The Eighth Ave Store in Helena, Montana

THE EIGHTH AVE STORE

The above picture is Eighth Ave Grocery building in Helena, Montana. This western style false-front building was originally a turn-of-the-century Ice Cream Parlor owned by the Dorsey Family, one of the first black families to operate a business in Helena. I suspect that the Walter and Alma Dorsey moved the store into Helena from Canton Ferry in 1904 and added it onto the house when the original dam was built and the first Canyon Ferry dam was constructed.
We do know that this building was a neighborhood grocery in 1904, it was owned and operated by the Dorsey's until the depression. Then the Gloege Family acquired the business and ran it from 1933 until 1961 when the chain stores moved into the community, causing the local neighborhood stores to close.
After the grocery closed the building was a paint contractor's warehouse for about four years. Then The Wise Penny Consignment Store was started here in the mid-1960's. In 1973 the building was partially remodeled for the media assignment and portrait photography studio, business and retail store selling Magic Items and Theatrical Make-up.
There is an old carriage house, or small barn, in back of the building, used for storage of the Magic Show's Illusions In 2001-2002 the house was vacated and completely remodled into the Sleepy Senator, a luxury furnished tourist house..

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