Heres a bit of the history of the West Side Store, 404 Madison Ave., featured on the Aug. 14 Helena History Photo Quiz (I was putting together a proper webpage for the Store when my primary computer started having ugly problems). My research shows that the store was built in 1896 by John Jacob Rohrbaugh (1841-1921). Rohrbaugh was a native of Pennsylvania, and a Union Civil War veteran. He came to Montana in 1869, and operated a successful freight and stagecoach business in the Helena/Wickes/Boulder area until the coming of railroad service to area communities and mining operations eventually put him out of business. He then worked for a time at the Grand Central Hotel on Main St. In 1884, Rohrbaugh acquired the lot at 440 West Lawrence, and soon built the home which still stands there today. In 1896, the store was constructed on the NE corner of the lot, next to Hawthorne School. He operated the store, then called the West Side Mercantile, until 1912. Rohrbaugh was plagued in his later years by numerous health problems, and moved back east to live out his days at veterans homes in Ohio and Virginia. He and his second wife, Jennie, are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The store has changed hands (and names) numerous times since then. I have much of that research done, but its unavailable to me right now. John Rohrbaugh must have had some great stories to tell. Dont you wish we could talk to him today?
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 21:25:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015