More mentors from Main Street

I read the guest opinion editorial by Michael Jackson in the May 31, 2015, Montana Perspectives section with interest. Growing up in Kalispell, I worked for several years on Main Street after school and during summers.

Mr. Jackson’s perspective on the business community is great, but I wanted to mention some other important pioneers of Kalispell downtown development. Archie Roe, Ben Bolton, Ace McCown and Jack Taylor owned and ran the Western Outdoor and Taylor and Roe men’s clothing stores on Main. These men were outstanding Kalispell businessmen who constantly supported all downtown merchant promotions such as Crazy Daze and Canadian Days. Not only were they avid community supporters and good businessmen, they were great mentors to many young men.

I completed my doctorate in economics and taught it for 30 years but my fundamental appreciation of free enterprise and retailing was developed by working for these men. Ace and Jack were inspiring teachers of marketing and life. Ben and Archie were avid supporters of Flathead High athletics. Archie maintained a fabulous archive of Flathead athletes’ photos of accomplishments in the store for anyone who was interested in the high school’s history. His legacy is clear in the school’s sports program.

They were important downtown retailers and they were truly caring teachers in the practical world. —Rick Kinonen, Whitefish