Though altered over many years to look like three separate buildings, this early 1900s brick commercial block is actually one large building (extending to the corner of Oak). Originally divided by interior partition walls, the building hosted three and sometimes four separate businesses inside. By 1912, Irish-born Emma Delaney ran a restaurant in 119, while Irish widow Margaret Hogan ran a confectionery next door at 121. Number 123 held the Swift Café and a shoeshine parlor, and Phil Daniels had an ice cream parlor at 125. Though many of the businesses came and went, others became downtown institutions. Duval Hardware opened in 1915 and remained at 119-121 until the early 1950s. The Waldorf Café, “The Good Place To Eat,” was a twenty-four-hour diner operating in 123 from 1918 to 1930. The Waldorf’s neighbors often complained about its rowdy clientele. Another well-known tenant was William Johnson, a Minnesota-born African American, who established the Anaconda Shoe Shining Parlor in 1925. Johnson polished and buffed shoes in his tiny shop between 123 and 125 until 1954.
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