Avenue.
More on Currin’s: In the 1920s brothers Clarence C. and Charlton Currin established two drugstores known as Currin’s for Drugs. One was in Portland, the other in Klamath Falls. Charlton Currin died in 1927, followed by Clarence in 1934. Clarence’s widow, Zula Currin, sold the Klamath Falls drugstore to brothers Vance and Verne Vaupel in 1944. The store was sold in 1955 to Art Breitenstein and Charles Mortensen, who operated the pharmacy for more than 20 years. The “Currin’s” name was retained throughout the years.
Clarence and Charlton Currin were uncles to Dr. Hugh Currin, a physician who practiced for many years in Klamath Falls and for whom the Hugh Currin House at Sky Lakes Medical Center is named.
Other businesses seen in this photo include Robert Beach’s jewelry store, Claude and Earl Bowden’s piano and music store, and Herman’s men’s wear.
Traffic ran two-way on both Main and Ninth streets at the time this photo was taken. Signage on the light pole indicates the direction to Moore Park, Klamath Lake and Lake of the Woods.
Press release provided from the Klamath County Museum.