804 Walnut St Historic Survey 2013

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Resource Number: 5BL 8029 Temporary Resource Number: 157508415011 In 1920, the Forte family was living at 801 Walnut and not at this location, but the Forte Store continued at 804 Walnut. Michael Forte's occupation in the 1920 census was stated to be retail merchant for a general store, and Ora was the proprietess of a general store. Similar occupations are stated for them in the 1930 census. Michael and Ora had seven children. In addition to Leonard, Lorina, Virginia, and Olivia, there were also Alice, Joseph, and Patricia. The following photo shows the children, parents, and grandmother Eufrasina Massaro (with a photo of Eufrasina and Giuseppe Massaro on the wall): According to a Forte family history written later by some of the Forte adult children: In the early 1930's, during the Depression, Michael Forte was the first person to raise head lettuce in the Granby area. He did this during the summer months while Ora managed the store. Later on he also was the first to raise head lettuce on rented acreage between Blackhawk and Central City and later in Nederland, Colorado. He served on the Boulder County Welfare Board between WWI and his retirement. Michael Forte also served as a member of the Louisville City Council from 1915 to 1917. As for their mother, the Forte family wrote: [Ora Forte] had to quit school after the sixth grade to help her mother in the boarding house. She was self-educated to a very high degree.... She played the organ, conducted the choir and soloed in St. Louis Catholic church. She produced plays for the townspeople of Louisville as well as Denver neighborhood theaters.... Ora ran the store completely, from accounting, purchasing, sales and all other interior work while Michael contacted and delivered to families in the nearby towns of Superior and Marshall by dray wagon and later on by motor truck. The St. Louis Catholic Church, in which Ora Forte was so involved, was located directly across the street at 833 La Farge (5BL7994) during all of the years that the Massaro and Forte family owned 804 Walnut. In the late 1940s, Forte's store was included on an advertising movie curtain that was made for the Rex Theatre at 817 Main, just a short distance away. The Rex's owner, Santino Biella, lived across the street from Forte's Store at 825 La Farge (5BL7993), just south of the St. Louis Catholic Church. Santino Biella included a number of nearby businesses in the advertising on his movie curtain, including "M. Forte & Son," as shown here: 5