| The Dils Bros & Co. department store established in 1900, was located at 521-523 Market St. in downtown Parkersburg and later grew to encompass 521-529 Market St. Dils was also an occupant of 322 Grand Central Mall in nearby Vienna, West Virginia. The mall, though obviously a good idea, was very bad for the business community which operated shops and department stores on Market St. A once bustling area of shops and shoppers began to fade into the past when the Grand Central Mall complex, smaller mini-malls and Shopping Centers started to spread across the area. The whole idea was "convienience", as for the Grand Central Mall in Vienna, people would rather walk around from shop to shop without ever setting foot outside. Other mini-malls and shopping centers were scattered in easily accessible areas, as they still are today, like three doors down on the corner. There became no need to travel downtown to Market St. to buy a bottle of Aspirin at Stouts Drug Store or to get a pair of socks from Sears or Dils. Market St. now still has a few stores, though most of the businesses are Professional Offices such as Doctors and Lawyers. |
