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GRAND PACIFIC
BAR
The Grand Pacific
Bar, ca. 1900. A no-nonsense place, to be sure.
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EYBEL'S CAFE
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Eybel's
Cafe, 333 N. Last Chance Gulch, 1920s. The street in front of
Eybel's was apparently a taxi stand. The Eybel Building (note
the inset "E") is still standing.
The attractive
divided-light front windows were replaced with an aluminum and
black glass facade in 1938, when owner Charles George Eybel
coverted the cafe into the Eybel Cafeteria. The interior was
redecorated in shades of blue, yellow and black. Up-to-date
steam tables were installed.
Charles
Eybel (1900-1991), a native of Washington, also opened the Eybel
Hotel at 410 Fuller Ave. in the late 1920s (the site is now
406 Fuller). It was later named the Nash Hotel, and was demolished
around 1970.
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EDDY CAFE
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| Eddy Cafe
at 105 N. Main, 1930's. By 1953, this location was the Cabin Cafe.
It would later become Bryant's Cafe. |
|
Recent
photo of the Parrot Confectionery at 42 N. Last Chance Gulch.
Virtually unchanged since the 1920s, the Parrot has pleased generations
of Helenans and visitors with their famous handmade candies and
fountain treats. It is the last "authentic" business
remaining in downtown Helena.
Many thanks to Laura Blumenthal for
this great photo! |
The Parrot candy
counter.
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THE WISHBONE
CAFE
• LATER THE SILVER SPUR and O'TOOLE'S •
| The Wish
Bone Cafe, 330 N. Main, 1939. This robot-faced art deco building
would subsequently become the Silver Spur Cocktail Lounge,
then O'Toole's Bar. THE
WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION |
AD FOR THE WISHBONE
CAFE - 1946
|
| The Wish
Bone Cafe, 330 N. Main, 1939. Owners Alice Synness Phelan
and Byron Phelan pose with Montana-born motion picture star George
Montgomery. In the background is the Super Ice Cream Factory
at approximately 350 N. Main.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION |
Two 1950s
ladies enjoy the ambiance of the Silver Spur Cocktail Lounge,
formerly the Wishbone Cafe. Note the cuspidor on the floor,
a common sight around Helena in those days. The lobby of the Federal
Building, as well as the public galleries in the State Capitol,
featured these conveniences.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION |
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THE DINER
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Located
at 35 Neill Ave., near the NE corner of Woman's Park, The Diner
was built in 1938-39 by Helena restaurateur Clarence Wise. The
building was white with red trim, and had a knotty pine interior.
As seen in the newspaper ad below, deep-fat frying was
their claim to fame. In August of
1952, Walt and Mille Schrock took over management of The Diner.
They would eventually open Walt & Millie's Diner on E. Lyndale,
near Memorial Park. The Diner building is long gone.
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| In
August of 1952, Walt and Millie Schrock took over management of
The Diner. |
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EDDY'S •
GAMER'S • VROMAN'S • MURRAY'S
|
This
North Main location was operated by several different concerns
over the decades.
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| Eddy's Drive-Inn,
812 North Main, 1940's. Helena restaurateur Eddy Gallivan (Eddy's
Cafe,105 North Main) opened his Drive-Inn on June 15, 1940...
COLLECTION
OF NANCY GOODSPEED |
| Eddy's endured
until 1946. On May 13 of that year, it re-opened as Gamer's Drive-Inn... |
|
Evidently Helenans didn't take to that fancy
Butte cuisine, because Gamer's only lasted until 1952, when
the location became Vroman's...
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|
...which became Murray's in 1953...
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|
| Yellow pages
ad for Murray's Cafe from the winter 1953-54 Mountain States Telephone
& Telegraph Helena directory. Note that the "Gamer's"
signs on the illustration have been blacked out. Also, both Main
and Last Chance Gulch are used in the address, reflecting the
passing of a City ordinance in 1953 renaming Main St. "Last
Chance Gulch". COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD |
| 812 North
Main today, with much remodeling evident. The restaurant curse
was put behind it, and this location operated successfully as
a sporting goods store for many years. It now houses chiropractic
offices. COLLECTION OF NANCY GOODSPEED |
THE CHEERIO
LOUNGE, PLACER HOTEL
|
The Cheerio Lounge
in the Placer Hotel, 1940s.
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| The Cheerio,
"Montana's Finest Cocktail Lounge", opened on Nov. 25
1940. The façade of the lounge was faced with fluted black
ceramic veneer, and trimmed in solid bronze. Inside, the top of
the bar was a 33' piece of bleached Honduras mahogany. The front
of the bar was trimmed with garnet-colored mohair and sandalwood.
Above the bar was a canopy with a blue mirror ceiling. The spring-cushioned
seats and the booth walls were upholstered in ash rose mohair.
We can see how cool the sign was. |
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THE CORNER
|
"The
Corner" lounge and fountain was on the SW corner of Last
Chance Gulch and Lawrence. The "Magic Doors" were
early self-opening electic-eye models, the first in Helena.
Buttrey's Super Market, in the Hustad Center, also featured
self-opening doors in 1956.
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WHITE DOVE LUNCH
|
Located
at 418 N. Main, White Dove Lunch was operated by Wally and Helen
Peel from about 1945-1952. Their son, local TV and radio personality
Wally Peel, is familiar to generations of Helenans. Wally shares
some memories of White Dove Lunch, along with photos of its
former location on Last Chance Gulch...
"It
was a small diner on Main Street (Now Last Chance Gulch) across
from the current General Mercantile. It was owned by my parents...Wally
and Helen Peel, and a man whose first name was Andy. (Wish I
could remember his last name but I was small when I knew him)
This was in
the late 40's or very early 50's. I think 1947 or 1948. About
all I remember is that it was small. Seems like it had about
8 stools at the counter. I believe it was next to where Palmquist
Electric used to be."
|
WALLY
PEEL COLLECTION
| The site
of White Dove Lunch, which stood next this building, just below
the Palmquist Electric Co. sign. The faint outline of the structure
can still be seen on the bricks. Below the two windows on the
left are the faded letters of a a hand-painted sign for the White
Dove Lunch... |
WALLY
PEEL COLLECTION
Newspaper ads
for White Dove Lunch, 1945-1952.
White Dove Lunch
matchbook
WALLY PEEL COLLECTION
|
THE 4-B's
| The 4-B's
was at this 900 N. Last Chance Gulch location for over 30 years.
There was also a 4-B's Cafeteria in the Capital Hill Mall in the
60s-70s. The chain is still in business in Montana, but not in
Helena. |
4-B's Cafe, 1951.
COURTESY
OF KATHRYN FEHLIG
4-B's Matchbook,
with their puzzling "Guaranteed Steaks" claim.
|
The
last days of the old 4-B's building, which had mutated into
this Germanic conglomeration. COURTESY
OF JEFF SHERLOCK
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GERTIE'S DRIVE-IN
• FORMERLY MARTELLO'S DRIVE INN •
|
On May 18
1949, Jean and John Martello opened the Richardson Root Beer
franchise "Martello's Drive-Inn" at 1000 N. Main.
They sold out in 1952 to
Gertrude "Gertie" Richeson (1914-2004) and her
husband Bob. Gertie's became a mainstay in Helena for decades.
Richeson sold the business, and the "Gertie's" name,
in 1963.
The original
Drive-in looked very much like the illustration in the ad above.
The existing brick structure (now Carlson-Wagonlit Travel) came
in the early 1960s.
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| Ad
for Martello's grand opening, May 18 1949. |
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|
Ad for Gertie's
grand openng, April 12 1952.
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| Said "Gertie"
in a 2001 Independent Record newspaper feature: “My
mother cooked a 33-pound turkey every day and a roast and a great
big ham, and I would cook a big kettle of chili and all of it
would be gone by the end of the day. We made everything ourselves
and we dipped our own ice cream — no packaged stuff at our
place, not us, course there wasn’t any back then really.” |
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|
An illustration of what the original Gertoe's sign looked like.
Gertie's seasonal
closing ad, 1952.
| Matchbook
from Gertie's Drive-in, 1960s, with the cryptic legend "Recommended
by Ralph A. Hahn". Hahn was presumably the owner then; he
also jointly owned the Sky-Hi Drive-in Theatre east of Helena. |
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THE RB DRIVE-IN
|
The RB Drive-in,
1967. Still in business at 932 Helena Ave. It opened around
1945 as the Root Beer Stand.
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Bill Higgins,
Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee writes: My
father opened the Root Beer Stand in about 1945. He owned the
property and could get sugar during rationing. A number of High
School and College kids worked there. Dad sold to Bill Staniger,
a fireman and his wife, who expanded the menu. The parking lot
was the end of "the drag" which went up Last Chance
Gulch and back.
Bill's father,
William Higgins Sr., also operated the Tower Shopping Center
on 11th Ave. Many thanks to Bill for e-mailing this information.
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THE MINUTE KITCHEN
• A 4-B'S
SPINOFF •
| Ashtray from
the Minute Kitchen, 612 Euclid Ave., a short-order cafe operated
by the 4-Bs Restaurants. It was located just west of Lundy's Market, |
The rear of the
Minute Kitchen, about 1964.
COURTESY OF CATHEE CRAPO
Minute Kitchen
ad, 1955.
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MISCHEL'S
?
| Ashtray from
Mischel's Restaurant on Last Chance Gulch, after 1953. Does
anyone have information about this establishment? |
HOWARD"S
PIZZA
|
Howard's
Pizza building, 432 N. Park Avenue, 1988. Now demolished.
COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK
|
|
|
Scott
Nelson of Helena writes:
Howard's Pizza was established in 1959, and is still
around on the west side and a little shop on the east
side.
Before
1959, 432 N. Park was home to the Rinda Auto Garage,
family operated by brothers Theo and Venzile Rinda.
Their father Ben started it in 1912 at 426 N. Park.
Ben Rinda was a jack of all trades, whom older generations
I have talked to still remember.
I
think the building itself dates from the 1880's.
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The same location
today THANKS TO SCOTT NELSON
THE IMPERIAL
LANES COFFEE SHOP
|
| Imperial
Lanes Coffee Shop, early 1960s. Imperial Lanes, the largest bowling
establishment in Helena for years, was located on N. Roberts,
between Prospect and 11th. |
1969 newspaper
ad for the Imperial Coffee Shop. Red meat, and lots of it.
|
THE SILVER SPUR'S
FINAL LOCATON
|
The
Silver Spur Bar & Lounge. This Quonset hut on Montana Avenue
was the Silver Spur's final location, after moving from 330
N. Main. The building has been moved away.
COURTESY
OF JEFF SHERLOCK
|
COURTESY
OF JEFF SHERLOCK
The Silver Spur
being moved, date unnown. Final location unknown.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION
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IF
YOU HAVE PHOTOS OR EPHEMERA RELATING TO THESE ESTABLISHMENTS,
PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
|
|
RESTAURANTS
& BAKERIES
|
THE
BARBEQUE - THE CABIN CAFE - THE COLONIAL CLUB - CORR CAFE - FOUR
ACRES - 4-B's - GAR'S CAFE - PETER PAN - THE HAMBURGER SHOP -
HOUSE OF WONG - YAT SON NOODLE PARLOR - LEE''S FOUNTAIN - THE
MECCA CAFE - THE MONTANA CLUB - MURRAY'S CAFE - GAMER'S - GEORGE'S
OK CAFE - THE NUGGET - RED ROOF - STAR CAFE - WALT & MILLIE'S
DINER - WEISS CAFE - DUTCH MAID MALT SHOP - TASTEE FREEZE - THE
PARROT CONFECTIONERY - DAIRYLAND - PRICKLY PEAR TRUCK STOP - THE
NITE OWL - THE GOODIE SHOP - THE IDEAL BAKERY |
|
DRIVE-INS
|
GERTIE'S
DRIVE-IN - THE
RB DRIVE-IN - ZIP IN AND OUT
- THE RAINBOW DRIVE-IN |
|
BARS
|
TRACY'S
BAR & LOUNGE - CHEERIO LOUNGE - BLUE MOON - THE BUCKHORN -
MIDWAY BAR - STOCKMAN'S BAR - THE WESTERN BAR - THE BISON BAR
- THE RED MEADOW - JESTER'S LOUNGE - THE WHITE MILL - THE SHANTY
- THE CORNER BAR |
|
