407 1st Street

men and wagons in front of hardware store, 1891

The west side commercial space of the building has been a tavern for many years.

building, architecture, horses, wagon, men,
Pomeroy Building July 3, 1891 - courtesy Mobley family

The first tenant in the western ground floor space, numbered 407 1st, was G.G. Mobley & Company hardware and tin shop. George G. Mobley and his son, Frank had invested in Dr. Pomeroy’s building project. The photograph above dated July 3, 1891 shows the Mobleys and others in front of their new business enterprise.

copper plaque engraved G.G. Mobley & Co
Copper plaque G.G. Mobley & Co. found in 1890 City Hall time capsule

Mr. Mobley was a restless man and he sold out the Cheney business in 1893 and departed for Canada where his descendants live today. Hugh and W.L. Fulton opened the Fulton Bros. Hardware store in its place.

Emory E. Garberg in partnership with F.W Rost, bought out Fulton Bros. in 1903.

…..the building he occupied became wholly inadequate to accommodate his trade. So, in partnership with F.W. Rost, he purchased the hardware and grocery business owned by Fulton Bros., to which place they moved their stock and goods. Mr. Rost continued in business with him for a year, when Mr. Garberg bought out his interest in the firm and is now the sole owner of one the largest and best country stores in the west. His business is steadily growing, and he is constantly adding to and increasing his stock of goods, giving his customers a fine assortment to select from.

Garberg’s grocery and hardware store occupied the space until 1910, when he moved to larger quarters in the IOOF building at 321-327 1st.

Dr. Pomeroy is making a general overhauling of the store building on First Street recently vacated by E.E. Garberg. A new iron ceiling is being put in and the walls will be calcimined. When the work is completed, the interior of the building will present a very attractive appearance. On the first of December the room will be occupied by Henry Kitta with a first-class restaurant. About $600 worth of furnishings will be put in.

The restaurant was called the Cheney Café. Mr. Kitta had formerly operated the Cheney Chop House restaurant behind this building facing Railroad Street, which now lies behind a railroad siding. By 1913, the café was being managed by Joe Oishi who advertised regular meals at 25 cents with the line:

“our meals are well cooked from the best commodities obtainable in the market and served in a tasty manner.”

In December 1915, the Free Press lavished praise on another owner, Joe S. Kuda:

“The Cheney Café has of late come to be recognized as one of the substantial business concerns of the town. It is conducted by Joe S. Kuda, a native of Japan. It is located in the Pomeroy building.

The dining room is large and roomy and fitted up in plain but tasty style. There are a number of private boxes for parties and where a number of friends wish to dine together, they find these give a privacy and convenience they much appreciate.

The kitchen is well equipped with the facilities for handling a large custom, and the entire establishment is maintained in an orderly and cleanly fashion, facts that readily attract patronage. “

Print advertisement for Cheney Café
1920 advertisement

The café continued into the 1920s, possibly as late as 1928. Another owner who appeared in advertisements was Yutaka Kondo.

As a historical note, restaurants and laundries were two businesses that people of Japanese or Chinese ancestry were accepted in the communityas owners and proprietors.

About 1930, after the end of prohibition, Leroy N. Stuhr and Robert Barnhart opened Barnhart & Stuhr, a tavern. Both men were from the Amber district.

They were partners until 1942, when Mr. Stuhr bought out the partnership and the place became known as Stuhr’s Tavern or Stuhr’s Pool Room. Stuhr sold the tavern to Bill Geschke in 1945 continuing under the Stuhr name.

In 1950, W.J. Miller bought the tavern and appears to be the person who changed the name to Pastime.

This is the second Pastime Tavern in Cheney. Next door, Bill’s Tavern had once also been known as Pastime.

Other owners have included Ben Meyer, Clarence Brown, Al Steen, C.L. McBride, and Pat Hansen.

print ad for Pastime
1953 advertisement

In 1969, a new era began with Goofy’s Tavern. It was well known to a generation as a funky place for college age patrons. They recall the beer mugs on ceiling hooks behind the bar, 10 cent spaghetti night, 25 cent beer night, rodeo days water fights that carried on into the tavern, Halloween parties, and many, many more memorable nights.

Followed by Asylum and Section 13,

And today’s Red Zone Tavern which opened in 2018.

Image of Gerald the Museum Mouse

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