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Show City Landmark Comes Tumbling Down; Site Slated To Become New and Used Automobile Parking Lot One of Morgan City's real landmarks came tumbling down Thursday, Feb. 8, 1973 when the old frame building at 413 East, 125 North (about one block south of Commercial) came tumbling down. It will be used as a parking lot for new and used cars, by the S„ J, Olsen Chevrolet. Inc. Co. In 1925 when Jack Olsen first arrived in Morgan, he went into an Automotive Service partner¬ship with James Compton, rent¬ing space from Robert Welch, the former owner of the prop¬erties being razed. Later Mr. Olsen acquired the interests of James Compton and continued to run the service facilities until 1936 when he purchased the properties that new house his automobile dealership. During the years from 1925 the late Robert Welch and his son Albert Welch used part of their buildings for a furniture store and mortuary. The build¬ings at that time housed the Mountain States Telephone switchboard for Morgan County with approximately five em¬ployees with living quarters in the rear. The building on the north end was Irvin Butters first barber shop with light living quarters in the rear. As times changed Robert Welch and Albert Welch remodeled these buildings into eight apartments. The center building was re¬built to house the Morgan County and City Library, In 1961 Mr. Olsen acquired all of these buildings from the Welch family and continued to operate them as low cost rental units. As the buildings become so old and dilapidated, Mr. Ol¬sen was in need of more space for his dealership and decided to raze these buildings. The lots where these build¬ings once stood will be filled, graded and black topped to be used exclusively for the new and used cars and customer services parking of the S. J. Olsen Chevrolet, Inc. Co. Mr. Olsen says that in the future he may put in an auto¬matic drive in and out, wash- mobile service which will be meter operated and would auto¬matically wash the cars as they move through it. Wilkinson Bros. Construction (John & Bert) were the contrac¬tors to raze this building. They will fill the basement and black top it as weather permits. Mr. Olsen has extensive hold¬ings besides those mentioned. He purchased the Valley Imple¬ment in 1945, established Olsen Chevrolet in Lay ton in 1936, bought the California Pack fac¬tory, now 4-D West, in 1956, and owns other real estate in the area. |