Very grateful for story on Edwards and McLellan building

Dear Editor,

The Wednesday, January 3, edition of the PC News surely brought back some family history and memories for me. It was wonderful to read that Scott and Gina Simanton have opened their new business on Front Street, in a totally refurbished building, and I wish them much success.

Equally interesting to me was the mention of the Edwards and McLellan building, which was built in 1910 by my grandfather, Lee Dark Edwards, and his partner William McLellan. These two energetic pioneers also built stores and shops on the entire block in the next few years, from where the Edwards and McLellan building stands to the end of the block where the 5th Avenue Hotel (which they built) once stood. The L-shaped store which the Simantons have taken over was indeed once a grocery store. This was all long before my time, but I remember my mother telling me about that grocery store. Customers could go into the store, place an order, and have the order delivered right to their houses, by a man driving a horse-drawn wagon.

William McLellan died very young and unexpectedly, in 1915. My grandfather Edwards continued to run Edwards & McLellan, which was a well known and very successful business. When he died (also quite young) in 1936, my father Harold Leib, who had married Rosa Lee, one of the Edwards daughters, took over the business. He was only 24 years old at the time. Harold managed and later owned the store for over 50 years. It was a community-supportive Western clothing/goods business, and I remember with great respect and affection so many Phillips county ranching and farming families who came there to do business.

My father sold the business in 1987. The 'Edwards & McLellan' name did not go with the business. During the following years, the store building was badly neglected.....until Dennis McCrudden bought the then-empty building. He did a wonderful job of restoring the building and I am very grateful to him for that. I was also very grateful to have it called "Edwards & McLellan" in the recent news article.

As a girl growing up in Malta, I spent a lot of time helping in the store. I also returned to Malta several times for extended periods as my parents grew older, to work and help them. I have lived in Kalispell all my adult life, but, like so many others, 1 still think of Malta as 'home.' It is so good to read about the young people who are continuing to make Malta a wonderful place. Thank you for your interesting and timely article.

Sincerely,

Barbara Ludwig,

Kalispell, Mont.