CB FOX nee The Hill Theater c.1952, consistant with the movie on the marquee, Carbine Williams that opened around that time. Courtesy/Fox family

The Hill Theater marquee helps put the photo date at about 1952-53, because the movie on the marquee, Carbine Williams starring Jimmy Stewart, was produced and introduced to audiences around that time.

There are no “as built” architectural plans, but the movie theater lasted only a couple of years, after which the AEC decided it wanted to get out of the merchandise business, which it had operated as a PX, from a location immediately across the street from the Hill Theater. Since there was already another movie theater building (theater #2), The Hill Theater was reconfigured as a department store, operated first as Hubbard’s Department Store, we understand.

Hubbard’s lasted approximately one year, then sold out to Spear’s Department Store, which after about two years sold its merchandise, fixtures and the building itself to Clement & Benner Department Store in 1959. Clement & Benner was bought by CB FOX in 1979 and so is celebrating its 40 year now.

The AEC had a small office that was roughly directly above the right end of the marquee. The second floor was all offices. The AEC office was the only one with a skylight, which is today right above the desk in the Furniture Department.

Human interest story — In 1979, immediately after CB FOX had bought the merchandise and fixtures that comprised the Clement & Benner Dept. Store, a retired Zia Company employee named Carl Notrott told me that he’ d been the purchasing agent responsible for placing the order for the tremendous volume of concrete it took to level what had been the well-sloped movie theater floor. He said the concrete truck that showed up pumped yards and yards and yards of the stuff – at 10 cents a yard. Carl couldn’t remember how many cubic yards that was, but he did “warn me” to “take good care of my floor”. (Where the steps from the rear entry meet the Women’s Department floor the concrete is about five feet thick.)

The Gordons Summer Concert c.1990 in front of CB FOX department store on Central Avenue. Russ Gordon and former County Councilor Jim West stand in the center of the crowd. Courtesy/Fox family