My husband probably thought I had found someone else. Why else would I keep detouring off Interstate 90 to a town whose population is smaller than my daughter’s high school class?
Even though I’ve lived in nearby Bozeman for 28 years, there’s something provocative about Fishtail, Mont., a tiny town with about 250 residents. But it wasn’t another lover, and it wasn’t the scenic grandeur or sparkling nightlife. The attraction — however unbelievable it may seem — was the Fishtail General Store.
If you drive through Fishtail, you can’t miss the store: It’s one of the two or three businesses in town (depending on whether you count the post office), and it’s strikingly quaint.
Founded in 1900, the business is Montana’s oldest continually open general store. Owned and managed by Katy Martin for the last 22 years, the store is a fixture in this rural community. “Katy is a force of energy and generosity,” said Nan Sollo, a longtime customer. “This store is a labor of love.”
At 72, Katy never stops moving — except to greet her customers. Her manager, Melissa Husted, compares her to a hummingbird: always on the go.
And though I’m not in the worst shape, I still struggled to keep up with her, racking up a tab on Gatorades and chasing her around the store as I internally entertained the creative merit of a blurred portrait. Perhaps, I tried to convince myself, that would best convey her state of constant motion.
The store attracts people from all walks of life — from ranchers and miners to C.E.O.s and doctors. “We get locals from our community as well as visitors from out of state and out of the country,” Katy said.
And there’s almost nothing you can’t find here. Some are things you might expect: milk, sodas, beer, chips, toothbrushes, tampons. Others, such as nuts, bolts, nails and screws, are sensible and provide a measure of relief: “We try to have what people might need so they don’t have to go to town to fix something,” Katy said.
But you can also find freshly made pie, yard signs, steak and sausages, baby clothes, dog treats, toys, rock-painting kits, puzzles, handcrafted soaps, games, Spam and fresh fruit, local art, homemade peanut butter, micro beers, camping, fishing and hunting gear, PVC for sprinklers, gasoline, reflective shirts and mining boots.
Yes, mining boots. The Stillwater Mine, run by Sibanye-Stillwater, a multinational mining company, is 22 miles from the general store, straight down Nye Road. (The…
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