Interior of an unknown
Helena mercantile, ca. 1900

Interior
of an unknown Helena area mercantile, 1907
Photo by Edward M. Reinig

|
|
| Edward M.
Reinig was a professional photographer who operated a small commercial
studio in the basement of his Helena home. His photographs include
views of Helena and the nearby towns of Elliston, Marysville and
Radersburg. Although this store may have been in one of those
outlying communities, it is typical of the everyday Helena shopping
experience at the beginning of the 20th Century. |
|
|
Unknown
Helena furniture store, ca. 1890

Unknown
variety store, 1929

The New Cash Market 58 South Main
THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION

THE ASHBY
BLOCK
Sixth
and Main
1883-1929

| The Ashby
Block, northwest corner of 6th and Main, 1919. Built by S. C.
Ashby and Charles A. Broadwater in 1883, it was demolished in
1929 to make way for the First National Bank Building. The corner
windows of the Ashby Block were popular perches for photgraphers,
who documented numerous parades on the Gulch from there. |

ROCKY
MOUNTAIN TELEPHONE COMPANY
Jackson
and Grand

The 1897
Rocky Mountain Telephone Company building, SE corner of Grand
St. and Jackson. Behind it is the A. P. Curtin Store on Grand
St. A third floor and addition to the back of the building
were constructed in the early 1920s.
For many
years this building served as Montana headquarters for Rocky
Mountain Bell, and
contained the business office, long distance and local service
operators for the manually operated central office. It housed
equipment and personnel to maintain the Northern Transcontinental
Toll Line extending east to west across Montana, and the Helena-Salt
Lake and Helena-Calgary long distance networks.
Telephone
operators, the business office and most maintenance personnel
were moved to
the dial exchange building at 441 N. Park following inauguration
of dial service in 1955.
In January of 1962, all state administralive offices together
with engineering and accounting
departments were consolidated in the present state headquarters
building, purchased by the
telephone firm from Western Life.
All equipment
was removed from the Jackson St. building in 1966.
|
| The footprint
of the RMTC building superimposed on a recent satellite photo.
Grand Street, which connected Main to N. Warren, no longer exists. |

APARTMENTS
AT 426 CLARKE ST.
1887 - Today

|
This
apartment building, still standing at 426 Clarke St., was built
in 1887 by Sarah E. Spalding.
|

| Sarah E.
Spaulding and her daughter Lena Griggs Curtiss Gunn (b. Kansas
1872). They came to Helena in 1876. Twice-widowed Sarah was one
of the original incorporators of the Helena Florence
Crittenton Home. Lena was talented in drawing. |

A Chinese
peddler on the steps of 426 Clarke St., probably 1901. The
little girl is Maebelle Gunn, Mrs. Spalding's grandaughter.
In 1926, Maebelle portrayed Yu Chin in the Chinese play "Mrs.
Li Remembers", given for charity at the Congregational
Church.
Many
thanks to Pam Attardo of Clarke St. in Helena for these beautiful
photos and information, which she received from from Mrs.
Spalding's great-grandson, Phil Gunn, who now lives in Arizonawith
his mystery novelist wife, Elizabeth.
|

THE
BONNEVILLE APARTMENTS
Park
Ave. and Lawrence
1875-1988

COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK
|
The Bonneville
Apartments under demolition, NE corner of Park and Lawrence,
1988. The Bonneville was built in 1875, and remodeled around
1926 in the Mission Style. Colorful mosaic tiles decorated the
floor of the Park Ave. entryway, and several light wells brightened
the interior. There was no elevator; a wide central stairwell
served three floors, and a long flight of narrow back stairs
led down to the parking lot on the east side. Coal for the large
furnace in the basement was delivered via a chute on the Lawrence
(south) side of the building.
This great
view was taken from the City-County (old Federal) Building by
Jeff Sherlock.
|

The east side
of the Bonneville Apts, ca.1913.
THE
HOMER BLOCK
Later
known as the Central View Apartments
Park
Ave. and Clarke
1890-1971

COLLECTION OF
KENNON BAIRD
|
The 1890
Homer Block, SW corner of Park Ave. and Clarke St., early
1940s. This ornate building had apartments on the upper floors,
and offices on the ground floor. Dressmakers, physicians,
lawyers, music teachers and others rented commercial space
there over the years. From 1906 to 1915, the Christian Science
Reading Room was located in the Homer Block.
Beginning
about 1932, the building was named the Central View Apartments.
It stood until 1971, when it was one of the first Victorian
structures in Helena to fall to the Urban Renewal wrecking
ball. Older Helenans will remember the carved griffins above
the corner doors...
|


| The footprint
of the Homer Block superimposed on a recent satellite image.
A widened Park Ave. now cuts through part of the site. |

HELENA
PUBLIC LIBRARY & AUDITORIUM
1897-
1935
7th
Ave. at N. Warren St.
Damaged
by the '35 earthquakes and subsequently demolished

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A
LARGER VERSION IN A NEW WINDOW
|
The 1897
Helena Public Library and auditorium, located at 7th and Warren.
It was heavily damaged by the 1935 earthquakes, at which time
the books and other materials were moved to the vacant Unitarian
Church at Park and Lawrence. That building subsequently served
as the library for over 30 years, and is now the Grandstreet
Theatre.
The adjacent
1908 Seventh Avenue Gym, the red-roofed building seen in the
satellite image below, still survives.
|

DETAIL
OF PREVIOUS PHOTO

The footprint
of the old library and auditorium superimposed on a recent satellite
image

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD

Y.
M. C. A.
Fuller and Lawrence
1914 - 1970s

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
The 1914
Y.M.C.A building, on the SE corner of Fuller and Lawrence.
It was demolished in the 1970s, during the Urban Renewal period.
Immediately
following the 1935 earthquakes, several City of Helena offices
were temporarily housed in the Y. M. C. A. buil
|

PHOTO
BY VIRGIE MILLEGAN BAIRD - COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD
A 1970s view of
the same corner.

COURTESY
OF SCOTT NELSON
|
A
recent view of the site. The Y.M.C.A. cornerstone is preserved
in a section of brick wall...
|

Y.
W. C. A.
Park Ave. and Placer
1918 -
Today
The 1918 Y.W.C.A.,
seen from Park Ave. Still standing, still in business.

COURTESY
OF KATHRYN FEHLIG
The Y.W.C.A.,
seen from Fuller Ave., 1951.

MONTANA CHILDREN'S
HOME SOCIETY
840 Helena Avenue

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
| The Receiving
Home of the Montana Children's Home Society, on Helena Ave., about
1917. It still stands, next to the old Shodair
Children's Hospital. Shodair began as a home for orphaned
and abandoned children in 1896. Children would be placed on "orphan
trains" in the south and sent to the northwest. If they were
not adopted at one of the stops along the way, they would end
up in Helena, the last stop. Montana Children's Home and Hospital
was developed to care for these children. It was later renamed
Shodair Children's Hospital after benefactor Louis Shodair. |

COLLECTION
OF NANCY GOODSPEED
The Receiving
Home today.
PRESS ROOM OF
THE HELENA INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
52 South
Main
About 1918

COURTESY
OF SCOTT NELSON - THE
BRIDGEWORKS CONSERVANCY
| Press room
of the Helena Indpendent, about 1918. Second from the left is
Bill Stephenson, tending the Goss press. Health problems caused
by prolonged exposure to lead type and certain inks plagued typesetters
and pressmen. CLICK IMAGE
TO ENLARGE |

Helena Independent
front page logo, 1918.

GLOBE
CLOTHING
361
N. Main
In
business from 1909 to 1984

FROM
THE 1964 LAST CHANCE STAMPEDE PROGRAM COURTESY OF KITTY ANN
QUIGLEY TAALER

| Now the site
of Bert
& Ernie's Dining Saloon & Grill on the SE corner of
Main and Lawrence, Globe Clothing -- later "The Globe"
-- operated from 1909 to 1984. The building was enlarged/remodeled
several times, most notably in 1940 and again 1960, when the adjacent
vacant Ideal Bakery space at 363 N. Main was incorporated. |


FROM
THE 1965 LAST CHANCE STAMPEDE PROGRAM COURTESY OF KITTY ANN
QUIGLEY TAALER
Interior
of Globe Clothing & Jewelry, March 1913.

The Globe in 1964.
THE
MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD ARSENAL
600
N. Warren
1890 - 1935

| The Montana
National Guard Arsenal was formally opened May 9 1890. It was
extensively damaged by the 1935 earhquakes, and subsequently demolished.
|

Footprint of the
1890 arsenal superimposed on a recent satellite image.

THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
| Destruction
of the Montana Arsenal caused by the 1935 earthquakes. Because
the equipment stored within the arsenal was so well-packed, it
all went undamaged during the quakes. One officer, Major Sol Peterson,
was injured by the collapse. Construction of the new Armory, at
the intersection of N. Main and Lyndale, began in 1940. That building
now houses State offices. |

NATIONAL
BISCUIT COMPANY
1308
Boulder Ave.
(Construction
date unknown) - A casualty of the 1935 earthquakes


THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
| Ruins of
the National Biscuit Company factory on Boulder Ave. The Sixth
Ward (depot district) where this building was located, was the
hardest hit by the 1935 quakes. At the time of the quakes, this
facility functioned primarily as a distribution center. |



HELENA
BRANCH OF THE MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
400 N.
Park Ave.
1937 -
today

|
The flower-bedecked
lobby of the old Federal Reserve Branch Bank, Park Ave. at Lawrence.
Photo taken on the bank's opening day, June 17, 1938.
The building
was constructed in 1937 and served as the Federal Reserve Bank
until 1990. It was remodeled in 1991 to accommodate offices
on the upper and lower level, and First Montana Title Company
on the main level. The remodeling process was careful to preserve
the character and detail of the building. Now called the Reserve
Financial Center, it is still home to 4 major vaults and 34
smaller vaults throughout the building.
|

RADIO
SERVICE ENGINEERS
LATER CHARLTON RADIO & ELECTRIC
352 N. Main
Building burned
in 1950

John Howell Clarke and Mildred Getts Clarke,
1934
COURTESY
OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK
| In 1934,
John Howell Clarke and his bride Mildred Getts Clarke, moved to
Helena from Great Falls, where Howell (as he preferred to be known)
took over the radio repair service of local Philco dealers Burgan
& Walker, who were located at 431 Fuller Avenue... |

|
In 1935,
Mr. Clarke opened Radio Service Engineers at 352 N. Main, pictured
below. This brick building was located where the entrance to
Wells Fargo (once the Union Bank & Trust Co.) is today.
About 1938,
J. H. Clarke sold the business to his sister and brother-on-law,
Virginia and Earl Charlton. The Charltons operated in Helena
for many years selling radios, pianos, organs, and appliances.
|

COURTESY
OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK
The J. H. Clarke shop, 352 N. Main, 1935.

COURTESY
OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK
The J. H. Clarke shop, 352 N. Main, 1935.

COURTESY
OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK
| J. H. Clarke
discarding bad radios at the city dump in the Helena Valley, about
1935. Note the axe used to chop them up. Electronics recycling
has improved since then. |

COURTESY
OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK
Earl Charlton
in front of the business at 352 N. Main, shortly after purchasing
it from J. H. Clarke. The Charltons moved the shop north to
424 N. Main sometime before 1953.
In October
of 1950, this brick building (350 and 352 N. Main) was gutted
by fire, destroying the Super Ice Cream Factory at 350, and
heavily damaging the Susan Eaker Book Shop, which then occupied
352. The building was pulled down. Eaker reopened her shop
in 1951 at 29 W. 6th Ave.
|


BROADWATER
GROCERY
ONE ROBBER KILLED,
TWO IMPRISIONED, IN 1939

COURTESY
OF SCOTT NELSON THE
BRIDGEWORKS CONSERVANCY
|
Above is
a 2008 photo of what remains of the Broadwater Grocery. From
1935 to 1967, it was a handy stop at the Highway 12 / Williams
St. intersection west of Helena, supplying groceries, beer and,
for a time, gasoline. Only the rear residence part of the building
remains, the front retail section having been removed when the
highway was widened in the 1960s. Thanks to preservation-minded
Scott Nelson for this photo!
The intersection
has long been a lively one. It was across the road from the
Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium, and a mile from Fort Harrison
-- which made it a handy R&R stop for military men. Two
raucus roadhouses, several service stations and two restaurants
operated near the crossroads over the decades. Like almost everywhere
in Montana before the 1940s, gambling was a staple in these
establishments.
|

The footprint
of the Broadwater Grocery's retail section superimposed on a recent
satellite image.
Broadwater Grocery
Ad, 1953
|
Your editor
admits to a nostalgic fondness for the Broadwater Grocery, having
grown up in the neighborhood from 1950 to 1969. When I was first
aware of the store, around 1954, it was owned by Tom and Lucille
Root; it was always a treat when my dad would say, "Let's
go see Tom", because I knew that cold pop, candy or maybe
even fireworks were in the offing. The store was the favorite
destination of every neighborhood boy I knew, and we spent a
lot of silver there during our growing-up years.
The Roots
sold out in 1955 to Tony and Jane Schultz, who operated it until
1967, when the widening of the highway forced them to close.
The front of the store was removed, but I believe the Schultzs
continued to live in the residence for some time.
The builder
of the enterprise, Fred "Scotty" Palmer, retired in
1943, selling to Alberto and Gladys Whitney. They sold to Herman
and Vi Rupp in 1950, who in turn sold to Tom Root in 1952. At
least that's as close as I can track it.
If anyone
has photos of the Broadwater Grocery, please
contact me.
Now for
the exciting part...
|

BUILDER OF THE BROADWATER GROCERY SHOOTS AND KILLS ROBBER - 1939
CONDENSED FROM
THE ARCHIVES OF THE HELENA INDEPENDENT
|
On Saturday,
March 11 1939, three experienced slot-machine hijackers from
Butte, Montana drove to Helena in a Dodge coupe, looking for
places to rob. William Foster (1910-1939), Elwood Burton Crawford
(1910-1966), and Edward "Babe" Netterberg (1906-1973)
cruised the area for hours, until about 10:00 pm, when they
stopped at the Broadwater store.
Foster went
inside, bought a pack of cigarettes from owner Fred "Scotty"
Palmer (1876-1969) and loitered for a few minutes, casing the
place. Foster decided that the Broadwater Grocery and filling
station looked like an easy target.
The trio
decided to wait until the following morning to hit the store,
intending to surprise Palmer when he opened up. To kill time,
the boys spent the night driving to East Helena, then to Townsend
and back, looking for future holdup opportunities.
They returned
to Broadwater around 6:00 am on Sunday morning, and parked on
"an upper road and about a quarter mile east of the gas
station" (presumably Hauser Blvd., which at that time went
through to the highway) and waited for the owner Fred "Scotty"
Palmer to open up. When they saw the store lights come on, they
drove down...
|

|
Netterberg
remained in the car as the getaway driver, while Foster led
the way into the store with Crawford close behind him. Foster
thrust his hand into the pocket of his dark blue overcoat, in
which was a loaded .38 revolver, and told Palmer, ""This
is a stickup! These slot machines have to go, Dad." To
which Palmer replied, "O. K.".
While Foster
kept his revolver trained on Palmer, Crawford took the nickel
machine and loaded it into the Dodge. He came back, picked up
the dime machine, and took it outside.
Foster then
turned away from Palmer momentarily to grab the cash drawer.
Palmer backed away from Foster, toward a bedroom at the rear
of the store (the part of the structure existing today). Palmer
reached around a door sill and grabbed a 12-gauge Remington
automatic shotgun which was leaning against the wall. When Foster
turned around holding the cash drawer, Palmer fired. He was
less than 12 feet away from Foster when he pulled the trigger.
The blast of shot ripped away part of Foster's left sleeve,
blew a four-inch-wide hole in the front of his overcoat, and
entered his body just under the heart.
"Oh!"
Foster cried, dropping the cash drawer to the floor, scattering
the $10 in change that it held. He fell to the floor, got up,
staggered out the door, and fell again. Crawford, outside with
the dime slot machine, dropped it and ran north toward Ten Mile
Creek. Netterberg exited the car and hid, crouching next to
the building.
Palmer went
outside with his shotgun and confronted Netterberg, who pleaded
with Palmer not to shoot him. Palmer marched Netterberg across
the highway to the Pepperbox (now the Corner Bar), where bartender
Leonard Floydell called the Sheriff and ambulance, and held
Netterberg until the Sheriff arrived.
Foster was
taken by ambulance to St. John's Hospital, where he died less
than four hours later of shock and hemorrhage.
Crawford
hid in an outhouse near Ten Mile Creek, in back of the Pepperbox,
but was found a short time later by Sheriff Brian O'Connell.
In the Dodge
were found several homemade blackjacks, and wiring which authorities
said was similar to that used in blowing open safes.
A coroner's
jury found that Palmer's shooting of Foster was justifiable.
Crawford and Netterberg were each sentenced to three years in
the state penitentiary. Foster was buried in Butte's Holy Cross
Cemetery.
"I'm
sorry this thing had to happen," Palmer said in The
Helena Independent. "But when this fellow pointed a
gun at me and was trying to steal my money there was only one
thing I could doand that was protect my property. I knew
he meant business. The way he told me it was a stuck-up was
without any sign of nervousness. And when he took my cash drawer,
with money I worked hard to earn, I Just bad to do something
about protecting myself."
|

MUTUAL
COAL CO.
Railroad Ave. at
Lamborn

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
|
The office
of the Mutual Coal Co., corner of Railroad Ave. and Lamborn
St., 1930s. The scale was located between the office and the
coal bins -- the buildings where the "hauling & storage"
sign is.
The small
sign by the office door is for Jeffries Coal, which was mined
near Roundup, Montana.
These
wonderful photos are courtesy of Bob Guffey, grandson of Mutual
Coal Company owner, Ora Guffey. Thanks, Bob!
|

|
The location
of the Mutual Coal Co., superimposed on a recent satellite image.
Located here were the small office, scale, and coal bins. The
truck fleet was housed in a garage (seen below) but I am presently
unsure of its location, other than it was also in the Sixth
Ward.
|

| In 1927,
Bear Creek Mutual Coal became the Helena Mutual Coal Company .
The name was later changed to the Mutual Coal Company. |

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
| Ora Guffey
(1892-1981), owner of the Mutual Coal Co. Mr. Guffey had other
Helena interests over the years, including selling real estate
and operating the Ora Guffey Trading Post, dealing in all manner
of goods. |

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
Ora and
Nellie Guffey, with the truck fleet in front of the garage.

| Coal was
branded and marketed on a retail level in those days, and was
sold by the ton in various sizes -- like "lump". "egg"
and "nut". |

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
The truck fleet
and drivers.

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
Drivers identified
as Earl and Joe

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
Damage to the
garage after the first of the 1935 earthquakes...

COURTESY
OF BOB GUFFEY
Damage to the
garage a few days later, after the final 1935 earthquake.

|
The above
Independent Record story about the earthquake damage contains
a small error, in that Consumer's Coal was a different company,
in competition with Mutual Coal.
In later
years, as the use of coal declined, Ora Guffey transitioned
the business into a kind of general mercantile, operating the
Ora Guffey Trading Post at Lyndale and N. Oakes, also in the
Sixth Ward.
|

BUTTREY'S
SUPER MARKET
648 N. Jackson
1938 -
today

THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
|
This art
deco building at Jackson and 13th has seen numerous tenants
over the decades. In this 1949 photo, we see it as Buttrey's
Super Market. The structure was built in 1938 by Ellis Blumenthal,
who opened his Nuway Super Market there on November 19. Less
than a year later, he sold out to the Buttrey's chain, who held
their grand opening in Helena on August 18, 1939 (see newspaper
ad below). It was the 16th store in the Buttrey's chain.
Buttrey's
was founded in 1906, and had numerous stores along northern
Montana's "High Line", which is the name given to
the east-west route followed by U.S. Highway 2 and the Great
Northern Railway line.
In the mid-1950s,
Buttrey's moved to the new Hustad Shopping Center on Helena
Ave., and later to a new large Buttrey-Osco store on Montana
Ave. For a detailed history of Buttrey's, click
here.
This building
has also served as the Moose Lodge and as the bus depot.
|


TOWER FOOD
MART and TOWER SHOPPING CENTER
1220 11th Ave.

THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
Tower
Food Mart, 1220 11th Avenue, 1940s.
The market was so named for its close proximity to
the KXLJ radio broadcasting studio and tower at 1306 11th
Avenue.
On Ocober
25, 1950, a grand opening was held for the expanded Tower
Shopping Center, which included a variety store, and frozen
food locker plant. In 1956, more
shops were constructed on the north side of the lot.
|
| Helena
Independent-Record display ad for the Tower Food Mart,
May 23 1946. An inferior
brand of flour raises havoc in the kitchen.
CLICK TO ENLARGE |
|

Helena
Independent-Record story about the expanded Tower Shopping
Center Grand Opening , Oct. 24 1950.
CLICK TO ENLARGE |
|

COURTESY
OF D. R. STINSON
| Postcard
view of the Tower Shopping Center, showing the row of shops added
in 1956. Judging from the angle of the sun and how empty the parking
lot is, this photo was probably taken on a Sunday afternoon. |
The back of the
postcard reads...
|
TOWER
SHOPPING CENTER
Highway 10 & 91
Groceries, Meats, Lockers, Variety, Fishing Supplies, Laundromat,
Barber Shop, Rug Cleaning, Etc.
TOURIST INFORMATION
1220 11th Ave., Helena, Montana
Phone H 2-6770
W. L. (Bill) Higgins, Owner
|
July 11, 1956
Grand Opening newspaper ad.

Detail of the
shops which were added in 1956.
Thanks to Mr. D. R. Stinson for his excellent
high-resolution scan of this rare postcard.

EATON-TURNER
JEWELRY
Formerly Chas. H. Pratt, Jeweler
| Linda
Beattie Anderson has kindly shared these wonderful photos
of the Chas. H. Pratt and Eaton-Turner Jewelry stores, which once
thrived on Main Street. Linda owned Eaton-Turner from 1982 to
1996. In her own words... |
|
"The
Pratts were the first owners, as far as we know. Zip Eaton and
Roy Turner bought it in 1946 from Mrs. Pratt and her son George.
Roy left by the 1950s, and Zip ran it until 1982 when I purchased
it after working there for eight years.
"I
sold it in 1996 to Don Johnson, who has since moved out on Montana
Ave. into a new building."
|
The
Thompson Block Store 1900-1913

| Two circa
1900 interior views of the Chas. Pratt jewelry store, located
in the Thompson Block, which was on the south corner of Main and
Grand St., where the 1913 Placer Hotel (now Placer Center Apartments)
now stands. |

The
Placer Hotel Store

| From 1913
to 1923, Chas. H. Pratt Jewelers occupied this space in the new
Placer Hotel. On July 1, 1923, Pratt moved into a space in the
Gold Block which had previously been a Red Cross facility. |
The
First Gold Block Store

| Pratt Jewelers
in the Gold Block space, about 1923. In 1928, the Gold Block and
other adjoining buildings would be destroyed by fire. A smaller
Gold Block was rebuilt, in a more modern style, and Pratt reopened... |
The
Second Gold Block Store

|
The post-fire
space in the Gold Block, about 1930. This is the storefront
recognized by thousands of Helenans (and ex-Helenans) today.
One memorable
feature of the store during the 1950s was the placement of a
series of delightful Baranger
animated advertising displays in the window on the left.
|

|
Interior
view of Chas. Pratt Jewelers, about 1930. Linda
continues...
|
|
"My
old showcases [the ones shown above] were moved in from Seattle
in the late 20s as used showcases to replace old ones destroyed
when the Gold Block burned...I sold them to an antique dealer
from San Francisco when Don was moving the business."
|

Linda Beattie
and employee, Eaton-Turner Jewelry, 1980s.

Two interior views
of Eaton-Turner Jewelry, about 1990...

SIGN REMOVED TO
COMPLY WITH NEW LAW, 1970s

|
The Eaton-Turner
Jewelry neon sign being removed from the Gold Block in the 1970s,
as mandated by a local ordinance which prohibited overhanging
signs on the new "Walking Mall". More art and craftsmanship
gone forever...

The
Eaton-Turner sign, 1954
MANY
THANKS to Linda Beattie Anderson for her wonderful photos
and story!
|

WESTERN
LIFE INSURANCE CO.

|
1920s view
of the Greek Revivial building, 404 Fuller at W. Lawrence. It
was built in 1923.
Western Life Insurance Co. started out In 1910 as the Montana
Life insurance Co. The name of the company changed to Western
Life in 1938 because it represented a larger area than Montana,
also selling insurance to people and companies in California,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and North Dakota. Its
central office was in Helena until 1957, when it moved to St.
Paul, Minnesota, following merger with the St. Paul Fire and
Marine Insurance Co.
The company was first boused in two rented rooms. Later, the
firm occupied the floor of a
building. Then it acquired the building shown above, which housed
the agency from
1923 to 1956. Then it moved to a building at 560 N. Park that
was later taken over by the state offices of Mountain Bell.
|

The same building
in 1938, renamed for Western Life


COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
| Western Life
company picnic, 1954 or 55. Lions Club Sunshine Camp, south of
Elliston, Montana. |

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
|
Western
Life erected this familiar building at 600 N. Park Avenue from
1954-1956. The company vacated this location on August 17, 1961,
moving to St. Paul, Minnesota. Forty-four Helena employess made
the move with the company.
|

| Full-page
Independent Record newspaper ad for the open house at the new
Western Life building, July 14 1956. Business had been transacted
from the new building since June 17. |
Branch office
constructed on Park Ave. after the 1961 move to St. Paul.

| In October
of 1961, plans were announced for the construction of a Western
Life branch office at 660 N. Park Ave., just north of the company's
former building, which had been purchased by Mountain States Telephone.
The new branch office was completed in the spring of 1962. |

KXLJ-TV
2433
N. Montana Ave.
(now
demolished)

|
The KXLJ
studios at 2433 N. Montana Avenue, about 1958. KXLJ (now KTVH)
was the first television station in Helena, signing on the air
January 1, 1958 as an NBC affiliate. The station was part of
the "XL" Radio Network, along with stations KXLF Butte,
KXXL Bozeman and KXLY Spokane, Washington. KXLJ radio (1240
AM) also had studios in this building, after being located in
a log cabin at 1306 11th Ave. for many years.

| Jan.
5 1958 newspaper ad for Sherman Music Co., Magnavox TV dealers.
According to Bureau of Labor statistics, $219.50 in 1958
translates to about $2,100 in today's dollars -- about what
you'd pay for a widescreen high-defintion set. |
Not long
after KXLJ-TV signed on in 1958, Bob Magnus and two partners
bought the station and changed the call letters to KBLL-TV.
In 1969, former Montana Governor Tim M. Babcock bought the station
and changed the station's call letters to KTCM (Television for
the Capitol of Montana). Babcock sold the station to Lynn Koch
in 1979, and the station changed call letters again, this time
to KTVG. A few years later, Koch sold the station to Don Bradley,
who again changed the call letters to KTVH (TeleVision for Helena),
which remain to this day. By 1988, the station was in financial
trouble and Bradley sold it to Big Sky Communications. Big Sky
Communications restored the station's financial health, and
in 1997 sold KTVH to Beartooth Communications. (This info adapted
from the Wikipedia
entry about KTVH).
Long-time
Helena broadcaster Wally Peel has put together an excellent
history of KXLJ, for the KTVH website. Click
here to visit!
|

COURTESY
OF WALLY PEEL
The site of KXLJ-TV,
2007. The Checker Auto Parts store is on the exact location.

LUNDY'S
SUPERMARKET
300 Euclid Ave.
at N. Benton Ave.

Lundy's expanded
market, NW corner of Euclid and Benton, 1950.
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|
|
Lundy's
was a small Montana grocery chain headquartered in Helena. It
was owned by Oliver and Albert Lundborg, and operated from the
1930s to the 1960s with stores in Helena, Townsend and Livingston.
Albert
(1914-2005) and Oliver Lundborg (1912-2006) were natives of
South Dakota, where their father had a general store in Alpina.
Their sister Elsie had come to Helena, and was working at Intermountain
College. Al and Oliver later came west, and enrolled at Intermountain.
The
closing of the school after the earthquakes of 1935 sent Al
back to South Dakota, where he earned a degree in accounting
and economics. He returned to Helena, and along with Oliver
opened Lundy's Drive-In Market at the corner of Montana Ave.
and 11th. in 1939.
World
War II interrupted their endeavors, closing the store for a
time. in 1946, Al and Oliver purchased several lots on the NW
corner of Benton and Euclid and built a new Lundy's Market there.
In 1950, they expanded the store into what was Helena's first
"supermarket". Other family members had by then joined
the enterprise.
The
expanded store, the entrance of which is shown in the rather
poor-quality image above, measured 140' x 75' (10,500 sq. ft.).
The parking lot had spots for 300 cars. The interior was lit
by three rows of flourescent lights, and featured self-service
meat and produce counters.
The
Lundborgs ran their own produce trucks between Montana and the
west coast, which they claimed enabled them to stock better
produce at lower prices than their competitors. The supermarket
was extensively remodeled in 1954.
In 1963, the Lundborgs sold the food market interest to Super
Save Markets and built the Lundy Center. The old store closed
on Nov. 9, 1963, and was moved south across Euclid Avenue, where
it today houses the Crossroads Sports and Fitness Club.
Al
operated the Lundy Center for twenty years before selling it,
and began devoting much of his time to the Helena community,
especially to the arts.
|
|
|


COURTESY
OF CATHEE CRAPO
The new Lundy
Center under construction, 1964. The old market can just be seen on
the far right.
STEWART
HOMES
N. Montana
Ave. and Butte. Ave.
1940 - Today
Public
housing project -- named for enemy of free speech

COURTESY
OF TOM KILMER
| Stewart Homes,
winter 1967. Photo taken from the porch of 309 Stewart Homes.
This FHA housing project on Montana Avenue first opened in 1940
with 72 units; 60 more units were added in 1953. The project was
named for Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel V. Stewart
(1872-1939). A Democrat, Stewart also served as Governor of Montana
from 1913 to 1921. The project was ostensibly named for him because
he was instrumental in upholding the constitutionality of the
Federal Housing Administration, but Stewart's ultimate legacy
is that of an enemy of free speech... |
|
|
| In 1918,
Governor Samuel V. Stewart, for whom Stewart Homes is named, enacted
the Montana Sedition Act, which has
been called the broadest, most repressive anti-speech law passed
by a state in the history of the country. The law applied to anyone
who in wartime spoke or published disloyal, profane, violent,
scurrilous, contemptuous, slurring or abusive language about the
form of government of the United States.
The accused
could then be convicted of sedition at trial, sent to prison
for up to 20 years and fined up to $20,000. Of the 145 people
charged, 78 were convicted. Of those convicted, 41 were imprisoned.
In May of
2006, thanks to the efforts of those involved in the Sedition
Project of the University of Montana's School of
Journalism, Governor Schweitzer signed a Proclamation of Pardon
for 78 persons convicted of sedition in 1918-1919.
|
|
|

COURTESY
OF TOM KILMER
The Kilmer
family, Stewart Homes, 1959.

SUNNY-VIEW
GUEST HOME
706
Cannon

| The Sunny-View
Guest Home, 706 Cannon, 1950s. From their 1953 Yellow Pages ad..."Permanent
Home for the Aged. Convalescents Cared For. Registered Nurses
on 24-Hour Duty. Jean N. Cirica, R. N., Supt.". Nurse Cirica
was from Idaho, and lived 1885-1970. |

HI-WAY
MARKET
FORMERLY CRAMER'S TRADING POST
916
Poplar at N. Montana Ave.
"Located
out of the high rent district."

|
The Hi-Way
Market was a handy stop on the way to Canyon Ferry or Lakeside.
The combination market and service station was opened in 1936
by Arthur Cramer as Cramer's Trading Post. Cramer also operated
a livestock auction, held south of the market on National Avenue.
There was also a small trailer park north of the market.
Jimmy Hopkins
and John Smovir took over in 1949. The store closed early in
1970. If anyone has actual photos of the operation, please
let me know.
|



LINDY'S
PARCHEN DRUG
Horsky
Block, Sixth and Main
Built in 1884
- destroyed by fire in 1980

|
Pictured
above is the H. M. Parchen Co. at 1 South Main, about 1893.
Prussian native Henry M. Parchen was the first wholesale druggist
in Montana, and a noted civic leader in early Helena.
Parchen opened the doors of the first drug store in the state
in a building at the corner of Wood and Main streets in 1865.
Prior to that, he had conducted a general merchandise business
at
Virginia City and at Deer Lodge.
Business in Helena grew rapidly. Parchen moved his store to
a building at the foot of Broadway, but it was soon found to
be inadequate, and a second move was made to the location across
the street at 1 South Main.
In 1921,
Parchen sold the retail drug business, along with the use of
the trusted Parchen name, to George W. Padbury. It appears from
newspaper archives that Parchen's Drug Store moved from the
Broadway location and opened in the Horsky Block, at the corner
of Sixth and Main, in 1924.
In October
of 1954, Fred Padbury (1894-1961) sold Parchen's to C. Douglas
Lindeberg (1916-1988) , who renamed the concern "Lindy's
Parchen Drug".
The following
1950s photos of Lindy's Parchen Drug are courtesy of Bob and
Susie Lindeberg...
|

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Lindy's
Parchen Drug in the Horsky Block, mid 1950s.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Magazine
racks in Lindy's

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Lindy's Parchen
Drug, with the old tin ceiling in place.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Hair care department.
Note the marble bases on the showcases.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Pharmacist and
owner C. Douglas Lindeberg

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Honeycomb tissue-paper
bells at the holidays.
|
On April
2, 1959, this ad appeared in the Independent Record announcing
Parchen's remodeling sale. A new floor and fixtures greeted
the eager customers. There were merchandise giveaways, and a
contest to win a 32-piece set of stainless steel dinnerware
by guessing how many aspirin tablets were contained in "The
world's largest bottle of aspirin", which was on display.
There were also demonstrations of a Keystone home movie camera...
|


COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Helenans
crowd in for the Grand Opening festivities...

COLLECTION OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Remodeling
Sale customers browse the shelves. Note the many flower arrangements.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
The new floor and
fixtures...

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Product demonstrators.
The big bottle of aspirin is on the right.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Probably a prize
drawing.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
A color view of
the aspirin bottle. On the left, behind the counter, is Marjorie Shafer
Lindeberg.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Douglas Lindeberg
behind the counter.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Douglas and Marjorie
Lindeberg.

COLLECTION
OF BOB & SUSIE LINDEBERG
Constitution Park,
2007. The site of the Horsky Block and Lindy's Parchen Drug

SCOTT'S
TOYS
112 E. 6th Ave. (1951-1954) 313 North Main (1954-1957)

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
| Scott's Toys
at 313 North main St., 1954. This small brick building had previously
housed the Hambuger Inn (late 1920s) and International Business
Machines (late 1940s). It was demolished to make way for the 1st
National Bank Motor Bank, which opened in October of 1958. The
footprint of the building is seen on the locator map below... |

| Scott's Toys
was operated by Lyman H. Scott (birth/death unknown) from 1951
until 1957. The enterprise opened at 112 E. 6th. Ave in 1951,
then relocated to 313 N. Main in 1954. |

COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
After closing the
toy store in 1957, Lyman Scott went into the water-softening business.

THE HUSTAD
SHOPPING CENTER
1088 Helena Ave.

|
The Hustad
Center is still in business at 1088 Helena Avenue. It opened
in the fall of 1956. During the 1950s-60s, it was home to Buttrey
Foods, Super Save Drugs, Marshall-Wells, a laundromat, a shoe
repair shop, a candy store, a bakery and other enterprises.
There was a small Little Chief gas station on the east side
of the lot. If you have a better vintage
image of the center, please let
me know.
|

| Two-page
Independent Record display ad for Buttrey Food's grand opening
in the Hustad Center, Oct. 31, 1956. Prior to moving to the Hustad
Center, Buttrey's was located at 13th and Jackson. |

COURTESY
OF THE BISOM FAMILY
CLICK
ON THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW
The Marshall-Wells
store in the Hustad Center opened on Nov. 1, 1956. Marshall-Wells
was a Michigan-based hardware concern, which at its peak in the
mid-1950s serviced approximately 900 independently-owned retail
stores bearing the Marshall-Wells name, and 6,000 independent
dealers.
The Helena store was in business from November of 1956 to December
of 1966. It was owned and operated by William & Barbara Bisom.
|
Independent Record
display ad, Super Save Drug, Nov. 9, 1956

The Super Save
Drug sign, reflected in Marshall-Wells' window.

Little Chief Gas
logo.

CAPITAL
HILL SHOPPING CENTER
11th Ave. between N. Roberts and N. Oakes
HELENA'S FIRST MALL -- OPENED MARCH 4, 1965

Independent Record
tabloid section, Feb. 28 1965.

The design of
the first Capital Hill Shopping Center sign was pure 1965.

Capital Hill Shopping Center store guide, Feb. 28 1965
|
| 1. Hennessy's
Store |
7. Hal Wheat
Real Estate and Insurance |
| |