Horner, Fred-Interview 1 |
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INTERVIEW with FRED HORNER
October 10, 1983
ZELLlCK: This is Anna Zellick interviewing Fred Horner at my home at 721 West Spring St. My
reason for selecting Mr. Horner as an interviewee is that he has resided in Lewistown
continuously since 1922. During all or most of this time, from 1922 until Seiden Drug Business
moved out of its last location on 5th and Main, he was affiliated with the Seiden Drug Co. The
Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan is now located in Seiden's last location while it was in Mr.
Horner's possession.
HORNER: I arrived in Lewistown on January 10, 1922.
ZELLlCK: Were you employed immediately by the Seiden Drug Co?
HORNER: I was offered the position I took.
ZELLlCK: What was the position offered you? What position did you hold during your affiliation
with the Seiden Drug?
HORNER: I came as a window trimmer and an advertising man. Later I took over the buying
and the advertising and sales end of the company.
ZELLlCK: You were really a business manager for the store, were you not?
HORNER: Yes, I was, after a few years.
ZELLlCK: This may interest you. Many of us who knew you and traded at the Seiden Drug
regarded you as a pharmacist.
HORNER: I never acted as a pharmacist. I took the examination, but was never interested in a
pharmacy, and although I worked in a drugstore all my life, I never acted as a pharmacist.
ZELLlCK: You may not have acted or put on any airs as a pharmacist, but people like us, your
customers, just assumed that you were a pharmacist. Only yesterday, you will be interested to
know I told someone I was going to interview you. It was some old-timer and the person said,
"Oh, Yes, the pharmacist from Seiden Drug. For the purpose of this historic survey, it is
considered rather essential that we know or have the background on the buildings in the
historic survey area. Seiden Drugstore was in it. In this last location, 5th and Main, who built
the building? Who was the contractor and the architect? And when was it built?
HORNER: The last location of the Seiden Drug Co., as I personally know it, the building was built
in 1936, after a fire had wiped out the entire corner from Fifth Avenue to what is now the
Chinese Restaurant. That had formerly been our Rexall Drugstore.
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Horner, Fred. Interview |
| Creator | Anna R. Zellick |
| Description | Interview for the Historic Resourse Survey. A history of the Seiden Drug Store, Lewistown, Montana and Fred Horners' role in it. He discusses many of the business that existed from the time he came to Lewistown in 1922 to 1983 |
| Date Original | 1983-10-10 |
| Physical format | |
| Genre | documents |
| Coverage-date | 1922-1983 |
| Publisher (Original) | Anna R. Zellick |
| Subject (keyword) | Radios; Armory; Theaters; Brick and Tile; Drug Stores; Phonographs; Airport; John Ritch; |
| Subject (AAT) | Prostitutes; |
| Type | Text |
| Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, MT. |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Geographic Coverage | Fergus County (Mont.); Lewistown (Mont.) |
| Physical collection | LH 978.6292 INTERVIEWS |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Rights Management | No copyright restrictions. |
| Full text of this item | INTERVIEW with FRED HORNER October 10, 1983 ZELLICK: This is Anna Zellick interviewing Fred Horner at my home at 721 West Spring St. My reason for selecting Mr. Horner as an interviewee is that he has resided in Lewistown continuously since 1922. During all or most of this time, from 1922 until Seiden Drug Business moved out of its last location on 5th and Main, he was affiliated with the Seiden Drug Co. The Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan is now located in Seiden’s last location while it was in Mr. Horner’s possession. HORNER: I arrived in Lewistown on January 10, 1922. ZELLICK: Were you employed immediately by the Seiden Drug Co? HORNER: I was offered the position I took. ZELLICK: What was the position offered you? What position did you hold during your affiliation with the Seiden Drug? HORNER: I came as a window trimmer and an advertising man. Later I took over the buying and the advertising and sales end of the company. ZELLICK: You were really a business manager for the store, were you not? HORNER: Yes, I was, after a few years. ZELLICK: This may interest you. Many of us who knew you and traded at the Seiden Drug regarded you as a pharmacist. HORNER: I never acted as a pharmacist. I took the examination, but was never interested in a pharmacy, and although I worked in a drugstore all my life, I never acted as a pharmacist. ZELLICK: You may not have acted or put on any airs as a pharmacist, but people like us, your customers, just assumed that you were a pharmacist. Only yesterday, you will be interested to know I told someone I was going to interview you. It was some old-timer and the person said, “Oh, Yes, the pharmacist from Seiden Drug. For the purpose of this historic survey, it is considered rather essential that we know or have the background on the buildings in the historic survey area. Seiden Drugstore was in it. In this last location, 5th and Main, who built the building? Who was the contractor and the architect? And when was it built? HORNER: The last location of the Seiden Drug Co., as I personally know it, the building was built in 1936, after a fire had wiped out the entire corner from Fifth Avenue to what is now the Chinese Restaurant. That had formerly been our Rexall Drugstore. ZELLICK: You are going so fast. You mean to say that in 1936 this fire wiped out every building from where the Chinese Restaurant is now located on up to the corner of Fifth and Main? HORNER: Yes, that’s right. ZELLICK: What was the origin of the fire? HORNER: I can’t tell you the exact origin. There was at that time a number of different stores in there. There was a grocery store on the corner. The Fad clothing company had just move out. It was next door. Then there was a taxi office and a tailor shop. And then an old what was originally the Munger’s Café was next to the Seiden Drug Company. Its name had been changed and was taken over by two Greek gentlemen who I did not know and whose name I don’t recall anymore. It was assumed that the fire had started in the restaurant. ZELLICK: Did this fire involve the Seiden Drug Company? HORNER: Well, the fire burned up to the Seiden Drug Company. But we had a heavy fire wall in between. We got a lot of smoke, and we thought we were going to burn, but, luckily, we got the fire out before it did us any great damage. ZELLICK: So a new location was considered desirable. HORNER: The fire occurred in the fall of 1935. Late Fall of 1935. It burned out the entire corner down from Fifth Avenue and Main to about the middle of the block where Seiden Drug Co., was located. That winter after the fire, Mr. Seiden decided to buy the lot on the corner of Main and Fifth Avenue to build a new building. You ask who the architect was? I was the architect. I made the designs and the layout etc. I am not an architect, but I happened to do the drawing for that particular building. Construction of the building took place in the spring of 1936. And I believe the contractor’s name was Johnson. He was a fine bricklayer and built the building for us. ZELLICK: What was his first name? Was it Martin? HORNER: No, I really can’t recall his first name. He lived over in the Judith place. Reason why I recall that he built the building was at that particular time his son was stricken with meningitis. It was necessary to get serum, fresh serum, every other day. The Seiden Drug Co. took on the job of providing this serum. We flew serum into Lewistown every other day for this boy for exactly how long, probably for ten days or a week or so, which involved quite of lot of money. Fortunately the boy got well. The father was very appreciative of what we had done so he knew that we were going to build this building. He told us that he knew that he owed us a lot of money. He said, “If you give me the job of building the building I will pay you the money, and I will also build the finest building on Lewistown. Which we always felt that he did. ZELLICK: What was there especially unique about the building? HORNER: Well, it was built earthquake proof, for one thing which was new for Lewistown. ZELLICK: What do they do to a building to make it earthquake proof? HORNER: Not being a construction engineer, I can’t tell you exactly. They build a certain amount of sway into the construction of the building. ZELLICK: Are there other buildings or is Seiden Building the only one that is earthquake proof? HORNER: As far as I know that is the only one, unless some of the very recent buildings are that way. I am not sure. ZELLICK: What else was there unique about the building? HORNER: Well, it was built entirely out of brick and tile construction which was a double wall, which was something new in the construction line at that time. Mr. Seiden was a person who liked first-class things. It had a beautiful maple floor throughout the entire building. If it were built today, it would cost a fortune. The construction was extra strong all the way through. It also had a front made out of new glass tile. ZELLICK: It was blue. HORNER: It was blue, made in two foot squares. They were something entirely new on the market at that time. ZELLICK: I remember, I remember very distinctly. When did you sell the store? HORNER: Well, Mr. Seiden passed away in 1947. At that time, I took over the business with my partner, Archie Kimpel. I operated the store then until 1968. At that time I felt that I wanted to get out of the drug business. I sold the drug of the pharmacy section to Archie Kimpel. I maintained half of that store as a gift shop. We always had a large gift department. My wife and I ran this for a number of years. Mr. Kimpel then thought that he would like to take over the entire store, and so I sold out the gift shop and turned it over to Mr. Kimpel. ZELLICK: Then, it was Archie Kimpel who sold the store of the building to Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan. HORNER: No. I retained the building after I sold the drug department to Mr. Kimpel. ZELLICK: Then how did the Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan get involved? HORNER: Shortly after I sold out to Mr. Kimpel, he decided that he would rather have a smaller place. He wanted to run strictly a prescription pharmacy. He moved the location down the 300 block. ZELLICK: What year was that? HORNER: That was in 1969. This left me with an empty building. So I decided to put it up for sale. Within two days’ time after I put it up for sale a gentleman appeared wanting to know how much I wanted for the building. I told him. He said, ”Well, we will be down at the bank Thursday morning with the check.” ZELLICK: Who was that? HORNER: Well, it was a lawyer for the Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan. ZELLICK: How interesting. Now coming back to some of the other buildings, Do you know anything of the buildings that remained in the block after the fire you mentioned, such as Tony Gies, and then the Chinese Garden, Owl Drug. Do you know anything about those buildings? HORNER: Well, I can tell you what the original buildings were and what they changed into. About 1900 the 400 hundred block consisted of, about half of that block was the Lehman’s store. ZELLICK: Yes, from the corner. HORNER: From the corner down to, and at that time, the original Seiden Building was not built. It was built in 1903. At that time it contained the Elks Lodge upstairs. There was some other type of store downstairs. Then next to that was the old Scheidt Jewelry Store. Then on the corner of Fourth and Main was the old Day House. Later it was moved back across the alley. Then the American Legion Building was put there in its place. The building that the Owl Drug is now in was the Vaughn-Ragsdale Store. It was built, as I recollect, for Vaughn-Ragsdale Ready-to-Wear store. It was about 1940. ZELLICK: Do you have any idea who the contractors were? HORNER: No, I really couldn’t tell you. ZELLICK: Or the architects? HORNER: No, I don’t know. ZELLICK: Would you happen to know the names of the outstanding architects and contractors during the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s? HORNER: I really can’t tell you right now. I possibly could get you some information on that. With a little time, I would be glad to try to do. ZELLICK: There is another building that people involved with the ongoing historic survey are interested in. The building across the street from the Seiden Drug, where Fabric Carousel is now located. It was started as the Judith Basin Bank, and then it became the First National Bank, and then Crouch moved in or somebody affiliated with a pharmacy. HORNER: When did Mr. Crouch buy that building? HORNER: Mr. Crouch bought that building around 1930. Mr. Crouch was bought out by the Seiden Drug Company in about 1945 or 1946. ZELLICK: Did they, explain? HORNER: Well, Mr. Crouch was planning to go out of business. We purchased his drugs and prescriptions. He did not own the building. It stayed in this insurance family for a number of years. I cannot recall the name of this family that owned the building. As a matter of fact this family may still own this building. There was a daughter, a son, and probably the mother is still alive. The name will come to me, Osborne. ZELLICK: You mean Mildred Osborne? She owns the building? HORNER: As far as I know she does. ZELLICK: You are right Osborne was an insurance agent. And Mildred comes up every summer. What specifically does she own, just the Fabric Carousel part? HORNER: That I can’t tell you. There used to be a lodge upstairs. ZELLICK: Are there any other buildings you would like to comment on? HORNER: The old Myrtle Theatre. ZELLICK: Where was it located? HORNER: That is where the Lewistown Hardware is now located. ZELLICK: It was located exactly where the Lewistown Hardware is located? HORNER: Yes. ZELLICK: In the Lang Building? HORNER: Yes. And at the time I came into the picture the theatre was owned by John Ritch. ZELLICK: Mr. Ritch was a character, wasn’t he? HORNER: Yes, he was. HORNER: John Ritch and Charlie Russell, the artist, were very good friends. I knew John Ritch quite well and I learned a great deal of Charlie Russell from him. In fact, I used to do a little sign work for him, once in awhile. ZELLICK: Mr. Ritch was also interested in history and he was a man of humor. HORNER: He liked a good joke. He was liable to play one on you, if he had a chance. ZELLICK: He was the owner of the theatre, but he leased the building. How long was the theatre in operation? HORNER: As near as I can remember, it went out of existence in the early 1930’s, during the Depression. I heard my first talking picture in the Myrtle Theatre. That was along 1929. I assumed that it went out of business around 1932 or 1933. ZELLICK: I remember as a youngster that there were two theatres: the Judith and the Myrtle. How did those two theatres compare with one another? HORNER: There was some difference in the two theatres. As far as the pictures that were shown, they were quite similar. Judith Theatre had a large stage. Quite frequently there were stage performances. So it was a little more of a theatre than the Myrtle was. Myrtle Theatre was strictly a movie theatre. ZELLICK: Before the days of the talkies, at the Judith Theatre they had at the Myrtle, they had a piano and a violinist. HORNER: They had a pianist and my first night in Lewistown, I went to the Myrtle and heard Zita Dillon. She was a school teacher; she played the piano at the Myrtle Theatre. She was quite proficient. I got acquainted with her through a friend of mine. (Note to the listener: my tape recorder did not click so I was not aware that Mr. Horner’s voice was not being recorded. We had run out of tape. Hence, the reason for some repetition.) A.Z. ZELLICK: For the second time we are going to have an account of the Myrtle Theatre and the establishment upstairs. I am very sorry about this. HORNER: I recall the Myrtle Theatre quite well because of the fact that was where I had the Occasion to hear the first sound music. I was also acquainted with the original piano player whose name was Zita Dillon, who was a friend of a friend of mine. Occasionally we would go there and pick her up after the show. Myrtle Theatre was quite well known due to the fact that John Ritch ran it. He was what I would consider quite a character, about town. Above the Myrtle Theatre was rather a famous establishment, called the Elite Rooms. I was also quite well acquainted with Elite Rooms due to the fact that our drugstore did a considerable business with them. Almost every day the Madame would call the drugstore and ask us to send over an order such as six boxes of face powder, half dozen bottles of cologne, and a dozen lipsticks which I would deliver. She would meet me at the door and pay me. She called me the “Kid”, and quite often she would say to me, “Do you have a few moments, Kid? I’m lonesome and I would like to talk to someone. Come back to my apartment and I will give you a glass of wine, and let’s talk.” And sometimes I did. I recall the Elite Rooms were a very good source of revenue for the drugstore. ZELLICK: In the event that your comments on the Myrtle and the Judith Theatre did not record, would you be kind enough to repeat? HORNER: I was asked to make a comparison between the Judith and the Myrtle Theatres. As far as the presentation of the moving pictures were concerned, they were about the same. The Judith was equipped also with a large stage. Quite frequently, it put on traveling stage shows, and other type of stage entertainment. ZELLICK: The Judith had the pipe organ and the Myrtle used the piano and other instruments. The Elite Rooms accommodated ranchers who might have been stranded in town during a major storm. So in one way its business was honest and legal and in another it was “shady”. HORNER: That’s correct. ZELLICK: How long was it in operation? HORNER: I don’t know exactly. I don’t know how long it was in operation, but it went out of business around 1930. ZELLICK: How many girls did it employ? HORNER: From about six to ten. ZELLICK: What do you remember about the building where the Moose Lodge is today? HORNER: As I recall it was a bank building when I came to Lewistown in 1922. And in succeeding years, it served as or a couple of different banks were in there. ZELLICK: Do you recall the name of the bank that was there when you came in 1922? HORNER: …….. ZELLICK: There was a Lewistown State Bank, Empire Bank and Trust, First National Bank that started out at the Fabric Carousel. Then there was a Building and Loan. These banks were in operation during the early 1920’s. HORNER: The Building and Loan was in what is now or was in a section that is now a part of the Moose Building, but at that time it was a separate division. ZELLICK: We will swing back to the Seiden Store because it is important to the history of Lewistown. But I’m trying to get some of these buildings out of the way. Do you know anything about the Armory Building? It was where the Wier Store is now. When and how did it come to be an Armory Building? Do you know? HORNER: Well, I really don’t know how it obtained the name of the Armory Building. It was called that when I first came to Lewistown (1922). In later years, the National Guard used that as a training center. I don’t know that that had anything to do with the naming of the building itself. My recollection of the Armory Building was that there were or there was a big dance held there every Saturday night and every Wednesday night. The Wednesday night dances were the ten cent dances and you would buy the ticket and you would get out on the floor about one time and then they would pull you off with a big rope, and you would have to buy another ticket. But also at that time we had a very fine orchestra, called the “Armory Six”. Two or three of those musicians later became quite famous in the band world. Slim Simpson was one of them. He played the trombone. And then there was an Indian boy. I don’t recall his name. He played the saxophone. These dances at the Armory were so popular that you could hardly get on the floor at any time and the old Armory Building was condemned, but they kept on using it. Sometimes, it swayed so bad you’d swear that it would throw you out the window, but they kept on using it as a dance hall, until, I believe, a part of it was made into apartments later on. Later the Wier Furniture Co. took it over and now operates it as a furniture store. ZELLICK: Did you and Mrs. Horner attend these dances? HORNER: Yes. ZELLICK: You said that these dances were well attended. HORNER: You could hardly get into the place. Every Saturday night, every Wednesday night and sometimes special ones in between. Those were the days when the automobile was not readily available. Only the wealthier people had cars. None of the young people had cars. Some might have used their father’s and so that was the place to go. They had some great times there, I guess. ZELLICK: Are there any other buildings and homes within the confines of this historic survey area that you wish to comment on? HORNER: Of course, there is the old Blackford house up by the courthouse. It was quite a well know place at that time. The Blackford girls and son, Mel, gave a lot of parties. I went there to a lot of parties. ZELLICK: Where were the parties held? HORNER: They usually gave them in the summer time and early fall. They had a carriage house out in the back part. The parties were quite often held out on the lawn by the carriage house and out on the big porch that ran around the house. They would decorate them with Japanese lanterns, etc. so there were quite festive occasions. ZELLICK: Any other building that comes to your mind? HORNER: Let’s see. ZELLICK: Across from the Seiden Drug was the Melchert’s Bakery. HORNER: Yes. That was next to the Myrtle Theatre. ZELLICK: Was that also in the Lang Building of in the Diamond Block? HORNER: I have to look at the buildings to tell you. I can’t say offhand. Down the street in the area where the new bank building is going in was a restaurant ran by a young man known as Skinny Wheaton. And by the way, Skinny Wheaton’s father was a city councilman and quite a well known man around town. Skinny was quite known through his activities around town. He was a man about town and he was one of those ne’er-do-well. ZELLICK: Was this restaurant where Mimnaugh’s had theirs? HORNER: I knew Minmaugh. He had this popcorn machine, for quite sometime. It was where the old post office was located where the News Argus is now. Minmaugh’s machine was on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Main Street. Later on he moved down into what was known for a long time as the Gem Café. But at that time it was not the Gem Café. The front part of the store which later the Gem Café took over was owned by Mimnaugh. And he ran sort of a magazine and candy store. And popcorn was his specialty. Back of that, was a restaurant run by the Harry sisters. Two old maid sisters operated there for quite a number of years, and later it was moved on to Main Street, over to the location where the Penney store is, I believe. I remember the Harry sisters quite well due to the fact that at that time nobody then made very big wages. As young men of the town we often became quite short of money. And the Harry sisters were always good for a couple of meals. And so I know them quite well and respected them also! ZELLICK: Isn’t this interesting? I see that your voice is sort of running out on you so we have to be very careful about that. I think that since you were identified with the Seiden Drug for so long, and it was such an outstanding drugstore in town, would you be kind enough to tell us about the origins of the Seiden Drug Co.? HORNER: The Seiden Drug So., began in about 1903, as I knew it. At that time, it was started and owned by a gentleman by the name of Mr. Wilson. It became the Rexall drugstore, due to the fact that at that time a man by the name of Lewis K. Liggett was a drug salesman driving through the country in a horse and buggy. He decided to help the small drugstores out by forming a corporation of the druggists themselves. He organized the Rexall Drug Company into which each of the drugstores around the state put in $300 apiece to start with. And they or he moved to Boston where he opened up, originally the idea was just to be able to buy items in larger quantities so that they could get a better price on it. But after a short time, they also decided to manufacture things. ZELLICK: But the idea for such a store or an arrangement actually occurred here in Montana? HORNER: Yes, by Mr. Liggett who was traveling in Montana at that time. ZELLICK: Isn’t that interesting? Where was Mr. Seiden or Mr. Wilson in 1903; where was he located? HORNER: He was located right by where Tony Gies is now. That was the original start of the business. ZELLICK: It was a stone building, wasn’t it? HORNER: Yes. It was made of the old stone. Shortly after Mr. John Seiden became a partner. They also operated a branch store in Denton, for a while. But that was only for two or three years. But anyhow Mr. Seiden became acquainted with this Mr. Louie K. Liggett and became quite a personal friend of his. And through his acquaintance, I also became acquainted with Louie K. Liggett. I was fortunate enough to operate on the national board which he created years later after they became large. Then Mr. Seiden came into the picture here in Lewistown in 1907, quite accidentally. ZELLICK: Would you care to give a thumbnail sketch on how it happened that Mr. Seiden settled here? It was more or less by accident, wasn’t it? HORNER: Mr. Seiden’s advent into Lewistown was quite accidental. He and his wife had been on their honeymoon and were returning to their home in Livingston on the train. As they were approaching Harlowton, the engine of the train locomotive broke down. At that time, the repair shops of the Milwaukee Railroad were in Lewistown so that they were told that they (Seiden’s) would have to stay in Harlowton, that night. Unfortunately, that same day the hotel burned down so there was no place to stay. The conductor told the Seiden’s that they would be able to ride up to Lewistown to stay overnight and go back with the repaired engine in the morning. Which they did. The following morning they passed the bank……… ZELLICK: Which was where the Moose Building is now? HORNER: Yes. The president of the Bank, I believe his name was Mr. Wilford J. Johnson, came out. He knew Mr. Seiden in Butte. He came out and asked Mr. Seiden if he would like to buy a drugstore. Mr. Seiden said he certainly would, but that he didn’t have any money to buy it with. The bank president said, “Well, you don’t need any money. See that drugstore across the street there. We owned a considerable amount of that, and the gentleman that runs it is not very well. We want to get another man in there to take over. We will sell it to you with your interest for $5,000 and you don’t have to make a payment for two years.” And so Mr. Seiden decided that was probably the best opportunity he was going to have for a long time and he took it. Consequently, he shortly moved to Lewistown. ZELLICK: Isn’t that interesting? He did a darn good business. HORNER: Yes. Seiden was a successful man. He was a builder. He was always planning ahead something that he was going to build either for himself or for the town. His building had to be the best in town. It had to have the best front. It had to be nicer on the inside than anybody else’s. Also he helped to build a number of other things in Lewistown that probably would not be here today if it weren’t for him. As a matter of fact, Mr. Seiden and myself were the original instigators of an airport for Lewistown that people don’t know. ZELLICK: Tell us something about it. HORNER: Well, Mr. Seiden talked to me one time and he said, “You know, I think we ought to have an airport here in Lewistown.” And I said, “How are we going to get one?” He said, “I’ll do a little of probing around to see what I can do.” At that time there was a man by the name of Harry Fitton who was the secretary and treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce. He and Mr. Seiden were very good friends. They were talking about this. Harry Fitton said, “Well, there is a fund belonging to the Chamber Of Commerce which I don’t think anyone even knows about but myself.” There was $3,500. He said, “I don’t think that we would be breaking the law if we took that and banked that money for the city. So he took that $3,500 and leased a piece of land up on top of the hill on the right hand side of the highway. So then we decided we needed a hangar. At that time we were tearing down some of these old stone buildings around town. We talked to some of these contractors to haul some of the old blocks out there and we built a hanger with some of the old blocks with donated labor. We had an airport, not much of one, but we had one. So we decided we should have a dedication. At that time there was a man by the name of Bert Walker who was quite a well-known flyer around town. He was also our acquaintance. We told him about our plan. We asked him to contact his flying friends to see if they wouldn’t hold a fly-in for our dedication. We also wrote to the government and asked them if they would let us issue a special airmail stamp, but they wouldn’t do that. But they did allow us to put a frank on a special envelope, and we got a plane out of Great Falls to fly in here on that day. We sent these letters out all over the country, and had them mailed back here. This plane flew in here with the first airmail here in Lewistown. ZELLICK: What year are we talking about? HORNER: It was about 1935, 1934 or 1935. Anyhow, we expected to have 300 or 400 people at our dedication. But the news got around, and we had some publicity. We must have had 10,000 people there. Cars were lined up along the road almost to Moore. And Bert Walker had talked an aviation company to bringing in the first helicopter in here. It put on a demonstration flight. And on its first landing, it tipped over and flew into pieces. The people made a dash for it, started to get souvenirs. It took the sheriff and half dozen deputies and we finally got a part of the helicopter into the hangar, in order to save a little bit of it. But most of it went as souvenirs to the people. So it was quite a celebration that day. But then we also realized that down in the middle of our airport, we had quite a coulee that would have to be filled up in order to make any kind of a decent landing strip. We didn’t have any money to do that so we talked to Harrison Green who owned a bunch of land on the other side of the highway. We made a little trade with him in land and acquired part of the location where the airport is at the present time. Of course, later on during the war, the Government enlarged it and rebuilt it. But that was the original start of the airport here in Lewistown. ZELLICK: Coming back to the Seiden Drug. So, it was where Tony Gies place is now. HORNER: We had both sides of it. We had the bar area and where the restaurant is. On the one side, we strictly had our drug store and on the other side we sold Columbia phonographs. We had five soundproof booths where on could go in and play records. We had a large soda fountain at the back end; there was an ice cream parlor. We sold enough ice cream that we had one man who did nothing else but make ice cream for us. His name was Smythe Barclay. He later worked for the Daily News. We had our own formula and everything. Then one day Mr. Seiden returned from a trip to New York. When he came home, he said, “We are going to have a big sale. We are going to sell all of our phonographs and records out.” We said, “Why in the world are we going to do that?” He said, “Because while I was in New York, I was taken in to see something new that is coming out on the market. It is called “radio.” That is going to take the place of the phonographs. Well, anyway we had this big sale. We sold all of our machines. We sold all of our records, a dozen for $1.50 or something like that. Today if we had some of those Caruso records, they would be worth a fabulous price. We just gave them away to get rid of them. Sure enough, the first radio came into the market. The first one was called the de Forest “cat’s whisker.” It was called the “cat’s whisker” because it had a crystal with a very fine hair in it that you had to set that hair in a certain location on the crystal or it would make a lot of screechy noise like a lot of cats meowing. Anyhow it was quite expensive. It sold around for $350. It was a lot of money for that time. The funny thing there were no programs on the air to get. There was nothing on the air to get. Occasionally, and it also used ear phones so that only one person could listen at a time. So we would get a crowd around it. Someone who would have the ear phones would say, “I think I hear a lady singing.” Others would say, “Let us hear, let us hear.” Well, the only good thing about it was that we had, if you were a telegraph operator, we had a metal ceiling at that time and it would pick up all the Western Union messages that would come in. If you had been an operator, you could have taken down every message that came into the Western Union office, two blocks down the street. But as far as programming was concerned, it didn’t have anything, but it finally got a little better and better. Then one day a young fellow walked in with a big square box, and he said, “I have all of your problems solved, now.” He said “You don’t have to use ear phones any more. You have a horn we put on there, everybody can sit around and hear.” It looked a little bit like the old phonograph horn at that time, but, of course, later it was incorporated into the cabinet. We sold a lot of those de Forest radios for $350. What anybody ever did with them. ZELLICK: I remember the old Seiden Drugstore, but by that time the soda fountain was gone. I remember what a delight it was to walk into that store. Like the second store, every time you walked in through the door, there was a bell or a chime. You walked in and you walked this long aisle to the prescription counter. You noticed pictures of people that were developed because you also developed film. HORNER: They were large photographs put out by Eastman Kodak Co. They were huge. Some of them were 8’x8’ square. They were really marvelous pictures. They would have a picture of the smithy shoeing a horse, you know and all kinds of historic things. We had a very good collection. As a matter of fact, we sold that collection for quite a bit of money. After we rebuilt the store, we took them down, stored them, and I ran across a party that wanted to buy them. I sold them for a pretty fair price. I think if I had taken them to a right place, I could have got a lot more money. ZELLICK: Below these pictures were your shelves. They were shelves covered with glass. They were encased in glass. Somewhere up above the shelves, there was beautiful stained glass. HORNER: Yes, on top of the glass there were stained glass strips. Each cabinet was eight feet wide, and then there was a stained glass strip about that wide that ran the length there. And it was built so that we could put lights back in there, but the man that invented them forgot to think about glare. And the lights never worked too well in there because you could see only the two light bulbs. If they had neon in those days, it would have worked fine. We did have the lights, but we never used them. ZELLICK: But that was actually stained glass? HORNER: Yes, as a matter of fact, some of those cabinets are still in the present Seiden Drug store that is down by the liquor store. Those cabinets were especially built for the Seiden Drug Co. in 1915 by the Yellowstone Manufacturing Co., in Billings. I don’t recall the name exactly. Anyway, they were especially built for Seiden Drug Store. They were made out of beautiful oak and heavy plate glass. ZELLICK: Yew, it was always a treat to walk into the Seiden Drug store. And then when you moved over to the new place, it was also elegant. I remember the blue glass front and so on. The carpentry work was done; it would be stated, by John Haugen who was a real expert. HORNER: That is right. ZELLICK: He came over from Norway around 1911. HORNER: That is correct. He was a Norwegian, I am quite sure. ZELLICK: What was there especially unique about his work? HORNER: He was a perfectionist. None of his work was ever turned over as completed unless it was practically perfect. ZELLICK: Here again, we are very limited on the information we have of him. I know that his son and daughter are both here and they will be willing to help us. But their memory may not serve them too well, because they were too young. What else did he build besides the Seiden Drug Co. and the Charles J. Marshall home on Tenth Avenue? Also the John Huntoon residence, he built that. HORNER: He did an awful lot of work around town, but I couldn’t specifically say any one of the jobs he did. ZELLICK: Mr. Horner, after all the discussion on the Seiden Drug Store, that is the last or the second one in which Mr. Seiden operated on the corner of 5th and Main, we failed to say anything about where the brick came from. Can you enlighten us? HORNER: The brick was made by the Lewistown Brick and Tile Company which at that particular time was rather an important institution here in Lewistown. It employed I am not exactly sure of the exact number, but they employed around 25 to 30 people. The brick had the reputation over the entire West of being the finest brick made in the United States. This was due, as I understand, to the quality of the clay which was found at the edge of Lewistown. The brick was exceptionally hard and at that time was fired in what thy called kilns. It was practically all hand labor. In the spring, usually the brickyard was closed in the winter time during the cold months. “There was always rather an event when the brickyard announces that they were going to open in the spring because it meant that 25 or 30 men would be remployed and would go back to work. It was a financial asset to Lewistown. It was a much looked forward to event when the company opened up in the spring again. ZELLICK: Who were prominent in the brick corporation? HORNER: The brickyard was owned by a few local business men. I cannot say the exact names of all of them. The Wiedemans were part owners. John Gretencourt was the manager and the salesman for the company. His two boys, John and Carl worked at the brickyard. John was the foreman and then the rest of the employees were men around town. I don’t recall their names anymore. But John Gretencourt Sr. was the main salesman, and he was an exceptionally good salesman. He had a personality for that type of work. That was another thing that made the brickyard successful. He could go out and sell the product after it was produced. ZELLICK: I believe that the brickyard was established either in December 1911 or December 1912. And as you indicated, Mr. George Wiedeman was either a founder or definitely a co-founder if other people were involved. When we were visiting earlier, about your recollections of Mr. John Ritch, the owner of the Myrtle Theatre, you referred to the fact that he was a personal friend of Charlie Russell. He told you stories. Can you share any of these stories with us today? HORNER: I recall one incident that John Ritch spoke to me about. He said that he and Charlie Russell were coming back to Lewistown at just about sunset one evening and as they came over the Divide, just east of Lewistown, Russell said, “Stop the wagon. I want to get out.” John Ritch said, “What for?” He said, “I want to make a sketch of that sunset.” Which he did. Later on he presented the finished painting to John Ritch. I had the pleasure of seeing it one time. It was a beautiful picture. Later it became very valuable. What became of it, I do not know. ZELLICK: Did it have a name? HORNER: I don’t recall that he ever gave me the name. All that John Ritch said was that Russell insisted getting out of the wagon to paint that sunset. ZELLICK: Was this the McDonald Divide, east of town? HORNER: It was east of town. |
| Local Identifier | LH 978.6292 INTERVIEWS |
Description
| Title | Horner, Fred-Interview 1 |
| Type | Text |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Full text of this item | INTERVIEW with FRED HORNER October 10, 1983 ZELLlCK: This is Anna Zellick interviewing Fred Horner at my home at 721 West Spring St. My reason for selecting Mr. Horner as an interviewee is that he has resided in Lewistown continuously since 1922. During all or most of this time, from 1922 until Seiden Drug Business moved out of its last location on 5th and Main, he was affiliated with the Seiden Drug Co. The Great Falls Federal Savings and Loan is now located in Seiden's last location while it was in Mr. Horner's possession. HORNER: I arrived in Lewistown on January 10, 1922. ZELLlCK: Were you employed immediately by the Seiden Drug Co? HORNER: I was offered the position I took. ZELLlCK: What was the position offered you? What position did you hold during your affiliation with the Seiden Drug? HORNER: I came as a window trimmer and an advertising man. Later I took over the buying and the advertising and sales end of the company. ZELLlCK: You were really a business manager for the store, were you not? HORNER: Yes, I was, after a few years. ZELLlCK: This may interest you. Many of us who knew you and traded at the Seiden Drug regarded you as a pharmacist. HORNER: I never acted as a pharmacist. I took the examination, but was never interested in a pharmacy, and although I worked in a drugstore all my life, I never acted as a pharmacist. ZELLlCK: You may not have acted or put on any airs as a pharmacist, but people like us, your customers, just assumed that you were a pharmacist. Only yesterday, you will be interested to know I told someone I was going to interview you. It was some old-timer and the person said, "Oh, Yes, the pharmacist from Seiden Drug. For the purpose of this historic survey, it is considered rather essential that we know or have the background on the buildings in the historic survey area. Seiden Drugstore was in it. In this last location, 5th and Main, who built the building? Who was the contractor and the architect? And when was it built? HORNER: The last location of the Seiden Drug Co., as I personally know it, the building was built in 1936, after a fire had wiped out the entire corner from Fifth Avenue to what is now the Chinese Restaurant. That had formerly been our Rexall Drugstore. |
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