Helena native Clint Vincent tells about his enterprising step-grandfather, Howard Greer:

"Howard Greer, my step grandfather, shows up as the owner [of the 1880 home at 836 N. Jackson Street] in the 1939-1940 Polk directory. The story that he used to tell was that he arrived in Helena in 1935 on a freight train with a nickel in his pocket. He was a very hard working and dedicated man."

A carpenter by trade, and an avid billiards player for fun, Howard was married to one Madge Greer in 1939, when a City permit was issued to her to remodel the interior of a small building at the rear of their home. This was likely the beginning of the potato chip factory, which was housed in a log building fronting the alley on the west side of the property (see the 1951 fire insurance map below).

By 1942, the Greer's "Capital Potato Chips" were being advertised and sold in local markets, which continued until about 1961. The Greers also made and marketed "Pot o' Gold" noodles from about 1951 until the 1970s.

Independent Record newspaper archives show that in October of 1950, Howard Greer obtained City permits to build five "tourist cabins" on his Jackson Street property. Clint Vincent continues...

"There were two complete apartments in the upper floor of the main house which he rented out over the years. By saving the money that he made from the potato chip & noodle business, he started building the rooms for the motel itself. He called these "the cabins". They were built by himself in three stages...to total 13 units by the early 1970s.

Howard married my grandmother, Josie Knapstead, on Sept. 23, 1955. They ran the motel together until Howard passed away April 19, 1975. My grandmother continued to run the motel until she sold in 1978."

Howard and Josie Greer