Roylance was a native of Charlo. He graduated from Charlo High School in 1971 and plied his trade as a rancher for more than 30 years before dying of a heart attack last year.
Roylance's widow gave her husband's burgundy high school letterman jacket to Charlo Grocery proprietor Rick Marcure because, she said, it belonged to Rob, and Rob belonged in Charlo.
After inheriting the store from his parents in 1996, Marcure was enchanted by the building's past. Marcure knew he had a mission: preserve the past for the future.
“Everybody wants to tear down because, I don't know, newer is better, I guess?” Marcure said. “But this was Costco before there was Costco.”
Inspired, Marcure converted the bank side of the grocery into an ice cream parlor in 1998. He began collecting memorabilia to give his renovation more character.
Everything from the 1950s Coke machines from Polson, to old bicycles and basketball jerseys, to the 1887 cameras hanging from the ceiling are a reminder of simpler times.
As Marcure's collection grew, patrons like Roylance's widow came in with photos, high school sports equipment, and collages, creating a shrine to their town on the grocery's walls.
One Rookie League team of boys proudly presented Marcure with their third-place trophy after their first season.
Another group brought in a collage spanning generations of Charlo High School.
“I love the collage the best,” Marcure said. “That's three generations of Charlo on the wall right there. Before I leave I hope to have the walls and ceiling completely covered.”
And Charlo's history isn't just on the walls. It's in the walls, too.
While clearing walls to add on to the other side of the store, Marcure found old newspapers dating back to the 1920s and 30s.
“They used to insulate the walls with newspaper,” Marcure said, flipping through a pile of yellowing newspaper he keeps. “But how often do you think stuff like this gets thrown away? The history is fun.”
An ad in a 1937 Missoulian shows corduroy suits for $7.90. Fall sweaters are just $1.98 at Penney's. The headline from 1930 proudly declares, “Cadillac has come to Missoula.”
The old clippings are just one clue as to how long the grocery has been in Charlo. While no one seems to know exactly how long the building has existed, it has been in Charlo for at least 91 years.
The first known owners were a family by the name of Foy, who likely ran a grocery or general store, Marcure said, around 1916. They operated the store for about 25 years before selling to twin brothers named Wiebke, who turned the store into a barber shop around 1941.
It was during the 1940s that the owners of the building that is now Charlo Grocery bought and eventually connected with the neighboring building, which had been a bank before failing in the 1920s.
Dolores Swalling still frequents the store that used to be her father and uncle's barber shop when she was small.
“I love this old bank part,” Swalling said. “That was my favorite part.”
But it's not just the charm of an old building that Marcure is trying to preserve - it's a way of life. Marcure tries to use and incorporate the old building in new ways because he says they still just work better.
“I keep all the paperwork for the fire department and the church and the water district here because it's fireproof,” Marcure said proudly as he threw open the old bank vault that stands behind the counter.
Over the door a frame holds two certificates of cleaning and service from 1919 and 1922. It hangs next to a rusted pair of ancient roller skates.
Inside the vault is a library of old newspapers, files, records, even photographs that need preserving.
There's even a small time-lock safe full of limited-edition Hot Wheels cars still in their boxes.
“Can't close that one,” Marcure said. “I don't know the combination.”
The Charlo Grocery might also be one of the only grocery stores still offering the novelty of the charge account. Marcure said he keeps charge accounts for ranchers who sometimes can't pay until they sell their stock.
“My dad always told me don't spend money on something all new, fix it up piece by piece,” Marcure said. “You have to be proud of something in this life. If nothing else, you can be proud of yourself and that's what this store is. It's a family tree of Charlo.”
Chandra Johnson is an intern for the Missoulian. She can be reached at 523-5302 or chandra.johnson@missoulian.com.
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