Click on a picture for an enlargement. The pictures are grouped in pairs.

Prior to the fire, Monforts was probably one of the busiest places in Alva. In addition to the Pharmacy, the store had a soda fountain, watchmaker/jeweler, cosmetics, and probably most important of all the only place to purchase school books. There was no such thing as "free textbooks" as the only thing the schools supplied was a classroom and a teacher. In the latter part of May 1953, all of that changed.

In addition to probably being more interested in what their children were learning from the books, parents were concerned about the care the books received, so they could be sold back at the end of the year, hopefully recouping a bit of the purchase price. Just as with college textbooks at present, the sell back price often was nothing like the resale price of the used book.

The north side was the location of a restaurant, complete with tablecloths. At various times, it was known as Pangburn's Cafe and Gordon's Cafe. Upstairs were several doctors and lawyers offices. The basement had at times been home to a bowling alley, and at one time a 'Teen Club.'