B utte Falls H istory
Bill Tucker found this info while cleaning a desk out. We don't know when it was written but
guessing around 1971 or 72 going by where people were living at the time. I read it to Dale
and Alvin Thompson and they gave me a little more insight. Not, that we know if it's correct
or not, but its fun to try and figure it all out.
F rank N etheriand hom esteaded on th e N o rth F ork o f B u tte C reek in th e 1890's, m o vin g to B u tte Falls a b o u t 1900.
H e w as m ill w rig h t and su p e rin te n d en t o f th e o ld m ill a t B u tte F alls fro m its beginning till it d o se d in 1918. H e
helped b u ild several houses th a t are still being lived in in B u tte Falls.
1
F rank C arson b u ilt th e firs t co n fe ctio n a ry and b a rb ersh o p in B u tte Falls in 1910, la te r becom ing a ta ve rn and n o w
th e hom e o f Leroy T hom pson. (The old boarding house that Leroy Thompson purchased from Hugh Crenshaw)
A erias C ross b u ilt th e h o te l in 1910, n o w th e h o m e o f A lvin T hom pson. (Also the old boarding house where the
last Tavern was owned by the Stritenbergs. Alvin rented from LeRoy)
N ate S toddard b u ilt a h a rd w a re sto re n e xt to th e h o te l in 1910 and w as used as th e B u tte Falls P ost O ffice fo r a
n u m b e r o f years la te r becom ing th e C o-O p sto re . (Northern end of old boarding house).
D ade M arghy b u ilt a sto re in 1910 n e xt to th e h a rd w a re sto re w h ich w as used as a g ro ce ry sto re fo r m any years.
For its last fe w years it w as kn o w n as th e E vergreen G rocery. (Same boarding house)
A m an by th e nam e o f R ichard b u ilt a sto re in 1904, th e firs t g ro ce ry sto re in to w n . In 1906 it sold o u t to J.P.
H ughes w h o ran th e g ro ce ry store till th e early 1920s selling it to Jim S im m e rville and E ve re tt F aber o f C entral
P o in t S everal years la te r th e y b u ilt th e p re se n t g ro ce ry sto re and th e H ughes b u ild in g becam e th e local th e a te r
and th e n th e p re se n t ta ve rn . (Where the Butte Falls Grocery store is now)
S ilas B riggs b u ilt th e firs t d ru g sto re in 1910 n e xt to th e R ichard's B uilding. T he drug sto re la te r becam e a
re sta ura nt in th a t ca p a d ty fo r a n u m b e r o f years. It w a s th e firs t P ost O ffice in B u tte Falls. (In 2958 Cathy Olsen
had the restaurant. It was where the mobile home is now north of the boarding house)
A l and B uell H ild reth b u ilt a co n fe ctio n a ry and a card roo m w h e re th e p re se n t g ro ce ry sto re n o w stands. It w as a
tw o sto ry b u ild in g and th e upstairs w as used as a m e e tin g place and dance hall u n til it b u rn e d d o w n a b o u t 1915.
John C adzow b u ilt a d ry goods sto re in 1910 w h ere th e p re se n t city hall n o w stands. It w as a tw o sto ry b u ild in g
w ith th e upstairs being used as a dance hall and late r m ade in to ro o m s fo r re n t. T his b u ild in g w as also used as a
p o st o ffice fo r a n u m b e r o f years.
In 1910 M r. E rikson b u ilt a card roo m and dance hall on th e p ro p e rty ju st n o rth o f th e C o m m u n ity H all la te r selling
it to Loren M o o re and Lew is D oom s w h o ran it fo r som e tim e . T he firs t te le p h o n e o ffice w as also lo ca te d on th is
p ro p e rty fo ra n u m b e r o f years. (Assembly of God Church property now)
In 1910 G eorge B arker, p re sid e n t o f th e P ine B elt B anking C om pany b u ilt a tw o sto rie d w o o d e n b u ild in g on th e
co rn e r o f O ak and B road S tre e t T he d o w n stairs w as used as a bank and th e upstairs w as used as a d w e llin g . In
1912 th is b u ild in g b u rn e d d o w n and th e y replaced th e w o od e n stru ctu re . T he bank closed its doors fo r good in
1928 fo llo w in g th e suicide o f G eorge B arker. (I think, the actor, Edgar Buchanan had something to do with this
building also, when he lived here.)
S u b m itted by C ory H am ann
B ig B utte H istorical S ociety
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