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Museum roundtable preserves Missoula memories of Mercantile, ski shops and downtown rebirth
Summary
At a roundtable hosted at the Historical Museum at Port Missoula, longtime residents and former business owners recounted downtown Missoula's decline before the 1970s, its later revival, and memories of defining local businesses such as the Mercantile and Snowbowl-era ski shops.
Carolyn Thompson, assistant director at the Historical Museum at Port Missoula, opened the session by calling it “the first, business roundtable event in conjunction with the brick and mortar, 1 brick at a time exhibit that just opened here at the Historical Museum at Port Missoula.”
The hourlong conversation brought together former and current small-business owners, volunteers and museum staff to record memories of Missoula’s commercial life. Participants traced a downtown decline before the 1970s, a resurgence tied to downtown organizing and redevelopment, and landmark local businesses that residents said shaped the city’s identity.
The group discussed the downtown…
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