The First KTHS/KTHV Building

I graduated high school from Mabelvale Hi just outside of Little Rock. When Central Hi in Little Rock was closed many students joined us at Mabelvale. I got an email from Raymond Merritt who also graduated from Mabelvale and has done some great work on a website with more than just Mabelvale Hi. It has a lot of memories of the 50s and 60s and the photo above was on his site. The significance of this photo is the KTHS sign.(double click on the image for a better view.) This was the building where KTHS/KTHV was located on Main St. before the building on Izard was built. At first just KTHS was located there but as the TV license was granted, a very crowded radio studio also hosted KTHV. Raymond's sight is great even if you have no interest in Mabelvale or Little Rock. There are some great memory items there. Here is the site link: http://www.rrmerritt.com/mabelvale/

Below is the text from the site that goes with the picture:

Main Street looking north from about a half block south of Fourth Street in 1956. The single traffic light is a part of the new "Denver Lights" which allowed pedestrians to walk directly from any corner to any other corner. Note the absence of overhead transit power lines that were present in 1950. By 1956 the transition was complete and all busses were diesel-powered.

Some of the businesses I can make out with a magnified version of this picture are:

From south to north, west side of the street (left side, going away)

Woolworth, 400 Main
Blass, 4th and Main
Green's Furs, 304 Main
New Theater, 112 Main (in the distance)
Hotel Grady Manning (The two-tone white-topped red-brick building at Markham and Main)

From south to north, east side of the street (right side, going away)

The edge of the Center Theater marquee, 407 Main
Worthen Bank and Trust, 401 Main
Economy Drugs, 4th and Main
Livingston's Family Credit Apparel Store, 317 Main
KTHS, 313 Main