Then and Now: South Perry’s McEachran Block
1940s: The McEachran Block in the Perry Business District was built in 1910 by William and Lillian McEachran, who ran a grocery store there. It was one of the first commercial buildings on South Perry Street in Spokane. Others ran grocery and meat markets in the space until the 1960s, when the building was remodeled into a drug store and post office. It was Altamont Pharmacy from 1963 to 2009.
William McEachran started a grocery business in the Perry Street area in 1902. He and wife Lillian took out two mortgages totaling $6,000 to build the one-story commercial block at 10th Avenue and Perry Street in 1910.
The McEachran Block was one of the first commercial buildings in the fledgling business district. The McEachrans ran a store there for 16 years. In the same era, William became part of the Burgan and Sons grocery and dry goods business. Many businesses have occupied the small building. There was Crosby Meats and Grocery, Burgan and Sons Groceries, Baldwin Meats and others.
Freeman and Bertha Bolkan, both second-generation Norwegian-Americans, came to Spokane in 1940 from North Dakota because Bertha was allergic to ragweed there. The couple operated the Modern Ice Cream shop at 1022 S. Perry and later a cafe in the McEachran building. The war years were lean ones and Bertha’s cooking skills produced a family income.
The budding business district organized the Perry Street Improvement Club in 1949 to solve neighborhood problems, host events to entertain local children and put up seasonal decorations. Freeman died suddenly in 1953 and the Bolkans’ cafe closed. By 1960, the grocery stores had moved on and the building was remodeled into a drug store and post office.
In 1963, pharmacist Robert Beckman moved in with Altamont Pharmacy, which had been on the next block south. The pharmacy stayed until then-owner Art Tyrrell closed it down in 2009.
Today, the building is home to Title Nine sportswear and the restaurant Casper Fry. Bertha Bolkan died in 1985.
– Jesse Tinsley