Remember When?

40 YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 16, 1982

MORE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS SET ON ‘STRIP’

The year 1983 could be a major commercial building year for Thompson Falls on the Strip eat of town, based on plans recently announced.

Fresh on the heels of the announcements last week by E.G. and Jackie Akins and Kim and Setsuko Roberts of plans to build new stores on the Strip, the Ledger has been advised of plans to erect two other commercial buildings in the area this year. The building plans announced by the Akins will house Akins Foods and the Roberts structure will house Empire Builders.

The Strip referred to is east of Thompson Falls starting at the dentist office onwards.

Harold Crawford is planning to start work soon to erect a building to house a branch office of the Plains Lynch Creek Veterinary Clinic operated by his son-in-law, Dr. Robert Gregg. Crawford said Dr. Gregg would maintain part-time office hours in the Thompson Falls clinic as he does now in Superior. This building is located between the dentist office and Empire Builders.

Leonard Moody and Ralph Smith, owners of Moody’s market in Ronan and the Warehouse Market in Polson, have purchased a three-acre tract between the Lodge Motel and the Paul Alexander residence for construction of a building to house a warehouse market.

Moody said he and his partner have received bids for the construction but have awarded no contracts yet.

Moody said, “We’ve got a lot of hoops to jump through yet…and a lot of licenses and permits to obtain.”

He said he had informed both the Akins and Chris Stobie of his plans. Thompson Falls used to have two grocery stores downtown which kept grocery prices at a competitive rate. After Moody and Smith went into business, they offered lower prices than the other stores, driving them out of business. Now Thompson Falls has only one grocery store over a mile from downtown.

Moody said he and his partner had been working on the plans for two years.

Being planned is a metal building containing about 14,000 square feet of floor space.

The market would contain about 30,000 items and the store would employ eight to 10 persons, all of whom will be local except the two top management persons, Smith advised the Ledger.

The market to be known as Sanders County Warehouse Foods would include a first quality meat department and a bakery. Smith said the investment will involve about $800,000 and increase the t base of Sanders County.

No date for the start of construction has been set, both Smith and Moody emphasized. However, they said they hope to start work as soon as possible.

The land for the market was purchased from Tony Jacobs of Chicago and Nickson Taylor.

Dave Bennett said the sale of his half-acre lot just east of W-I Timber Products to Crawford was to be completed Friday.

Crawford said he plans a building about 24 by 36 feet. And hopes to start construction soon also.

The recent disclosure of building plans on the Strip follows major construction projects now underway in the Thompson Falls area.

Due for completion around March 1 is the new million-dollar home of First State Bank of Montana (now First Security Bank). Also scheduled for completion in early spring is the project to install two tainter gate in the main Thompson Falls dam by the Montana Power Co.

Work also is well along on improving and expanding the city water system with the installation of a new storage tank, a new well, meters and mains. When completed, water to city homes will be supplied in three pressure zones.

Water from the new underground storage tank will feed the residential area above Fourth Avenue. The middle zone will be located between Preston Avenue and Fourth Street with the area bellow the railroad tracks receiving water through pressure reduction valves, which are designed to retain pressure and thus reduce water usage.

The city water project should be completed net spring or early summer.

Meanwhile, a major construction project scheduled for the future is the plan of the Montana Power Company.