We continue with our survey of Pauls Valley, and if you are new around here and are asking "why?" Becauese! When was the last time you ever spent a few minutes looking at the downtown of a little town whose existence was news to you just minutes ago? It's a survey of America, what's common, what's unique. That's why. We learn a lot.

Such as the tendency to top small stores with ungainly crowns. Those name-block caps look a bit fussy and unnecessary.

Shumate . . .

		And Patterson & Conner. I suspect they were pals with Mr. Shumate, and they coordinated their new stores.

The second floor could’ve been better, and the stone and brick doesn’t work well, if you ask me. But it's a solid newspaper office. Just the facts!

Double facade rehab, I’d say - once in the 30s or 40s, or maybe even later, then a regrettable 60s makeover..

Plenty of room for those essential downtown planters!

Double facade rehab, I’d say - once in the 30s or 40s, or maybe even later, then a regrettable 70s makeover.

Swoon:

The brothers show up in the paper as the sponsors of a local 4-H concert. That's about it.

The Library of Congress has a gorgeous shot of its heyday, although I think it’s still heyday adjacent.

We saw a Radio Shack last week. They have TWO?

The American Fidelity Building. Then . . .

That was then. This is now:

Needs some cornice work.

A real estate listing says . . .

Remodel the current building or tear down for prime commercial location. Has previously been a hotel, offices, and has had a restaurant on ground floor, or could renovate into upscale loft apartments.

Hotel, eh. Let’s see if the newspaper records help . . . ah. It was the Moody.

Then . . .

And now.

They seemed to have planted bushes to disabuse people of the notion of "going inside."

Oh my no

At the time, I'm sure, it was seen as a sign that the town was On the Grow.

Buildings like this can sit like this for decades. And never return to occupancy.

At least nothing will go in upstairs. As ever, we wonder: what is up there now?

Finally, the bank we saw last week in an old ad.

Still stolid, still a landmark, still eternally Roman.