FINLEY — A landmark building that was just under 100 years old and served as a reminder of livelier times in Finley was demolished on Wednesday by its owner.
Most residents of Finley”s quiet agricultural region referred to the building as “Goldy”s Market” because it had once functioned as a grocery store. But Marilyn Smith, whose family owned the property and who now owns it herself, said it served several other functions.
“It was a packing house originally,” Smith said. “My grandparents bought it in the ”40s and put a grocery store in it. Then in the ”70s my father went out of the grocery business when his health was bad. There were square dances in it with Sparky Sparks because of a hardwood floor.”
The building also housed Pacific Motor Trucking (PMT), which occupied the back portion while the grocery functioned up front. Smith said she has seen photos showing a watch repair shop existed in a corner of the front segment.
She added that the building became “Goldy”s Market” because Goldeen Meyers was her grandmother”s name.
Finley was never a bustling village, but people who know the area say that during World War II it was the site of a couple of packing and drying sheds for the county”s now declining pear and walnut industries. Angel”s, a popular Mexican restaurant that is presently the only business operating in Finley, was formerly a busy bar called The Rock House. There was a clothing store, two garages and the still-present Finley post office in a building constructed by Smith”s family. But the area has “gone more down than up” in recent years, said Smith.
The demolished structure and the homes of Smith and her parents and grandparents were all located in what she called Finley”s “center acre.”
“I grew up in that building. Over it, under it, on top of it, you name it,” Smith said as she watched it being destroyed. “I stocked the shelves of the store and played in the back.”
Of total wood construction, the old building wasn”t destroyed by fire because “we were pretty careful with it,” she added.
“We cleaned up the outside and kept a good roof on it. Our house was on one side and my parents” was on the other, so we didn”t allow a lot of people in the driveway and we didn”t allow anyone to smoke around the place, except for my dad.”
Smith says she had the building demolished because she and three siblings are liquidating the property that has been in their family for three generations in order to divide their inheritance and because she was ordered to by the county.
“There were a lot of people around here who were really upset because I”m taking the building down,” she said. “I don”t want to take it down, but the county put me in that position. They said it was too old and other things need to go in there.”
Before the building came down, Smith spent eight weeks rummaging through it, finding an old iron foot or two used in shoe repair, a couple of clocks and some bottles among other antique items.
Smith plans to move to Redding where her husband is employed by Caltrans.
“We”re going to sell the property and move,” she said. “It”s for sale, but we”re not going to get any bids on it until we get this building off it.”
She still believes that the building could have been saved.
“It had some damaged places on one side of the wall,” said Smith, “but it”s a lot more sturdy than people thought it was.”
Contact John Lindblom at jlindblom@record-bee.com
