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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Taylor Bros. Department Store

1968 – The Taylor Boys Department Store at the Five Mile Shopping Center in northwest Spokane awaits tomorrow’s first customers and visitors. The store, a 30,000-square-foot structure which cost $240,000, was expected to have its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Balloons and candy, fashion shows and organ music would be part of the celebration in the firm’s second location. Taylor Bros., long a Spokane Valley business, formerly was called Taylor Boys.
1968 – The Taylor Boys Department Store at the Five Mile Shopping Center in northwest Spokane awaits tomorrow’s first customers and visitors. The store, a 30,000-square-foot structure which cost $240,000, was expected to have its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Balloons and candy, fashion shows and organ music would be part of the celebration in the firm’s second location. Taylor Bros., long a Spokane Valley business, formerly was called Taylor Boys.
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

Five Mile Shopping Center, built by Leo Higbee of Western Builders, finished the Rosauers store north on Francis Avenue along Ash Street around 1955. Later, a bowling alley was added followed by a series of other stores. With each new addition, the shopping center extended west from the grocery store. Some of the tenants over the years include the restaurant Chic-A-Ria, Grigg’s Family Clothing, Old America craft store and Radio Shack.

Colin Campbell Taylor Jr. was born in Glendale, California. He grew up in the Boise area, and he and his brother Richard opened Taylor Boys department store at 6404 East Sprague Ave. in Spokane Valley in 1960. They were successful, and though Colin stepped away from the day-to-day business, they opened Taylor Bros. in Five Mile in 1968. That store only lasted a few years.

1968 – The Taylor Boys Department Store at the Five Mile Shopping Center in northwest Spokane awaits tomorrow’s first customers and visitors. The store, a 30,000-square-foot structure which cost $240,000, was expected to have its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Balloons and candy, fashion shows and organ music would be part of the celebration in the firm’s second location. Taylor Bros., long a Spokane Valley business, formerly was called Taylor Boys.
1968 – The Taylor Boys Department Store at the Five Mile Shopping Center in northwest Spokane awaits tomorrow’s first customers and visitors. The store, a 30,000-square-foot structure which cost $240,000, was expected to have its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Balloons and candy, fashion shows and organ music would be part of the celebration in the firm’s second location. Taylor Bros., long a Spokane Valley business, formerly was called Taylor Boys.

The Taylor Bros. space was taken over around 1971 by Yellow Front, another discount department store that stayed for several years. That space was later subdivided and called the Big Top Building. Today, the space is occupied by Anytime Fitness.

Colin Taylor wasn’t through with business. He opened Apollo Boats in 1971, producing fiberglass pleasure craft that can still be found on the region’s waterways. Taylor loved boating near his cabins on the Pend Oreille River and Priest Lake. The boat business closed in 1981.

Taylor dabbled in other businesses, but he still wasn’t through.

He started Apollo Spas with partner Tom Pritchard in 1985, a business that endures today. Apollo grew to be one of the largest spa manufacturers in the Northwest. The company manufactures and sells its own line of hot tubs around the region.

Taylor sold his interest in the spa company to a stepson in 2001 and retired to the California desert in 2002. He died in 2011 in Palm Desert, California.