Bradshaw-Diehl

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The Herald-Dispatch file Photo
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Early-morning shoppers wait for the doors to open at Bradshaw-Diehl's
going out of business sale in April 1971.

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HUNTINGTON -- For more than half a century, the Bradshaw-Diehl Company was one
of the community's best-known department stores.

The company had its beginnings in 1915 when J.R. McMahon and H.T. Diehl opened a small store at
 8th Avenue and 20th Street under the name McMahon-Diehl. The next year they opened
a second store at 1017-1019 3rd Ave. Later the first store closed. In 1919,
 the company erected a four-story brick building on the southeast corner
 of 3rd Avenue and 10th Street that would be its long-time home.

After McMahon's death, George D. Bradshaw bought into the business and the store
 was re-named Bradshaw-Diehl. Elected mayor in 1932, Bradshaw spent the next
two years dividing his time between the store and Huntington City Hall.
 George E. Fargo of Toledo, Ohio, bought control of the company in 1940.
 Ten years later, in 1950, he sold his interest to New York
 financier Daniel Van Dyk.

In March of 1971, the company announced it was closing the
 store due to what it termed "a conflict with plans of the
Huntington Urban Renewal Authority."

The company said that even though the authority was acquiring and demolishing a
number of buildings in downtown Huntington, it originally was told its building
was not on the list for demolition. When the authority reversed that stance,
 the store said it had no choice but to close as there was no
"acceptable alternate site" in the downtown.

Later, Bradshaw-Diehl's corner building and all the other buildings on the south side of
3rd Avenue between 10th and 11th streets were acquired and demolished
for construction of the Huntington Holiday Inn - the
predecessor of today's Pullman Plaza Hotel.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on May 19, 2014.

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