“Worden Store” Finally Leaves Family
Worden Store Finally Leaves Family [1966]
By Gerald Alquist
Worden’s Super Market, Inc., at 434 N. Higgins Ave., possibly the city’s oldest food store, has been sold by Mrs. Orville O. Worden, 2610 Sunset Lane, to George J. Sherwood, 406 Davis St.
Sherwood, who has been steward of the Eagles Club since January 1958 and secretary of Aerie 32 of the Fraternal Order of Eagle since August that year, acquired the business, stock and fixtures. The building will remain the property of Carl E. and Elmer S. Dragstedt.
The new merchant plans to operate the business in the same manner as it has been. He will be assisted by his wife, Laura, and their eight children along with Vincent A. Scales, who worked for him in the Eagles Club for the past four years.
Sherwood, who is a Navy veteran, and his brother came to Montana in 1946 with the intention of buying a theater in St. Ignatius. When that was not realized, he took over the Teepee Bar & Café there and ran the business during 1946-47.
Next he and Doran May had the Frontier Lounge during 1947-49. Subsequently he ran the Turf Bar in Drummond during 1950-54 and the Crystal Bar in the Missoula Hotel from 1954 to 1958.
Mrs. Worden, whose husband died Dec. 16, 1964, intends to remain in Missoula.
Mrs. Worden, whose maiden name was Dorothy Daniels, intended to continue her education at the University of Montana when she came to Missoula in 1929 from the Salmon, Idaho, area, where she lived on a ranch. She and Worden were married July 8 that year.
Otis A. Worden, Inc., as the store was known earlier, has been in the present location since about 1936. Before that it was in the present Yandt’s Men’s Wear location for an estimated eight or 10 years.
In the early thirties a branch store was operated at 1020 Worden Ave. Henry G. Worden, 707 W. Pine St., last surviving son of the founder, now a Northern Pacific conductor, was its manager at the time.
Prior to being at the Yandt’s address, its home was at 501 N. Higgins Ave., last occupied by Murphy’s Corner Bar. The 1913 city directory lists it as being there and Harry W. Weston, long-time businessman, expressed the opinion that it was one of the building’s first occupants when it was completed in 1909.
Memories are hazy about its earlier history. One recollection is of a predecessor store located in the Western Montana National Bank block. It may have been called the Pathfinder. Another is that a store was operated on Main Street. The Trading Post was mentioned as the name of a store in which Otis A. Worden was associated. A guess was made that it was the one on Main Street.
During the thirties and into the forties four Wordens were engaged in the business. They consisted of the following; Otis A. Worden, father, as president, died June 15, 1952; Roy F., son, vice president, died May 13, 1961; Orville O., son, secretary-treasurer, died Dec. 16, 1964 and Henry G., son.
The above article appeared in The Missoulian on August 7, 1966.