East Lincoln Park neighborhood, Grand Junction, Colorado 1945 Grand Junction Mesa Colorado 81501 USA https://goo.gl/maps/WVhtnSYoeZk7MfZn6 Google map of the East Lincoln Park neighborhood A neighborhood just north and east of Lincoln Park, and east of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood. It was developed primarily during the 1940’s through 1960’s. The neighborhood lies between North Avenue and Grand Avenue on the north and south, and between 19th Street and 28 Road on the west and east. It is comprised of the Park Terrace subdivision, between 19th Street and 22nd Street, the Mesa Gardens subdivision between 22nd and 28 Road, and the Teller Arms subdivision, north of Gunnison Avenue. It is a walkable and bikeable neighborhood located close enough to Chipeta Elementary School that many children walk to school. Local families also recreate at Lincoln Park. The neighborhood consists primarily of single-family ranch style homes, apartments, and public housing. It abuts the Teller Arms shopping center, Grand Junction’s first strip mall. Local children long attended Lincoln Park Elementary School. They now attend Chipeta Elementary School, West Middle School or Bookcliff Middle School, and Grand Junction High School. The land between 22nd Street and 28 ½ Road was purchased by Cordelia and Loyd Files in 1944. They bought the 160 acres from George Marron. The Files had moved from Glade Park during the Great Depression and owned a salvage yard at 2028 North Avenue. The sale of their land on Glade Park allowed them to purchase the acreage that would later comprise most of the East Lincoln Park neighborhood. According to Cordelia Files, the land consisted of “scrub” brush when it was purchased (native vegetation). One of the first developments on the land was a midget auto racetrack established on what seems to have been the east side of 28 Road (now and open field). Loyd Files also built an airplane hangar and runway in the same area, along Indian Wash. The airplane facilities may have been part of Files' company, the Grand Valley Aircraft Association, which sold Piper airplanes. Files built the second trailer park in town sometime after 1945. It was a 93 spot trailer park located near 28 1/4 Road. It may be the trailer park that is still present on the east side of 28 1/4 Road off of James Park Court. During this time, the Veterans Administration Hospital was established in the location of the former Civilian Conservation Corps camp on the northeastern edge of Lincoln Park. Files purchased one of the buildings that comprised the camp and put it on his land near the intersection of 23rd Street and North Avenue. He rented the building and a restaurant called the Smoke Shack was established there. The Files established the Starlite Drive-In Theater just off of North Avenue in 1947. It was Grand Junction’s first drive-in theater and the first drive-in theater between Denver and Salt Lake City. It was located at 2401 North Avenue. The Starlite was sold in 1959 to make way for the Teller Arms Shopping Center (the drive-in was moved to 23 Road near Fruita). During the 1950’s, the Files built a home just south of North Avenue and east of the park. They had to build a road to the home, the present 23rd Street, and build a bridge over the canal in order to get there. The Files spearheaded the development of Teller Arms, the first strip mall between Denver and Salt Lake City. It was built in the early 1960's and opened in 1964. The Files developed the land behind Teller Arms at this time into the Mesa Gardens subdivision. Because children who had played baseball in this area were displaced, Loyd Files gave them land east of the Armory on 28 Road. Grand Mesa Little League was born from this endeavor in 1963. The homes in the Park Terrace Subdivision were built primarily between 1950 to 1965. yes yes