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.

 

J. H. Clarke Radio Shop, 352 N. Main, 1935

COURTESY OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK

COURTESY OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK

 

 

Discarding Dead Radios at the City Dump in the Helena Valley, ca. 1935

COURTESY OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK

Note the axe used to chop the radios up. Electronics recycling has improved since then.

 

 

Earl Charlton in Front of the Shop at 352 N. Main

COURTESY OF ROWENA CLARKE FULK

Earl Charlton, 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.

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