The day was Friday, August 19, 1955. Colleen Curtis, 20, received the keys to a brand-new black Chevrolet two-door. It was grand-opening day for Ben Redd Chevrolet at 335 North Main Street in Logan, Utah. Colleen was having an eventful era in her life; her wedding had taken place just a few months earlier and, the previous year, she had taken a job at Mountain Bell as a telephone operator. Her new car retailed at around $1,900. A photo of Colleen’s happy day was featured in The Herald Journal newspaper three days following her car purchase.
This August will mark the 70th anniversary of Colleen’s key handoff. She and I have a little bit of a connection: A few years ago, I told the story of my first car, a 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity. My mom and dad bought that car new on April 19, 1986, from Axtell Chevrolet in Logan, Utah, which was what became of Ben Redd Chevrolet. I recently decided to dig a little deeper into some history of dealerships in Logan, and I ended up on a journey of great discovery.
This falls in line with my prior “classic building” stories that some of you liked about my great-grandfather’s 1923 service station and my visit to Bob’s Sinclair in rural Kanosh, Utah.
Origins of 335 North Main Street
A January 24, 1947, story from The Herald Journal announced the opening of the Humphrey and Evans Motor Company. “The new building is modern and complete,” the story said, “Representing investment of about $50,000. Constructed of tile and cinder block, it has a spacious showroom with a floor finished in marble, a parts room, office upstairs finished in knotty pine, and a shop in the rear. The showroom is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the state.” For its first several years, the Humphrey-Evans Motor Company sold Hudson vehicles.
Ben Redd Chevrolet Takes Over
The 1950s were a time of postwar optimism – an era of prosperity, an economic boom and thriving car culture. Car ownership became a rite of passage and a status symbol for people like Colleen Curtis. Redd Chevrolet took over the Humphrey-Evans dealership location in mid-1955 and rode the wave, selling many iconic vehicles like Bel Airs, Task Force trucks and Corvettes.
Just about five years after Colleen bought her car, in January 1960, the dealership changed ownership to a Mr. Ellis Axtell. A month later, operations at 335 North Main were closed, and Axtell Chevrolet relocated to 1475 North Main (the former location of an equipment building). The move was logical for a lot of reasons: Most notably, the original location had become a hub of traffic and industry with limited parking. The new location – at the time, on the outskirts on the north end of town – offered lots of space. “Inspect the new enlarged facilities and view the large selection of new 1960 Chevrolet cars and trucks. Remember, parking is no problem at Axtell Chevrolet,” an advertisement from February 10, 1960, said.
Evolution and Decline
Now that Chevrolet had moved its operations, the original 335 North Main location became home to a number of different businesses in the decades that followed. I remember my uncle saying he worked a speed shop there in the 1970s. It went by a few names, including Custom Muffler & Speed. The facility fell into some disrepair and became surrounded on all sides by more modern infrastructure as development ensued. Main Street, too, became too busy to allow for easy entry or exit to the property, so its days were numbered.
Google Street View chronology shows that the once-glamorous 1947-era showroom was bulldozed sometime between November 2021 and September 2022. As of the most recent image taken in August 2024, it was an empty lot – a quiet reminder of the many exciting automotive stories over the years.
Tribute to Colleen
As for Ms. Curtis, since the photo of her in The Herald Journal was what prompted this story: Colleen lived her entire life in Logan, Utah, and eventually pursued a career in real estate.
When she passed away on December 28, 2000, she left behind three children, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. What a great legacy! And, as it turns out, great taste in cars.
