Eddy's/Gamer's/Vroman's/Murray's
812 North Main St.
The
Building Hosted a Variety of Other Businesses in Later Years
46°35'37.98"N
112° 2'8.23"W
|
This
812 N. Main location was operated by several different restaurant
concerns over the decades. It was also a sporting goods
store and more. The building was demolished in 2011.
|
COLLECTION
OF NANCY GOODSPEED
| 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... |
The
Footprint of the Building in 1958
After Several Additions to the Original Structure
Reopens as Gamer's Drive-Inn, 1946
| Eddy's
endured until early 1946. On May 13 of that year, The location
reopened as Gamer's Drive-Inn... |
THE
DAVID HULL COLLECTION • CLICK ON THE
IMAGE TO OPEN A BIG VIEW IN A NEW WINDOW
Reopens
as Vroman's Drive-Inn, 1952
FROM
THE 1953 CARROLL COLLEGE 'HILLTOPPER' YEARBOOK - COURTESY OF THE
MONTANA MEMORY PROJECT
|
Evidently
Helenans didn't take to that fancy Butte cuisine, because
Gamer's only lasted until 1952, when the location became
Vroman's.
|
| Rellis
A. Vroman (born 1922) was killed in an automobile accident
on March 4, 1959, about two miles north of Waukesha, Wisconsin. |
Reopens
as Murray's Cafe, 1953
| Yellow
pages ad for Murray's Cafe from the winter 1953-54 Mountain
States Telephone & Telegraph Helena directory. Note that
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". |
Sporting
Goods Store
Cliff
Stump and M. L. Brown Co.
|
In 1957,
the building (pictured above in 1966) was remodeled by Cliff
Stump Sporting Goods, which moved from 7 West Lawrence,
in the Phoenix Block, when the Phoenix was slated for demolition
to make way for the new Union Bank building. The founder
of the business, George Clifton Stump, died on March 29,
1956...
The
business was sold to the M. L. Brown Company in early 1960.
|
Burglar
Shot Dead, 1973
Benjamin
H. Sautter Buys Out M. L. Brown, 1974
Later
Years and 2011 Demolition
2006
COLLECTION
OF NANCY GOODSPEED
|
In late
1974, the Sautters opened the Peppermill, a popular dining/drinking/dancing
establishment; it operated until about 1978. It then became
Club 80, also operated by the Sautters.
The Sautters then began leasing the building.
April
Fife Writes:
A bit of history. Bud Sautter was my grandpa. ML Brown was
the original owner. For the first 10 years or so that ML
Brown was open in Helena Bud was only the manager. Later
on he and Brown became partners. Brown actually committed
securities fraud and sold phony stock certificates in the
early 70's to finance a real estate deal in Washington for
himself. That is the reason that the store closed.
To pay off the people and vendors that were defrauded. There
were also stores in Missoula, Billings and one other town
that I can't think of. The building was still owned by Sautters.
They did open the Peppermill and I spent a good portion
of my early childhoodthere. It then became Club 80, which
was also my grandparents.
After that they did start leasning it out. It wa The Waterbed
workshop, at one time it was also a Mexican restaurant [El
Gringo; also a disco called the Eminent Domain]. There were
other businesses in the addition as well. The chrysler dealership
leased from them as well. I believe they finally sold the
building in late 80's.
|
Demolition
in Progress, May 2011
Looking North from W. 14th Street
COURTESY
OF WALLY PEEL
Go
back to RESTAURANTS & BARS
|
