Looking Back for Dec. 27, 2023

A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler.

50 Years Ago

December 27, 1973

The Book Shoppe, which was located at Fort Whitefish, became the newest downtown business house when the bookstore opened with an expanded stock in the store formerly occupied by Gesek Electric. An old-fashioned country store look was accomplished by Tallman Construction who pre-cut, stained and installed the storefront. The interior of the remodeled store featured weathered bar wood and old brick and used antique furniture as part of the decor.

40 Years Ago

December 29, 1983

The snow was great and the sky was blue, but The Big Mountain hadn’t felt the rush of holiday skiers. Normally, Dec. 27 is the peak day for The Big Mountain, but due to frigid temperatures, the number of skiers was down. Monday 2,130 skiers were counted on the mountain, compared to 3.100 last year. The smaller number is attributed to the amount of national news coverage given to the arctic cold that was lodged over much of the country in the past 10 days. That, according to operations manager Tim Hinderman, has kept some skiers home.

30 Years Ago

December 30, 1993

Sprouse-Reitz began a liquidation sale before the store finally closed its doors in the Mountain Mall. The Portland, Oregon-based corporation had filed for bankruptcy and was closing all of its 84 stores across the country. Ron Fellers, manager, said the Sprouse-Reitz store in Whitefish had been in operation for eight years. “We were here when it opened and we’ll be here when it closes,” he said.

20 Years Ago

December 25, 2003

The Tennessee-based Resource Label Group is wrapping up construction of a $4.5 million, 16,000 square-foot plant that could employ up to 70 people within five years. The company designs and produces labels for a wide variety of products such as lunch boxes, agricultural chemicals, wine bottles, various food products and health and beauty aids. The plant is located off Garland Lane, about eight miles from Whitefish. President and chief executive officer Don Farris said it was longtime acquaintance Turner Askew of Whitefish, also from Tennessee, who “planted the seed in my head” to build a plant at Whitefish. 

10 Years Ago

December 24, 2013

“Cowboy” Gerald Daymude passed away Dec. 16 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 75 years old. Born Gerald Gilbert Daymude in 1938 and raised on an estate in Kensington, Maryland, Daymude told the Pilot in a 2007 article that dressing with style was important to his mother. Deaymude was well recognized for his big-brimmed hats, sharp Western attire and colorful collection of custom-made boots. He was often seen strolling Central Avenue, visiting with shop owners or posing for photos with tourists. “He was a Whitefish icon – and ambassador,” said Donna McGough, who met Daymude the first day he arrived in town in 2003. “People loved seeing him. He made tourists feel like they were in a Montana town. He sure depicted the West.”