Industry
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The Wilson (Stone Block) Building became a symbol of Cortez’s commercial stability over the past century. Constructed in 1889 by the Baxstrom brothers from stone quarried west of Cortez in Hartman Draw, it stood idle for several years and was finally completed in the early 1890’s. In the 1890’s, the Guillet brothers, P.T. and H.M., operated Guillet Mercantile there. In 1907, fire from the Hotel Clifton burned the wooden balustrade across the top on the southwestern corner, but the Guillets saved the structure by soaking a large supply of Navajo rugs in water and placing them over the balustrade and window frames on the west half of the building. During the 1930’s, the Wilson family started a pharmacy and soda fountain there and purchased the building after World War II.
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Cortez, Colorado · United States
