The “Then” photo Miami Street from circa 1950 shows Neal Sceva’s stock race car parked in front of Tip Top Lunch restaurant, Melvin Miller proprietor. Also shown is Urbana Police Officer Vern Pendleton monitoring parking meters. Next door is the Urbana Implement Co. at 110 Miami St., proprietor Gene Cameron. This business burned and the location became a public parking lot in 1964.

On summer Friday evenings in the 1950s my father and I with a number of area farmers would sit in front of the Urbana Implement Co. and discuss topics of the day and visit with people passing by. This was a fond memory of my youth.

The “Now” photo taken in 2015 shows the Coppertop restaurant at 116 Miami St. Next door is a city parking lot, the former location of the Urbana Implement Co. at 110 Miami St.

(Champaign County Historical Museum #A868)

What were three previous locations of Kroger in Urbana? Answer in the next Then-Now.

Then: This circa 1950 photo shows two businesses of Miami Street’s past: Tip Top restaurant and Urbana Implement Co.

https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/03/web1_110-Miami-Street-then.jpgThen: This circa 1950 photo shows two businesses of Miami Street’s past: Tip Top restaurant and Urbana Implement Co.

Now: This 2015 photo shows the current Coppertop restaurant and a city parking lot.

https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/03/web1_110-Miami-Street-now.jpgNow: This 2015 photo shows the current Coppertop restaurant and a city parking lot.