Photo Courtesy of Terry Edwards. Page Jewelers Original Store. Undated. Is the customer USBR photographer A. E. Turner?

Hey Peeps, I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I guess I have a life after all. In my last post, way back in March, I promised my next few posts would be of the businesses in those small white buildings along North Navajo Drive. If you need a refresher, go back and read that post and then come back here.

In this post, we’re going to talk about Page Jewelers, one of those businesses. It was owned and run by Ernie Severino. The photo above shows him inside the original store located among other business trailers along North Navajo Drive. Does anyone recognize the customer? Is it USBR photographer A. E. Turner? Ernie Jr wrote me after I sent this picture to him and said,

“That chair is outside my shop, I use it all the time. I also see the machine that he used to clean watch parts, it’s in my shop too. Just can’t give it up!”

He gave me permission to share that with you. Thanks Ernie! He also gave me some good info on the layout of these businesses and the trailers there. He told me,

“At least that’s what we called them [The Shacks]. Starting at the left was our trailer, then Page Jewelers, and Kerry and Sonia Jones’ trailer, and then the shoe store, and then Bob Jorgenson’s (I’m pretty sure that was his name) trailer, and then his shop. The Men’s Store, and then the Firestone Store.

 “There was a store next to our trailer, I think you mentioned it and said something about a Key Shop, I remember it as a place that sold carpet and floor covering it was owned by Bud Lippert. He had a son close to my age named Dennis.

 “Then the next shack was Bill Lee’s restaurant I don’t know if it was called The Steak House at that point. I think it was a triple wide shack. It caught on fire during the middle of the night. A night I’ll never forget, luckily there was no wind or the whole business section of town along with our houses would have been gone.

 “Then there was the Drug Store, it may have been a triple wide also, I worked there along with Cree (Reddick) Marks.”

Ernie also shared some photos with me from his own collection. I want to pass them along to you, along with his descriptions. These are priceless.

Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. Undated

Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. Ernie Sr at the Original Store. Feb, 1961

Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. Undated

The photo above was taken from the back of the store, looking toward the front. The small front window is visible.

Ernie Severino Sr and Ernie Severino Jr on the footbridge that spanned the canyon. Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. Undated

Mike Severino in the parking lot of First National Bank. Keisling’s gas station is to the right in the background. Love the car! Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. April, 1962

Page Jewelers eventually moved next door to the theater. Here’s a couple of shots Ernie shared with me of the new store. This is the one I remember best.

Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. May, 1961.

Mrs. Severino and Mike Severino inside the new store. Photo Courtesy of Ernie Severino Jr. May, 1961.

Thanks for sharing your memories with us Ernie! I’m glad to have this collection on my site.

-Mike