BLOCK 5 - Main Street Tour     Locate on map

Facing west on Main, it becomes apparent that so many changes on 
this block make it essential to listen carefully when placing 
stores. Most likely the next store after Penn’s was the Texas 
Drug, which may be the same site that later housed Bill Griffith’s 
barbershop. 

Next was the new site of King’s Café, first located across the 
street and a bit west of here. Before the alley Delbert Capps 
relocated his photography studio in what had previously been a 
barbershop owned by Mr. Langston, the father of Mamie Ruth 
Hamrick, who taught at both the college and the high school.


Then comes the alley before the Oil City Pharmacy, whose very 
name recalls the history of what put Ranger on the map. At some 
point that colorful name was changed to Crawford’s Rexall Drug. 
The soda fountain inside not only served many teenagers all 
kinds of sweet delights but also gave many their first jobs 
as soda jerks. Another kind and gentle face located inside 
the door by his small, lighted table was that of Mr. Hyatt, 
the watch repairman. Mr. Surbrook also had a booth there for 
distribution of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

    
 
Next door what was Western Auto Supply in the 50’s had previously 
been Bray’s Grocery Store. 


Then came Penney’s. Its bright yellow, 
black-lined tile as well as large 
display windows was an attention 
getter. Children, once inside, 
were fascinated by the plastic-
and-leather canisters that zipped 

along a wire overhead to carry cash to a cashier located on the 
mezzanine. Such an arrangement made it unnecessary to have more 
than one cash register. In those days Penney’s seemed to be 
primarily a small-town store. J.C. did not appear in the 
name. It was a time before credit cards; but store mangers, 
such as Mr. Graham and Mr. Smith, happily arranged for 
customers to buy on a lay away plan.

Next came the imposing Commercial
State Bank Building on the corner 
of Main and Rusk. Ranger’s bank 
operated from here for many years 
going through a series of changes
in ownership and names before 
closing. Now vacant and for sale, 
the bank building has been the 
location of other financial 
institutions, such as First 
Federal Savings and Loan, which 
had been across the street in 
a part of the Joseph brothers'
building.  End Tour