Local History Uncovered at Condemned Building

May 10, 2017 By Jim Muir Leave a Comment

City workers discover a piece of West Frankfort history at the dilapidated former Mexican restaurant on Emma St. (William McPherson, Photo)

City workers discover a piece of West Frankfort history at the dilapidated former Mexican restaurant on Emma St. (William McPherson, Photo)

WEST FRANFORT, IL (William McPherson – The Benton/West Frankfort Gazette Please click to read the full story. Here is an excerpt.) City workers discovered something quite remarkable last week. It has been a long legal battle but the city was finally able to get the structure which formerly contained the old El Vallarta Mexican Restaurant on Emma Street condemned. The city is currently in process of removing the safety hazard. Upon tearing away part of the already crumbling brick facade, an old advertisement mural that appears to be from the 1920s or earlier was uncovered. In an earlier life, the building had once been E.B. Pharis general store, and for a time in the 1920s had been Plumlee-Pharis Wholesale Grocery Company. Lois Short is the granddaughter of Stephen L. Plumlee (1861-1952) and Dora (Gammon) Plumlee (1871-1943).

Filed Under: Featured, Slider, West Frankfort News

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