North Avenue, Grand Junction, Colorado 1881 North Avenue Grand Junction Mesa Colorado USA place:2650 Midland Trail, United States https://goo.gl/maps/ZrD2vnATAtH2 Google map for North Avenue In the original platting of Grand Junction, North Avenue served as the northern boundary to town. It grew to become the town's first highway, connecting Palisade, Clifton and Fruitvale to Grand Junction. It was the route of the Midland Trail, one of the first transcontinental automobile roads in the United States, as it passed through town. William Landsdown owned an apple orchard at the intersection of 12th Street and North Avenue, at what was then the edge of town. When the coddling moth devastated apple crops across the county around the time of World War I, he went about the expensive process of running water and sewer lines under Lincoln Park and to the area, so that he could develop his land into homes, one of the first homeowners on North to do so. North Avenue emerged over time as a commercial and service center, home to gas stations, auto repair shops, fast food restaurants, grocery stores (a City Market at 1000 N. 9th Street, another in the Eastgate Shopping Center at 2830 North, and a Safeway at 644 North) and department stores such as Kmart (2949 North Avenue). North also had its own movie theater in the Teller Arms Twin Cinemas at 2601 Belford Avenue, and three drive-in theaters, The Starlite (2401 North Avenue), The Rocket (2881 North) and The Chief (2868 North). Guyton's Fun Junction was an amusement park located on the northeast corner of North and 28 and 3/4 Road, where many a bored kid spent an afternoon or evening playing ski ball, riding the rides and looking for other kids to hangout with. The Files family contributed greatly to the development of North Avenue and the surrounding area. Loyd and Cordelia Files bought a salvage yard previously owned by David Broome at 2028 North Avenue in February 1940. The Files built a larger house on the land and developed their business. In 1944, they used money from the sale of their Glade Park lands to purchase the land south of North Avenue between Grand and North, and between 28 ¼ Road and 23rd Street. Loyd drilled a well at 28 ¼ Road and North Avenue (in what later became the location of Fur’s Cafeteria), and built the area’s first trailer park, with 93 spaces, which was supplied by the well. The well was of great benefit to this area of North Avenue, as city water did not extend east beyond 12th Avenue at this time. The Files built a midget racetrack near the intersection of 28 Road and Grand Avenue. They had a runway for large planes to land, prior to the construction of Walker Field. They built and operated the Starlite Drive-in, the first Drive-in between Salt Lake City and Denver. They later sold the drive-in and developed the land at 2401 North Avenue as the Teller Arms Shopping Center, Grand Junction's first strip-mall, which was anchored by a Safeway. The Files also developed much of the area to the east and south of Lincoln Park into the neighborhood that exists today. North Avenue served as a cultural hub for youth, who used its long length to "cruise" in their cars on Friday and Saturday nights from the 1950's through the 1990's (cruising continues to a lesser extent today). Youth used parking lots along the route as gathering spots. On its east end, North Avenue was home to Fruitvale High School, which was renamed Central High School in 1946 (so named because its location at 29 Road was centrally located along the old north/south highway). Ranchrite Hardware has long made its home at 2919 North, and at one time had an annual and well-attended auction of farm equipment. A video game arcade and miniature golf course existed on the northwest corner of North and 29 1/2 Road during the 1980's, and the Memorial Gardens of the Valley cemetery has long been a tenant at 2970 North Avenue. Beginning in early 2000's, North Avenue suffered a gradual decline. Grocery stores and department stores closed and other stores relocated away from the street. Some longstanding businesses and institutions remain, such as Martin Mortuary and Lincoln Park. Others, such as Big 5 Sporting Goods, have recently moved to the still busy corridor. With the expansion of Colorado Mesa University, efforts are underway to setback sidewalks and create a more pedestrian friendly corridor for students from 12th Street through 5th Street. yes yes