Today on the King’s Guide, we're over at the Boulevard Building at the corner of Monroe and Indiana at Northwest Boulevard. This interesting triangular shaped building was built in 1910 by Olaf Lillequist. By 1915, the Boulevard was sold, and it was sold twice in the span of a few weeks, the second time to Francis Martin. 

It's known locally for the Stewart Hardware Company, which was founded by Irwin “Stewie” Stewart. Stewie was a 1931 graduate of nearby North Central High School and trained pilots as part of the Civil Air Patrol in the 1940s. 

A local woman made the papers in 1953 when she won a freezer in a national Kelvinator contest, and her prize was presented to her by the Stewart Hardware Company.

However, Stewart Hardware was not the first hardware store in this location. Stowell Hardware opened in the Boulevard around 1911, but was sold shortly after Rodney Stowell died in 1913. By 1917 it was sold again, this time under the name Monroe Hardware and Auto Supply Company. John Malone purchased the store and operated it until the mid 1940s. 

We decided to pay the Boulevard a visit this week to get to know its newest occupant, Chris Bovey, of Vintage Print and Neon. Chris is a local artist and history nut. The grand opening of Vintage Print and Neon is Saturday, May 3rd, 2025. 

Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/shorts/RFo5V5T6nXA