Memories

I am going to continue on the old Ekalaka business places, people and locations. My next business on main street was the Pickard Market owned by Charles and Victoria Pickard.

I am going to spend some time on this family which is given in Shifting Scenes Vol. II pages 689-690. If you have this book, read it.

Charles was born in England and at age 16 came to the United States. In 1910 he decided to go West and reached Belle Fourche, South Dakota where he found no employment. He was told he might find work on one of the sheep ranches in Camp Crook, South Dakota and went there, and after paying the fare of $6.00 he had 25 cents left. After meeting a man by the name of Lake who was from England, he was hired to work as a meat cutter. Business was good but in 1914 he and his brother, Jack, bought the Bill Nims meat market in Ekalaka. In 1931, Charles had a brick and tile building constructed, which is there today, but is vacant.

Victoria's parents, by the name of Munro, were from Scotland and came to the United States in 1890. The family ended up on Beaver Creek "about five miles northwest of Ekalaka where she was born."

She graduated from high school in 1914 from Custer County High School, and taught school for several years.

They had a son, Tom, who later moved to Billings with his family.

Later, Vernon and Linda Boggs purchased the store and the name was Mainstreet Market; the building is vacant now because of a fire.

When Tom was in Ekalaka he and other business people decided to advertise their businesses by purchasing basketball uniforms which included ten sets of white and dark tops with jackets. These uniforms were used for many years including the eight or nine years of the Ekalaka Independent Basketball Tournament. The Ekalaka teams of 1957-1958 are shown. More to come.