Eagle's Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Eagle's Store
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Eagle's Store, August 24, 1939
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 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3 Canyon St., West Yellowstone, Montana |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1927 |
| Built by | Sam Eagle |
| Architect | Fred F. Willson |
| Architectural style | Rustic |
| MPS | West Yellowstone MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002957 |
| Added to NRHP | November 6, 1986 |
Eagle's Store is a special family business located in West Yellowstone, Montana. Its unique three-story building is made of logs. This building is so important that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The very first store opened in 1908. It was on the exact same spot. That old building was taken down in 1927. This made space for the building you see today. The new store was built in a cool style called Rustic architecture.
Eagle's Store is only two blocks from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It is the oldest business still running in West Yellowstone. The same family who started it still owns and runs it today!
Contents
History of Eagle's Store
How the Store Started
In the early 1900s, more and more people wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park. The Union Pacific Railroad saw this. They built a train line to the west entrance of the park. This happened between 1905 and 1907.
In 1907, a man named Samuel Peter Eagle worked for Yellowstone Park. He asked the United States Forest Service for permission. He wanted to rent land for a business near the railroad tracks.
In June 1908, the Forest Service created a town area. It was on the edge of Yellowstone Park. They gave out permits for businesses. Sam Eagle and his partner, Alex Stuart, were among the first. They built a general store. Other early businesses included a hotel and another store.
At first, these businesses mostly served train passengers. But in 1916, cars became popular. Many more visitors came to Yellowstone Park. Business grew a lot! West Yellowstone then became a permanent town.
Changes Over Time
In 1908, Alex Stuart left the partnership. He started his own business. Sam Eagle and his family kept running Eagle's Store. His children and grandchildren have continued the tradition.
When it first opened, Eagle's Store sold fun things. These included candies, tobacco, cameras, and postcards. They also rented out fishing rods. In 1910, a fancy white marble soda fountain was added. It cost a lot of money back then!
The local post office was even inside Eagle's Store. This was from 1909 to 1935. Sam Eagle himself was the postmaster.
After the new building was finished in 1930, the store offered more items. Today, it sells many different things. You can find sportswear, western wear, and hiking gear. They also sell fishing tackle and Native American arts. Of course, they have souvenirs too! The newer building still has the old mahogany bar and soda fountain from 1910.
Building Design
The first Eagle's Store was quite small. It was built by Sam Eagle and Alex Stuart. It had a simple front that looked bigger than it was. Sam Eagle made the store larger in 1913. Then, in 1927, he had it torn down. He wanted to build the bigger, three-story store that stands today.
Rustic Style Architecture
The current building was started in 1927 and finished in 1930. It was designed by an architect named Fred F. Willson. He was from Bozeman, Montana. Willson also designed other famous buildings. He even gave his design services for free for this project! He wanted to help promote the Western Rustic architectural style.
The design of Eagle's Store is like the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. Both use a style called National Park Service rustic. A key part of this style is showing off exposed logs. Willson used long fir logs for the store. They were placed on a base made of rhyolite and concrete. The strong supports for the building were made from basalt rock.
A Family Business
Sam Eagle (who lived from 1881 to 1950) and his wife, Ida Christine Carlson (1883–1962), had 10 children. All of them worked in the store when they were kids. Many other family members and relatives have worked there too.
Today, the store is run by the fourth generation of the Eagle family. Many family members love to ski. One great-granddaughter of Sam and Ida is Heather McPhie. She even competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as a skier!
The Eagle family has also started their own charity. It helps people with disabilities. It also supports education and programs for young people.
