Few places withstand the forces of change. And few places remain the same today as they were a century ago.
Fortunately for us, the Polebridge Mercantile is one of those places.
Rambling along Montana Highway 486 from Columbia Falls, time fades with the passing of each of the 35 miles it takes to get to the rough-handed North Fork Valley town of Polebridge. In many ways, the trip defines “off the beaten path.”
As time fades, so does your cellphone service. Which seems fair, considering that true appreciation of this landmark requires appreciation for its surroundings (and the less distraction from digital encumbrances, the better).
In 1983, the Polebridge Mercantile was added to the National Register of Historic Places, making it a true landmark. And life around this landmark remains quite the same today as it was a century ago.
The Polebridge Mercantile stands where wildlife still outnumber residents by the thousands. Electricity has yet to reach the area (and maybe never will, considering the respect of nature and way of life of the dozens of year-round residents).
And while cars have replaced horses and pack animals as the means of travel to the “store,” it still remains a bakery, post office, sandwich shop, meeting place, base camp and general store all in one.
Some of the original handiwork and construction can still be seen today, as a quick glance up at the original ceiling rafters above shows some of the hand-hewn wood and tree limbs (some with the bark still on them) that were used.
Sure, you can no longer buy Standard Oil “Red Crown” gasoline anymore. And beverages are no longer kept cold in iceboxes with ice from the historic icehouse. But despite “progress,” when nature calls, you’re still using the outhouse.
It was originally known as Adairs when it was established by brothers William and Jesse Adair who settled at a 160-acre homestead in 1912.
The Adair brothers completed the store in 1914. Later they added the outbuildings that are also listed on the historic register as part of the W.L. Adair General Mercanitle Historic District.
Their original cabin still stands next to the shop. Although, now it is part of the Northern Lights Saloon with a volleyball net outside, where a vegetable patch likely once was.
Nowadays, Adairs is known as the Polebridge Mercantile. There was a pole bridge over the nearby North Fork River. And incidentally, William telephoned county officials when the bridge went out in a flood in March of 1932.
Unfortunately, floods, mudslides and stubborn elk herds weren’t the only threats and hassles.
The Red Bench Fire of 1988 came dangerously close to the establishment, and burned the historic 1922 barn to the ground. Fortunately, with great help, the store and other buildings were spared and the iconic storefront still stands.
From the outside, much of the building’s appearance is due to its false-front or boomtown-style facade and architecture.
False-fronts were used to transform simple gabled buildings to better advertise a more prominent place of commerce. False-fronts defined the main streets of boomtowns, mining towns and cowboy movie sets – and the Polebridge Mercantile storefront.
And besides being iconic, it’s also demanding.
It demands sacrifice of modern convenience and comfort, such as cellular technology and a smooth ride to get there.
It demands our respect for a way of life that is long since gone in most other places.
And it demands our respect for its past – and even more to preserve its legacy in the future.
JC Chaix is a writer and certified home inspector and appreciates history, art and architecture.