GRAND PACIFIC BAR

The Grand Pacific Bar, ca. 1900. A no-nonsense place, to be sure.

 

 


EYBEL'S CAFE


Eybel's Cafe, 333 N. Last Chance Gulch, 1920s. The street in front of Eybel's was apparently a taxi stand. The Eybel Building (note the inset "E") is still standing.

The attractive divided-light front windows were replaced with an aluminum and black glass facade in 1938, when owner Charles George Eybel coverted the cafe into the Eybel Cafeteria. The interior was redecorated in shades of blue, yellow and black. Up-to-date steam tables were installed.

Charles Eybel (1900-1991), a native of Washington, also opened the Eybel Hotel at 410 Fuller Ave. in the late 1920s (the site is now 406 Fuller). It was later named the Nash Hotel, and was demolished around 1970.




EDDY CAFE



Eddy Cafe at 105 N. Main, 1930's. By 1953, this location was the Cabin Cafe. It would later become Bryant's Cafe.

 



Recent photo of the Parrot Confectionery at 42 N. Last Chance Gulch. Virtually unchanged since the 1920s, the Parrot has pleased generations of Helenans and visitors with their famous handmade candies and fountain treats. It is the last "authentic" business remaining in downtown Helena.
Many thanks to Laura Blumenthal for this great photo!

 

The Parrot candy counter.



 


THE WISHBONE CAFE
• LATER THE SILVER SPUR and O'TOOLE'S •

The Wish Bone Cafe, 330 N. Main, 1939. This robot-faced art deco building would subsequently become the Silver Spur Cocktail Lounge, then O'Toole's Bar. THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION



AD FOR THE WISHBONE CAFE - 1946

 

The Wish Bone Cafe, 330 N. Main, 1939. Owners Alice Synness Phelan and Byron Phelan pose with Montana-born motion picture star George Montgomery. In the background is the Super Ice Cream Factory at approximately 350 N. Main. THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION





Two 1950s ladies enjoy the ambiance of the Silver Spur Cocktail Lounge, formerly the Wishbone Cafe. Note the cuspidor on the floor, a common sight around Helena in those days. The lobby of the Federal Building, as well as the public galleries in the State Capitol, featured these conveniences.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION



THE DINER

Located at 35 Neill Ave., near the NE corner of Woman's Park, The Diner was built in 1938-39 by Helena restaurateur Clarence Wise. The building was white with red trim, and had a knotty pine interior. As seen in the newspaper ad below, deep-fat frying was their claim to fame. In August of 1952, Walt and Mille Schrock took over management of The Diner. They would eventually open Walt & Millie's Diner on E. Lyndale, near Memorial Park. The Diner building is long gone.




In August of 1952, Walt and Millie Schrock took over management of The Diner.




EDDY'S • GAMER'S • VROMAN'S • MURRAY'S

This North Main location was operated by several different concerns over the decades.

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... COLLECTION OF NANCY GOODSPEED

 

 

Eddy's endured until 1946. On May 13 of that year, it re-opened as Gamer's Drive-Inn...



Evidently Helenans didn't take to that fancy Butte cuisine, because Gamer's only lasted until 1952, when the location became Vroman's...

 

...which became Murray's in 1953...

Yellow pages ad for Murray's Cafe from the winter 1953-54 Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Helena directory. Note that the "Gamer's" signs on the illustration have been blacked out. Also, 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". COLLECTION OF KENNON BAIRD

 

812 North Main today, with much remodeling evident. The restaurant curse was put behind it, and this location operated successfully as a sporting goods store for many years. It now houses chiropractic offices. COLLECTION OF NANCY GOODSPEED





THE CHEERIO LOUNGE, PLACER HOTEL

The Cheerio Lounge in the Placer Hotel, 1940s.

The Cheerio, "Montana's Finest Cocktail Lounge", opened on Nov. 25 1940. The façade of the lounge was faced with fluted black ceramic veneer, and trimmed in solid bronze. Inside, the top of the bar was a 33' piece of bleached Honduras mahogany. The front of the bar was trimmed with garnet-colored mohair and sandalwood. Above the bar was a canopy with a blue mirror ceiling. The spring-cushioned seats and the booth walls were upholstered in ash rose mohair. We can see how cool the sign was.


THE CORNER

"The Corner" lounge and fountain was on the SW corner of Last Chance Gulch and Lawrence. The "Magic Doors" were early self-opening electic-eye models, the first in Helena. Buttrey's Super Market, in the Hustad Center, also featured self-opening doors in 1956.

 

 


WHITE DOVE LUNCH

Located at 418 N. Main, White Dove Lunch was operated by Wally and Helen Peel from about 1945-1952. Their son, local TV and radio personality Wally Peel, is familiar to generations of Helenans. Wally shares some memories of White Dove Lunch, along with photos of its former location on Last Chance Gulch...

"It was a small diner on Main Street (Now Last Chance Gulch) across from the current General Mercantile. It was owned by my parents...Wally and Helen Peel, and a man whose first name was Andy. (Wish I could remember his last name but I was small when I knew him) This was in
the late 40's or very early 50's. I think 1947 or 1948. About all I remember is that it was small. Seems like it had about 8 stools at the counter. I believe it was next to where Palmquist Electric used to be."

 

WALLY PEEL COLLECTION

The site of White Dove Lunch, which stood next this building, just below the Palmquist Electric Co. sign. The faint outline of the structure can still be seen on the bricks. Below the two windows on the left are the faded letters of a a hand-painted sign for the White Dove Lunch...


WALLY PEEL COLLECTION

 

Newspaper ads for White Dove Lunch, 1945-1952.

 

White Dove Lunch matchbook
WALLY PEEL COLLECTION

 

 


THE 4-B's


The 4-B's was at this 900 N. Last Chance Gulch location for over 30 years. There was also a 4-B's Cafeteria in the Capital Hill Mall in the 60s-70s. The chain is still in business in Montana, but not in Helena.

 

4-B's Cafe, 1951. COURTESY OF KATHRYN FEHLIG


4-B's Matchbook, with their puzzling "Guaranteed Steaks" claim.



The last days of the old 4-B's building, which had mutated into this Germanic conglomeration. COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK

 


GERTIE'S DRIVE-IN
• FORMERLY MARTELLO'S DRIVE INN •


On May 18 1949, Jean and John Martello opened the Richardson Root Beer franchise "Martello's Drive-Inn" at 1000 N. Main. They sold out in 1952 to Gertrude "Gertie" Richeson (1914-2004) and her husband Bob. Gertie's became a mainstay in Helena for decades. Richeson sold the business, and the "Gertie's" name, in 1963.

The original Drive-in looked very much like the illustration in the ad above. The existing brick structure (now Carlson-Wagonlit Travel) came in the early 1960s.

 

Ad for Martello's grand opening, May 18 1949.

Martello's Drive-Inn sign on N. Main, 1951. COURTESY OF KATHRYN FEHLIG

 

 

 

Ad for Gertie's grand openng, April 12 1952.

Said "Gertie" in a 2001 Independent Record newspaper feature: “My mother cooked a 33-pound turkey every day and a roast and a great big ham, and I would cook a big kettle of chili and all of it would be gone by the end of the day. We made everything ourselves and we dipped our own ice cream — no packaged stuff at our place, not us, course there wasn’t any back then really.”



An illustration of what the original Gertoe's sign looked like.

 





Gertie's seasonal closing ad, 1952.


 

Matchbook from Gertie's Drive-in, 1960s, with the cryptic legend "Recommended by Ralph A. Hahn". Hahn was presumably the owner then; he also jointly owned the Sky-Hi Drive-in Theatre east of Helena.

 

 


THE RB DRIVE-IN

 

The RB Drive-in, 1967. Still in business at 932 Helena Ave. It opened around 1945 as the Root Beer Stand.


Bill Higgins, Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee writes: My father opened the Root Beer Stand in about 1945. He owned the property and could get sugar during rationing. A number of High School and College kids worked there. Dad sold to Bill Staniger, a fireman and his wife, who expanded the menu. The parking lot was the end of "the drag" which went up Last Chance Gulch and back.

Bill's father, William Higgins Sr., also operated the Tower Shopping Center on 11th Ave. Many thanks to Bill for e-mailing this information.




THE MINUTE KITCHEN
• A 4-B'S SPINOFF •

 


Ashtray from the Minute Kitchen, 612 Euclid Ave., a short-order cafe operated by the 4-Bs Restaurants. It was located just west of Lundy's Market,

 

The rear of the Minute Kitchen, about 1964.
COURTESY OF CATHEE CRAPO

 



Minute Kitchen ad, 1955.






MISCHEL'S




?

Ashtray from Mischel's Restaurant on Last Chance Gulch, after 1953. Does anyone have information about this establishment?

 

 

 


HOWARD"S PIZZA

Howard's Pizza building, 432 N. Park Avenue, 1988. Now demolished.
COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK

Scott Nelson of Helena writes: Howard's Pizza was established in 1959, and is still around on the west side and a little shop on the east side.

Before 1959, 432 N. Park was home to the Rinda Auto Garage, family operated by brothers Theo and Venzile Rinda. Their father Ben started it in 1912 at 426 N. Park. Ben Rinda was a jack of all trades, whom older generations I have talked to still remember.

I think the building itself dates from the 1880's.

The same location today THANKS TO SCOTT NELSON

 





THE IMPERIAL LANES COFFEE SHOP

Imperial Lanes Coffee Shop, early 1960s. Imperial Lanes, the largest bowling establishment in Helena for years, was located on N. Roberts, between Prospect and 11th.

1969 newspaper ad for the Imperial Coffee Shop. Red meat, and lots of it.




THE SILVER SPUR'S FINAL LOCATON



The Silver Spur Bar & Lounge. This Quonset hut on Montana Avenue was the Silver Spur's final location, after moving from 330 N. Main. The building has been moved away. COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK

 

COURTESY OF JEFF SHERLOCK

 

The Silver Spur being moved, date unnown. Final location unknown.
THE WES AND CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION

 

 

IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS OR EPHEMERA RELATING TO THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
RESTAURANTS
& BAKERIES
THE BARBEQUE - THE CABIN CAFE - THE COLONIAL CLUB - CORR CAFE - FOUR ACRES - 4-B's - GAR'S CAFE - PETER PAN - THE HAMBURGER SHOP - HOUSE OF WONG - YAT SON NOODLE PARLOR - LEE''S FOUNTAIN - THE MECCA CAFE - THE MONTANA CLUB - MURRAY'S CAFE - GAMER'S - GEORGE'S OK CAFE - THE NUGGET - RED ROOF - STAR CAFE - WALT & MILLIE'S DINER - WEISS CAFE - DUTCH MAID MALT SHOP - TASTEE FREEZE - THE PARROT CONFECTIONERY - DAIRYLAND - PRICKLY PEAR TRUCK STOP - THE NITE OWL - THE GOODIE SHOP - THE IDEAL BAKERY
DRIVE-INS
GERTIE'S DRIVE-IN - THE RB DRIVE-IN - ZIP IN AND OUT - THE RAINBOW DRIVE-IN
BARS
TRACY'S BAR & LOUNGE - CHEERIO LOUNGE - BLUE MOON - THE BUCKHORN - MIDWAY BAR - STOCKMAN'S BAR - THE WESTERN BAR - THE BISON BAR - THE RED MEADOW - JESTER'S LOUNGE - THE WHITE MILL - THE SHANTY - THE CORNER BAR