Where was the old liquor store located and what is there now? I have a vague memory of a corner building - and maybe that El Robo block that's now pushing up grass?

Also, is Miles City State-controlled liqour or can you buy hard liquor/spirits at grocery stores or shops? (Was it always this way?)

The liquor store wandered from several locations. One was the corner across from the Olive Hotel and Riverside Park, in that old Miles and Ulmer building that is now abandoned. There were at least two Main Street locations that I can think of.

Still can't buy hard liquor at the grocery store in Montana.

Thank you, Amorette. Does MC currently have a spirits/liqour outlet?

The old liquor store was located on the corner across from the Olive and other locations as Amorette stated.

The Liquor store; Miles City Liquors and Fine Wines is still state controlled & located at 11 South 6th Street, downtown Miles City. You cannot purchase liquor at grocery stores.

Below is a recent photo of the 5th and Main building that used to house the Montana State Liquor Store. (How appropriate that the liquor store was located on "Fifth" Street, huh?)

I think from here the liquor store moved to the south side of the 500 block of Main Street and then to its current location on South Sixth St.

Question: Where was the liquor store BEFORE it was located in this corner building?

It's amazing to me how these properties sit vacant for extended periods with no apparent effort to maintain them or market them. Who owns these "abandoned" buildings in Miles City? Are they paying their property taxes? Are they waiting for the Tonque River Railroad to cause a big boom and their property values to skyrocket?



FLICKR PHOTO: "5th and Main Street, Miles City"

in 1980, when I could LEGALLY drink, (yes, i'm getting old) it was located at 510 Main, which was the old O'connors News Stand and Aye Insurance. I now work in the same building which is Security Abstract & Title Company. I started with Security in 1994 and for about 5 years, we had people stop in thinking the liquor store was still here.

Maybe I have it wrong. My 1986/87 Miles City phone book has the liquor store at 510 Main St. as well. So, maybe it went from 510 Main St. to this corner location to its current location on S. Sixth St.

That is correct, David. I think they now have a store out on Haynes as well.

David--that building is part of the Olive Hotel property. It used to have the really nice apartment upstairs that Buelows lived in when they owned the Olive. I believe the sewer and/or water main needs to be replaced and the building is uninhabitable until that is fixed.

The "official" liquor store is at 11 South Sixth St:

http://www.milescityliquors.com

I think the others (including those guys on Haynes Ave.) are just "posers" taking advantage of the fact that Montana bars can sell packaged liquor "to go".

The current liquor store has just changed its name from GMP Liquor to Miles City Fine Wines and Liquors. There is a little article on the business page today (2/14) by Elaine Forman. They are expanding their wine selections.

How about some history on the building on 5th and Main? Amorette?

[This message has been edited by Merry DeAnda (2/14/2012)]

Oh and, Dan, this is the site of the former El Robo building.



FLICKR PHOTO: "McFarland Family Dentistry, Miles City"

I was looking at the photo of that 5th and Main building and noticed what appears to be a power line coming off the street light on the corner there. What is up with that? The photo doesn't show where that power line leads to.



FLICKR PHOTO: 5th and Main Street, Miles City (Edited)

@Dave, re: El Robo - ahhh... that's right! I forgot about the dental office there.

It's weird, I have this vague recollection of a liqour store on the same side of that street in about that area (corner?). For some reason I can't clear up my memory on that.

I was looking at the photo of that 5th and Main building and noticed what appears to be a power line coming off the street light on the corner there. What is up with that? The photo doesn't show where that power line leads to.

Alley...cats...Chinese food...

Dan, the 510 Main St. location that Wendy mentioned seems like a corner building even today but especially so when the liquor store was there because the El Robo lot was vacant. This must be the location you are thinking of:



FLICKR PHOTO: Security Abstract & Title Co., Miles City"

AH! That's it! Yes, I remember those windows. You have great deduction skills, Dave - you hit on the picture in my mind. I was also wondering why I had this vague, odd memory of the radio station... it moved into that neighboring unit at one point (KMCM), not sure what's there now.

Thanks Dave, Thanks Wendy.

[This message has been edited by Dan Mowry (2/15/2012)]

I have a funny story about the liquor store back when I was not of legal age yet (in the 70's). I worked at the Interstate cafe and my boss asked me to go to the liquor store and pick up her order of hard liquor for the lounge. So I did and had the whole trunk filled with booze. As I was unloading it to the lounge, my boss had this horrified look on her face and said to me,"my God, are you old enough yet to do this?" I just smiled and said no. The guy at the liquor store never even questioned it either. No harm done, just did what I was asked. Good thing I didn't have a wreck on the way back!

I lived in the "really" nice apartment in the upstairs of that building for most of 2006. As far as I know I was the last renter. I see my drapes hanging in the windows in that pic! I was a very spacious place. Took ALOT of cleaning up to make livable. The plumbing and sewer worked okay then. The stairs up the back were a nightmare, especially in the winter with groceries. The property is part of the Olive Motel. I have alot of great memories of that apartment, as my daughter spent the first 3 months of her life there! Worked for the Rec. Lanes at the time. Another great memory.

Thanks for sharing that story, Mandi. Seems like it would be a cool place to live. Great location.

There are so many great upstairs Main Street apartments that could be fixed up and rented in a heartbeat, if the owners were willing to make the investment. I did write a history column on the building, as suggested, but it will have to wait until Class C basketball is over for there to be space in the paper.

Dan
You're right KMCM did move into the adjacent building then they changed the call letters to KKRY and Now I beleive they call themselves KYUS Mike FM or something to that effect. In the downstairs portion is Jules Photography and the Frame gallery.

David said:

It's amazing to me how these properties sit vacant for extended periods with no apparent effort to maintain them or market them. Who owns these "abandoned" buildings in Miles City?

I wonder the same thing about so many vacant small houses. With people desperately looking for something/anything to rent, why would anyone pay taxes etc. on them and not use/sell them?

With the upstairs apartments, I wonder if it has to do with making them ADA compliant or if there are asbestos issues? A higher cost for fire insurance also might be part of the issue as well. I would love to get into the upstairs of the Renwick building and see if there is any Western Pharmacy paraphernalia.

This is a pretty common problem. Business and shopping trends have changed so radically that there just isn't much use for Main Street USA anymore. Renovating old buildings for other use is sketchy, expensive, risky. I know the last thing you wanna hear is the truth of the matter, but you'd have to be very creative to warrant gambling on such a venture. A friend tried this with several big beautiful old buildings in Kalispell, where you'd think it would work, but it hasn't yet. Good thing he's loaded, can survive just fine with the loss. How many can do that?

The article on Miles & Ulmer Implement building will be in the paper today, Tuesday, Feb. 21.

As for downtowns, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation National Main Street Center. It will explain how stunningly successful many downtown restoration programs have been.

I also lived upstairs of 510 (1/2) Main Street for 2002-2003...I love that huge apartment!! I did alot of work to make it more presentable beings those before me (Eric!!) did A LOT of partying there. Its sad that those apartments are sitting vacant when they have such great potential!

Maybe this would be worth it with the housing need there seems to be in Miles City right now?

By the way, I messed up the address in the history column. Although the building faces North Fourth, its assigned address is on Main Street. The correct address is 413 Main Street, not 413 N. 4th.

Sorry.

You should be pun...ished.

We all make mistakes. Given the number of doors on that building it probably has several addresses.

>>"faces North Fourth"

Which building are we talking about?

Correction to my correction. It faces NORTH FIFTH. Sheesh.