
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..
==[
CLARKSONSTUDIO.COM ]==
© Robert Noel Clarkson 1996
401 North Hoback Street
Helena,
Montana 59601