Early Businesses

Early Businesses. From Saloons to the Golden Rule. Riggins’ first store was opened in 1897 by George Curtis, a storekeeper from nearby Lucile. Curtis converted Riggins’ first saloon into a much needed general store. , In 1903, Maggie Clay Rhoades and her sister, Carrie Belle Clay, hired carpenter Smith Lewis to build a large store with living quarters in the center of town, naming it Rhoades and Clay. In 1915, Tom Pogue bought the store and renamed it The Salmon River Store Company. Jim Harris bought the store in 1926 and renamed it the Golden Rule. Although changing hands many times, the Golden Rule Store served Riggins for many years. , (Side-bar on left:) , The Many Clay Enterprises , In 1916, John Clay installed Riggins’ first gas pumps on Main Street. He later built a cafe, called the Poodle Pup, as well as a blacksmith shop and a livery barn. , In the 1930s, Jessie Clay ran the cafe and called it the Canyon Café. The livery barn, known as Clay’s Hall, had a large hardwood floor and was used by the entire community for dances, funerals, boxing smokers, movies and even the high school basketball games. , In 1920, John and Jessie Clay opened Riggins’ third store across the street, called Riggins Mercantile. Their newly enlarged building included the post office and The Paliciers, a saloon and card room. , (Side-bar on right:) , Riggins Taxi Service , Eph Holbrook, a blacksmith and hard working community-minded man, owned one of the first cars in Riggins. He successfully made the transition from ponies to Fords, and became an accomplished driver. Since there were only thee cars in town, he started a taxi service providing the early residents transportation to Grangeville, New Meadows, and nearby ranches.