Eagle's celebrates 100th anniversary

Sam and Ida Eagle were a young couple spreading their wings when they moved to the new townsite in 1908 and first opened the doors of their new store. And now 100 years later their descendents are celebrating the Eagle's Store centennial and inviting everyone to two days of memories, special activities and refreshments at the store their grandparents founded.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29, Eagle history will come alive on the corner of Yellowstone Avenue and Canyon Street in the store and a special centennial tent set up for the occasion next to Eagle's Garage.

There will be an Eagle's History Hunt with a sheet of questions to answer, and prizes to be won, from the100th anniversary plaques containing historic store and family information found in various locations on the property.

For special centennial photo opportunities, Rich Eagle will bring his lovingly restored White Company Touring Bus from Pocatello. The design of the 100th anniversary logo was the work of Joy Eagle, Rich's wife.

Crafts are planned in the tent to delight and entertain the children; from constructing dreamcatchers using paper plates, yarn, pony beads and a feather, making optic spinners with paper, a pen and a straw, to weaving bright yarn around popsickle sticks to create "God's Eye" and coloring designs on a small paper teepee with markers.

Reproductions of ten 1920's vintage postcards that Sam Eagle had made will be available for purchase, as well as cache envelopes with vintage stamps and commemorative postal cancellations at the postal station set up for the event. Eagle family member Craig Menzel designed the cancellation logo from a watermark found in Ida Eagle's cookbook.

The Woolrich Company will be represented by the president and his family, past and present sales reps and their sheep mascot named Wolcott, come to celebrate and recognize the Eagle's Store as their oldest account west of the Mississippi.

People will certainly be lining up all weekend to buy jars of Mom Eagle's Chocolate Sauce, a long-time soda fountain favorite.

Years ago while working in the tackle shop, Jack Eagle would tie up red, white and blue wooly worms for the Fourth of July. When a customer actually tried fishing with one, and returned saying it didn't work, Jack replied, "It only works on July Fourth."

The West Yellowstone News congratulates the Eagle's Store on 100 great years, and the Eagle family on a great sense of humor.

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