I currently have a copy of a 5-page list of grocery stores, hand-written that is very roughly done and has some blank spots. It is quite amazing the number of grocery stores that have risen and fallen during the times of Miles City. But like I said I have stumbled upon some blank spots and I'm trying to refine this list. If I'm not mistaken the Piggly Wiggly was located on the northeast corner of Eighth and Main Street, according to the Centennial Roundup the store of Miles & Ulmer moved into this building in 1937. I have a date of 1886 by Piggly Wiggly (possibly the year it was established), what year did this store close its doors? Also I believe there was a store located on the corner of Haynes Avenue and Leighton Boulevard, does anyone know what the name of this store was? Was there any distinctive association between the Red Owl and Piggly Wiggly? And last but not least....I have C.J. Wagenbreth written down as the owner of the Montana Market (est. 1915??) located at 716 Main. Now I also have C.J. Wagenbreth written down for another store (unknown) possibly est. in 1909 with an unknown location....any ideas?

Pat.

It really is interesting the number of Mom and Pop stores. Visiting places like Glasgow, you also see houses that look like they had been (and probably were) corner markets. They have the familiar flat store-type front with big window.

As for local names, I am of no use -- my expertise only covers those places of my youth primarily the Bean Bag (gotta love that old sign), LaGrangers (spelling???), and of course home of Jones sausages, the one and only "Herbs" .

So where have you come up with your (please pardon the pun but it is to easy to pass up) grocery list anyway?

I obtained my "grocery list" from Pete Leo whose father (I believe) ran Leo's Grocery over by Riverside. He has let me borrow his copy of this list which I have photocopied and now I'm just trying to make sense of some blank spots and bad hand writing.

The Bean Bag is listed on this list twice (maybe under possibly two different owners) with the name Vic Kosty by one and Don Gunther (?? handwriting) by the other.

Also on my list I have "LaGrandeurs" as the way it is spelled. It also says it was located on East Main with the name William Turne behind it. Oh yes, who ever drew up this list did not forget Herb's Superette

Being a college student originally from Miles City it is really hard for me to make sense of a lot of this. Really my mind only serves me to the time when Osco Drug and Buttrey's were in the Plaza. I also think it was early in my childhood when Safeway changed its name to County Market.

For a final thought and question, what was amazing about the Bean Bag sign if you don't mind me asking?

**Pat**

>>I also think it was early in my childhood when Safeway changed its name to County Market.<<

It must've been about the late 1970's when Safeway moved from their location on 7th and Palmer (?) (Orr?) to Haynes Ave. Eventually the Safeway became "Mac's IGA" and then "County Market". The old 7th St. location is now "Blue Rock Distributing" I think. And prior to the 7th St. location wasn't Safeway located on East Main in the former A&T Supply building (which I think is now Valley Motor Supply / Carquest)?

Also, Reynold's Grocery used to be located at the southwest corner of 9th & Main in the former Steadman's Hardware Building.

LeGrandeur's used to be located at the northwest corner of Main and Custer. I think it might've become Bill's Minit Market and then Bill's Minit Market built their new store at 1909 Main (that must've opened in the mid to late 1970's?).

One other small neighborhood grocery I remember is the "Lincoln Grocery" which was located across from Lincoln Elementary School in the 200 block of South Lake. This is now a pizza restaurant, I believe.

- Dave

There was a mom and pop grocery store named Milwaukee Grocery Store located on the 1400 block of Phillips St.
I believe they were in business during the late thirties and fourties.

Frank

In the 50s I could walk, by myself, to LaBrees on Bachelor between Lake and Cottage, for a popsicle. Lincoln Grocery on Lake and LaG's on Main were to far for me to venture.
Ken Z.

>>LaBrees on Bachelor between Lake and Cottage

Did LaBrees become Herb's Superette?

- Dave

>>For a final thought and question, what was amazing about the Bean Bag sign if you don't mind me asking?

Well, first you need to remember this was a sign impressing an eight-year-old. It was neon (cool all by itself) with an outline of a bag (bean bag) at the top and beans tumbling out of it. The beans moved. I'm having trouble rembering just what all its electric, orange glowing goodness consisted of. Signs really impressed me and you could walk past the Texaco sign on Main and Montana. That sign must have been 600 feet high -- well, in my memory -- more like about 30 feet. Somewhere there must be a picture of the Bean Bag sign, but if it's not in color and taken at night, well it just won't be the same.

I guess you are right, LaBrees became Herb's. Probably I was beyond the walking for popcicles stage by then, but it sounds familiar.
I now also remember that the family of my classmate Doug Linstead had a store on Pearl and Montana, at the curve just south of the railroad.
Ken Z

There also was a little grocery store next door to the post office that my aunt Dee Walden ran for quite a few years. I don't remember the name of it though.

The grocery store located on Pearl and Montana was called Southside Grocery. I see there were a few stores that have burned down over time. Does anyone remember these. Perhaps Doull's (I think it was located at 201 N. Stacy) or Sawyers (on Leighton)?

**Pat**

I have a list from Dec. 1951 that includes the Southside Grocery at 1400 S. Pearl; H & H Grocery at 607 Missouri; Milwaukee Grocery at 1409 Philips, Sawyers, which was then at 409 N. 7th, a building that later became Bradley's Junk Shop while the grocery store itself moved to leighton Blvd. where it burned up quite spectacularly in the 1960's; Reynolds, then at 818 Main; Economy, next to the P.O. and LaGrandeur's which became Bill's Minute Market and moved to its current location in 1976.

The Bean Bag was sold by Vic Kosty to Don Gunthner in 1977. It closed very soon after than. Herb's also sold and closed in 1976. (Jeez, Bartley boy, I had fogotten the Bean Bag sign! Remembered the candy display, though!)

Lincoln Grocery is now Seabeck's pizza. Bud's Market, by the Milwaukee tracks, became Bud's Beauty shop before closing.

Riverside Grocery, over the north side, near Roosevelt school, closed and stood with goods on the shelves for years while the estate was settled.

There used to be little mom and pop stores all over the place, every few blocks. Across the street from Sacred Heart School is a house that, if you look closely, you can tell was a neighborhood grocery.

I may remember more later. My brain is a bit foggy today.

--Amorette

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but have an interest because of the mention of Sawyer Store. My grandfather, William MacDonald (1884-1988) was the original manager of the Sawyer Store in Miles City. He "retired" from Sawyer Stores Inc. in 1920 and moved to California, returning to Miles City to again manage the Sawyer Store. My father, also William MacDonald, was born in Miles City in 1926. His two oldest siblings were in grade school in Miles City at that time. Their names were Donald and Josephine MacDonald. I was just visiting Jo (now 85) in Idaho, and she was talking about the families she remembers from that time: Nugent, Troxel, Stangland, and McVey.

Grandpa moved down to Billings a few years later to run the Sawyer Store distributing company, Northwest Distributing Company.

I have a photo of Grandpa and Sawyer sitting on the loading dock of the Miles City Sawyer Store around 1915. Must have been the original location on 7th. If anyone has memories about the old Sawyer Store or the MacDonalds, I'd love to hear!

Lee Ann (MacDonald) Bourcier

Hey, love to see that old photo. Would you be interested in posting it?

Walt and Millie Linstead owned and operated the Southside Grocery. They lived in the upstairs apartment of the building. They were fantastic people! The kids would steal coke bottles off the Coke truck as it was parked in front of the store and Walt would pay for the cokes. Southside grocery also had a candy counter that competed only with the awesome one at Lincoln Grocery.

The grocery store on east main in the old A & T Supply building was Jack's IGA. It was the Purity Dairy prior to that.

There also was a grocery store at the corner of Gordon and S. Cottage that was run be a man named Martin.

The original LaGrandeurs was at 1819 Main where East-Mont Communications is now. It had a great soda fountain where you could get vanilla cokes, Green Rivers, and Muddy Rivers.

At one point there was a small grocery store in the old Miles City Greenhouse on Tompy between Custer and Lake. He got upset with the grocery stores selling plants and flowers so he started selling groceries.

Before Sawyers moved into the building on Leighton, between Lake and Custer, that building was a grocery store called Haleys.

There was a grocery store on North Seventh between Orr and Washington that was run by Herb Crone before he bought Herb's Superette on the 1700 block of Batchelor. Herb's Superette was originally K's Superette and was run by the Killworth brothers. Jack Killworth ended up running Reynolds in downtown Miles City (where the new MC Star is), the other two brothers ran the Reynolds in Baker and Glendive.

Any history on the Bean Bag's beginnings?

New to this forum.....very interesting site and I've really enjoyed it! 'grin'

The mention of Bradley's Junk Shop, ( Gram's rolling over at this....those were antiques, NOT junk! ) at the wrong address made me post.

Bradley's Grocery was located at 601 N. 7th in the early 60's....it was a small mom and pop kind of grocery store but it had fresh cut meats and fresh vegetables...I do remember that and the best candy counter anywhere in town! 'grin' The grocery end of the store phased out in the early 70's (except she kept the candy counter...till her grandkids outgrew the joys of penny candy purchases) then Gram opened a ceramics shop in the building until the late 70's when they then switched it over to a joint venture for Grampa and Gram's hobbies of antiques and braided reins, bridles and spurs and it became Bradley's Antiques and Collectibles. The building and store sign still exist at 601 N. 7th.

I know there is more history to the building itself, like who Gram bought the store from originally and all that, so I'll pass on this site addy to the Uncles and see if they are interested in sharing what they might remember.

WHEN I WENT TO SACRED HEART HIGH SCHOOL IN THE 50'S I WORKED FOR HALEY'S GROCETERIA ON LEIGHTON BLVD.,ALSO THERE WAS A SMALL CAFE ALSO. I BELEIVED BILL HALEY STARTED THE BEAN BAG GROCERY AND VIC KOSTY WAS THE MANAGER AND LATER ON TOOK IT OVER. LATER THE OLD HALEY'S WAS REPLACE WITH A NEW STORE. THE STORE WAS SOLD TO SUPER VALUE FROM BACK EAST.NOT SURE WHEN SAWYERS TOOK OVER, BUT DIDN'T THE STORE BURN DOWN?

Fascinating. Where on Leighton Blvd. was this located, Don?

NULL

NULL

Sorry about the the mix-up, I'm new at this. Haley's were located at 1712 Leighton Blvd. I sure the Neiffer's lived there now. can't remember cross streets anymore, been gone to long.

That must have been just a little west of the railroad tracks and on the south side of Leighton. Does that sound right? I didn't realize there was ever a grocery store in that area. I have some vague recollection of a plumbing shop or an electrician's shop in that vicinity. I also recall a business called "Yellowstone Bar Supply" (or something similar) that was just east of the railroad crossing on the south side of Leighton.

- Dave

I've been reading with interest about the neighborhood grocery stores in Miles City. Haley's Grocery was located on the south side of Leighton Blvd. between No. Cottage and Lake St.

Another grocery store I have not seen mentioned in this forum is Fair Price Grocery which was located on the 600 block of North Cottage. It was on the south east corner of the intersection of North Cottage and Gordon. It was owned by a family by the name of Martin. I can't remember the parents' names, but they had two children by the name of Jim and Cathy. As I remember in the mid to late 50s, the Martins didn't live in the building, but later on built onto the building and lived in it then. The building still exists and is readily identifiable as having at one time been something other than a residence.

This is my first entry on your forums, which I greatly enjoy. As a youngster I remember a small grocery on North 7th St. where the Conoco Convenience store is now located. It was owned by people with the name of Kearney. They had been homesteaders in the area just north of Cohagen (near my home) and moved to Miles City to open a store. Also on that corner was a barber shop owned by another former homesteader from near here by the name of Earl Kitson. (I'm not certain of the spelling, maybe two ts.) They were still there I think in 1950 when I went into the service, but were gone when I returned to the area in 1963 and Clarence Cridland had a Conoco gas station on that corner.

Hi I am trying to find a Patrick Petroff and I think this might be you. If you know a Laura McKinley please email me back. Sorry I had to go through this site but it was the only thing that came up with your name on it. If you don't know me please disregard this.
[email protected]
Laura McKinley

Hey, I'm glad to see this item come up again. I have been talking with the Miles City Historic Preservation Officer about working on a book and video of Miles City grocery stores of the past. True there would be limited interest, but it is/was one of those common things that has slipped away. What is needed would be interviews with any former store owners still living and pictures. My sister, ahh, I mean the Hist.Pres.Officer and I never went over details and since she doesn't know I'm writing this will probably be saying, "Huh?" But, I would appreciate anyone that could toss some names my way for either interviews or photos. Since this is a public forum, it might be best to hit the e-mail button rather than drop names here, since some folks might not like to be listed on line. This may never get done for a variety of reasons, but I think it's worth a look. I can see it now, "Grocery Stores of the Past" on the best sellers list. Get the video and music CD, too.

See the mini-series! I have a list of about twenty stores. Let's see, The Bean Bag, Herb's, LaGraingers (which is the only one still in existence now as Bill's and I know that name isn't spelled right but Bart will never know) Lincoln, Riverside. . .there were two Sawyers, which were a chain store, actually. . .and lots of others. The one next to the Post Office where Grandma's bakery was until recently. .

The Historic Preservation Officer & Bart's Older Sister

Hello Bart,
I grew up in Miles City back in the 1930's & we lived at 702 South Montana Avenue. There was a "Mom & Pop" grocery store a block north & west of us called Dilt's Grocery Store.

LaGrandeurs--later Bill's--closed recently. There are no more neighborhood grocery stores left. Do I here the soft sound of "Taps" in the distance.

Amorette

I remember Haley's Grocery store - my sister and brother worked for Bill Haley and I can remember going in the counter part and having a big juicy hamburger with the works and a cup of coffee for $.25 - (which I usually took from my sister's piggy bank) Also I remember the Trading Post on 7th Street as one of the smaller grocery stores - I believe a filling station was built in the spot where it stood. Also a small grocery store by the Milwaukee RR tracks and Woodbury called Burgie's - when the troop trains would come and stop for a short time in Miles City, in the early 1940's, for refueling we could grab anything from the store and take it to the soldiers whether they had money or not - Mr. Burgie would just give it to the soldiers - The Mom and Pop stores are surely a thing of the past but can remember them all. Great memories.

I fondly remember the Fair Price Grocery. It was just down the street from my Grandmother's house. I would confiscate empty egg cartons and an occasional coke bottle from my Grandmother and trade them in for kid essentials such as lik-m-aid and bubble gum. I believe the Sticklemeirs (not sure about the spelling) bought the store from the Martins.

Does anyone remember the two grocerys located on the northside of the tracks. One was owned by the Devines?
Also, has anyone metioned Burgies? I bought a Baby Ruth there that was full of worms! Great times!


[This message has been edited by Nick Krumenacker (edited 5/10/2003).]

Was so glad to see you letter about Haley's Grocery Store. The other one I remember is the Fair Price at the end of our street. We just retired and I am trying to make some contacts with the past and was thrilled to see your name. We share lots of memories too.

As to grocery stores north of the tracks. North of the Milwaukee tracks there were the Riverside Grocery run by Andy Magnessen and across the street was the Sam Leo Grocery, both on Riverside Street. There was also a little grocery right across Woodbury from the Garfield School maybe known as the Garfield Grocery, I'm not sure. On Seventh St.north of the tracks was Gene's Grocery run by Gene Carroll and Gene Smith (later longtime bartender at the Crossroads), which later became Bradley's Grocery and then antique shop. Across the street where the Crystal Pistol is now was a combination grocery store and flop house known as Swihart's. I believe there may have been a grocery at one time just north of Gene's where the Maid Rite, later Grace's Cafe used to be. Some of you old timers help me out on this. Buergie's Grocery at Woodbury and the Milwaukee tracks later became Bud's Market and then Bud's Beauty Shop. The wormy Baby Ruth from Buergie's was no surprise. I'll bet it wasn't the first one ever sold there. I have seen it mentioned in this forum that Sawyer's was once where Haley's used to be. I can't ever remember Sawyer's being any where but on Seventh by the Milwaukee tracks in the standard Sawyer's style concrete building, but I do remember that Before it was Haley's, it was Kuchera's Grocery. Remember Mike Kuchera and all his T.V. ads for Kuchera Furniture in Billings. His family had the grocery store which later became Haley's.
Pete Petro

My memory has Hayley's, and then Sawyers, or maybe in the other order, on the south side of Leighton Blvd. just across the NP tracks west of the old HR Hospital. But this is not the ones on 7th that others are mentioning. Am I remembering something else?
And, since this is a memory game, who remembers getting an ice cream cone at the Penguin?
Ken Z

Ken,
In my former message I didn't mean to imply that Haley's was ever in the Sawyer's building on Seventh, but I can see where you could certainly get that idea from the way I wrote it. Haley's was right where you say it was and before that at some point it was Kuchera's. My point was that I can't remember Sawyers ever being in the Kuchera, Haley location as some have stated. Does anyone know when Sawyers was there on Leighton? I sure do remember the Penguin. In fact I lived right across the street from it from 1941 to 1948 in the old Sam Gordon house that sat where First Interstate Bank is now. A single cone for a nickel and a double for ten cents in those days. The Penguin was never the same after the Lundby's sold it and it eventually moved down by the underpass. Doesn't seem like it lasted too long after that.
Pete

Thanks for the information regarding the northside grocerys. You really helped kindle old memorys of the Magnessens.They were really great people. I remember Andy was very heavy and couldn' t really get off is stool. The Garfield grocery was a great recess store.. Do you remember the lady that used run the store? You didn' t want to buy any candy after school. You wouldn' t make it home with it. The Barnett kids would catch you going home and confiscate anything you had.. Good old times on the northside of town..


[This message has been edited by Nick Krumenacker (edited 5/13/2003).]

Nick,

As to the lady that ran the Garfield Grocery, the name Bickle comes to mind. I have no idea why I think this,but could I be right?
Pete

Yes, Pete you are correct about the Bickle's running that little Mom & Pop store by the Garfield school as I was living at 908 Woodbury in the early 1950's and would run over to that store for bread & milk. Also in answer to those about the Sawyer's store moving to Haley's - My brother Curtis tells me Bill Haley built the new store and after Buttrey's came to town he sold out to Super Value who lasted about 2 years then Sawyer's moved into the store - not sure but it burned down so that ended the Sawyer Stores in Miles City. I had moved from Miles City when all this took place - Betty O'Brien

I grew up two houses away from Burgie's Grocery store on Phillips St. I remember bunches of bananas hanging on the back loading dock when I was 5 or 6. Birgie used to sell live chickens. One got away and found its way to our little garage. He finally ended up in a soup pot in our kitchen. Oops! Am I telling too much?

Don Thompson

[This message has been edited by Don Thompson (edited 5/18/2003).]

Hello,
My folks, Ed and Irene Martin, owned the Fair Price Grocery on N. Cottage Grove. They bought it around 1954 with Dad's brother Rusty and his wife Vera, and later ran it by themselves. They closed the place around 1966 and converted the store into a home, renting the upstairs (where we lived starting in 1963). Mom now lives at Eagle's Manor and Vera also lives in Miles City. My brother Jim is a barber in Forsyth. I married one of the Beling boys and live in Virginia Beach, VA. Kathy (Martin) Beling

I just came out to Billings and picked up Haleys old 1946 Chevrolet Panel Truck! The Paint is still on the side of it, and it is in great shape! I was wondering if anyone remembers anything about this old truck. We are trying to restore it right now, and make it look as good as it did in the 40's and 50's

please email
[email protected]

In looking at some old slides of the 'Gene Autry Parade' (yes I'll get some posted soon) I found a grocery store on Main Street that I do not remember. It is on the north side of the street, between Miles and Ulmer and Woolworths. In order from the corner I see M&U, Epsteins, a clothing store I do remember, then 'Super Food Mart' with a white facade and a big red CocaCola logo, then Andersons. I didn't find any mention in this thread of 'Super Food Mart'. I assume that 'downtown' counts as a neighborhood, and this as a neighborhood grocery. Does anyone remember anything about it?
In slides of another parade, the same storefront is blank white. I don't know(yet)if that was before or after 'Autry'.
Ken Z

I just called my brother, Curt, who worked for Haley's starting in l954 and he doesn't recall the panel truck at that time so can't help you out there. I don't recall any grocery store in the area you are talking about Ken - the Bean Bag was farther down Main Street towards the underpass so wonder if you are seeing that? Haley's Groceteria store was at 1718 Leighton Blvd about a block or so from the BN tracks. Haley built the new store in the same place but called it Haley's Food Center. After Buttrey's came to town Haley said that was time for him to leave - so Sawyer's went into that store. Not sure when it burned down or if Sawyer's was in it at the time - but there is no store in that area any more - Neifer's built their home.
Betty Carter O'Brien

[insert shameless promotion here]

If you have photos of these grocery stores and are wondering of places to post them? ...I humbly, once again, suggest:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/milescity/





[end plug for Miles City photo group here]


I remember one that was somewhere around South Lake/Cottage and maybe Batchelor? In the 80's, I believe, it was a Diet Center. Brown, wood panelled exterior.

It was quite out of place considering the residential neighborhood, but I think that added to the charm.

K's Superette (run by the Killworth brothers) and then Herb's Superette (run by former Mayor Herb Crone).

And before K's it was LaBree's.
See my post near the top of this thread.
Ken Z

And before it was La Bree's, it was Doull's.

Wasn't there a Killworth that was part of Reynolds, or am I confused?

Herb's superette when I work there in the late 60's early 70's as a delivery boy and all around grunt. Wages $.50 per hour to start went up to $1.00 thanks to min. wage law. Herb was close with a dollar, I think he cut my hours in half after the wage law.

Chuck: I feel bad now to think that Fred Lagranduer paid me more, I started out at 65 cents an hour in 1964, than you got years later from Herb. I too remember many of the neighborhood store. I believe that the Bean Bag used to be run by a family named Seeley. I am not sure I spelled their name right but they were susie and steve risher's grandparents I believe. What amazes me is that most of those little stores also ran a meat market. Fred Lagranduer had a soda fountain and we used to cook chickens on a rotisery(cant spell it!) and they really sold fast. On that 65 cents an hour I bought me first car from Jack Fichner for $350 and he painted it. Gas was about 25 cents a Gallon so doing the math it is not that bad in todays money. Leif

I believe the Waldens ran the Economy Grocery in the 50's

The Sawyer's store was on Seventh street. Then there was a clothes cleaners store right next to it. I remember when I was a child, my folks and grandparents would stop there after doing there shopping up town, and buy grocery on there way back out to Rocks Springs, Montana, which is about 36 miles north of Miles City? I remember we picked up dry cleaning there when we came to town from Rock Springs, Montana which is in Rosebud County. The Sawyer was had a rough finish on the outside. I believe the dry cleaners was Gingerys. Then the Bradley Store was across the tracks and right across from the grain elevator.

I still have my grocery store file. I must update it one of these days.

I remember the Fair Price Grocery very well as a Child. Long long time ago. Lived just 2 blocks away. They also had a great candy counter. They delivered groceries and people paid once a month in some cases. If memory serves me right, Ed used to cut meat in the back to requests although there was a small meat counter. The front part of the store was removed after it sold so a front yard could be added. If you were tall enough to reach over the counter you could buy cigarettes'. Most parents that smoked could send their kids to pick up their smokes for them. Ed was also a railroader so walked past our house on his way to work. Irene ran the store. I would sure like to see a few of these still. sure would be nice to just walk down the block or two instead of have to get in the car and drive to a big store and fight the crowd.

There was a Doull's grocery store.

There was a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, which became Reynolds, then the Coast to Coast to Coast store, before the building burned down.



Jill Frederick

There also was a Herb's Grocery Store on Bachelor Street. I don't recall if there is any more.

Didn't Herb have a small grocery store on 7th street, the corner north of where the old Safeway store was. To me north would be towards the river.

Herb's Superette grocery store was over by where Elmer, Lucille, Don, Linda, and Joel Olsen lived.

Herb Crone did manage the 7th Street Service Service Store. In 1959, he opened Herb's Superette on Batchelor Street. He owned and operated it until his retire-
ment.

Thank you for the Piggly Wiggly information. I Googled it, and found it fascinating. You learn something new everyday.

I remember as a kid shopping at Piggly Wiggly stores in various towns in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

There was a small grocery store next to the post office. It was called Economy
Grocery. It had one of the best candy selections around. dalejill

There were two small stores on Woodbury, Bickels and Burges, I know I mis-spelled both, I used to crawl under railroad cars to get to Burges when the train was across the tracks.

There was the South Side Grocery Store right on the corner of Montana & Pearl Street.
Jill Frederick