In 1832 Edwin L. Bonner began his training in the mercantile business with Lord & Taylor in New York City. In 1864 he traveled through the Missoula Valley with business partner Daniel J. Welch to start their first mercantile business. When Welch retired in 1871, R.A. Eddy and A.B. Hammond jumped on board, with Hammond becoming a partner in 1876.
The Eddy-Hammond Company, known as the Missoula Mercantile as of 1885, dominated the wholesale and retail trade in Missoula until 1920.
The Missoula Mercantile was the go-to shopping place in town. It was known for being a one-stop shopping center. Its stock included everything from hardware and plumbing supplies, fresh local groceries, furniture and cabinets, to wagons and farm equipment and everything in between.
All three floors of the Missoula Mercantile building were used to support the business. The first floors were the main shopping area. The second floor was used for display areas, shopping space and offices. This floor also held a Missoula Mercantile vault. The third floor was used for overstock and storage. Large skylights lit both floors.
The lowest level of the Mercantile was used for both shopping space and as extra storage. In the basement was a secret passageway that actor John Wayne used during his trips to Missoula to go between the Mercantile and the Florence Hotel. Over the years, stories have been told about elephants and other circus animals being kept in the basement while the Ringling Brother’s Circus was in town.
In 1959, the Missoula Mercantile was sold to Allied Department Stores, though the name and most of the employees remained. Even under new management, there were very few changes made to the Mercantile over the next decade. It was not until March of 1978 that an ad in the Missoulian was published with the new store name, “The Bon Marche.” By June, The Bon was the sole sponsor of the store’s ads.
In 2003, the company name was changed again to Bon-Macy’s, but a few years later became just Macy’s. By early 2010, many of the Macy’s department stores in the northwest were closing.
In January of 2010, the building was emptied and the lights turned off. The building remained vacant until 2017 when it was purchased and torn down for new construction.
