The
Parrot Confectionery
42
N. Main
46°35'17.67"N
112° 2'20.14"
Façade of The Parrot, 2011
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
Interior
of The Parrot Confectionery, ca. 2008
COURTESY
OF LAURA BLUMENTHAL
|
Virtually
unchanged since 1938, the Parrot at 42 North Main has pleased
generations of Helenans and visitors with their famous handmade
candies and fountain treats.
The Parrot
Confectionery had its beginning as the Helena Drug Co. Fountain
and Confectionery Department in the early 1910's. It was opened as the Parrot Confectionery in 1922 by William R. Post (1892-1977) and his wife Ianthe Nelson Post (1892-1983), at 22 North Main.
The Posts sold to the Duensing family in 1957, who operated the Parrot until 2009, selling to Brian and kelly Ackerman. The Ackermans sold to current owner Jonny Plichta in 2017.
Name Inspired by the Parrot Craze of 1921-22?
| When the Parrot Confectionery was opened in 1922, there was something of a national parrot craze going on, as this period column by Frederick J. Haskin relates, Parrots as pets were popular, along with parrot decorations and motifs. It seems plausable that William and Ianthe Post may have drawn inspiration from this phenomenon when choosing a name for their enterprise. |
Click on Image to Enlarge in a New Window
| Parrot Confectionery Sign Over the Sidewalk, 22 North Main St., 1931. Baird Collection. |
Opened in Current Location
Oct. 15, 1938
|
The
Parrot Candy Case
A
Booth at The Parrot, 2009
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
| Some of the Parrot booths were moved from the 22 North Main (Last Chance Gulch) location in 1938. Local cabinetmaker Frederick W. Salmen (1885-1973) built matching ones for the new space. |
A
Few of Many Ceramic Elephants on Display, 2011
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
Helena
High School Girls at the Parrot, 1946
History of the Parrot
Independent Record, 1951
Click image to Open PDF file
"The Parrot Talks for Itself "
Painting
by Robert F. Morgan
COURTESY
OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD
2003
Independent Record Story About The Parrot
"Candy
man's family business a favorite fixture in Helena" - Feb.
24, 2003
Visit
The Parrot Confectionery's Website
The
Parrot's Front Door, 2011
PHOTO
BY KENNON BAIRD
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