Whitefish Pilot

In one form or another, Haines Drug in downtown Whitefish has been a local institution since 1911. On May 13, the business closed forever after 98 years and countless customers.

On Wednesday, employees closed the store one last time, marking the end of an era in Whitefish.

The store began as a Rexall drug store in 1911 and was renamed Haines Public Drug when Robert Haines bought it in 1919. The business moved to its present location at the northwest corner of Second and Central in 1923.

Whitefish resident Louise LaBrie, 91, who worked at the store for 50 years, said she's as surprised as anyone the store is going dark.

"I never thought I would outlive it," she said with a laugh from her home a few blocks away from the store.

LaBrie worked as a bookkeeper for the store and says her biggest challenge came when the first computer came in.

"I think it was the second computer in Whitefish," she said. "My biggest focus was transferring charge accounts from the file cabinets to the computer."

Even before she became an employee, LaBrie had fond memories of the store.

"As long as I would get A's in school, my mother would take me down, and I would get a 15-cent soda," she said.

The store contained a jewelry store and beauty salon over the years, LaBrie said.

"Everybody that worked there was always so friendly with customers," she said. "We knew everybody by their first name, and if we didn't we would make an effort to get to know them."

Her future son-in-law, Bill LaBrie, also worked there as a young boy.

"I worked there in 1957 when I was in high school," Bill said. "Back then, there were three competing drug stores in town, but the owners got together and took turns being open on Sundays, so there was always someplace for people to get drugs."

Louise finally left the store because her husband Art LaBrie wanted to travel more, but she said it was a tough decision.

"I kind of hated to leave," she said. "But I still walk there when the weather is nice. Flo Williams, who took my job, brings me lunch every Monday."

Owner Jim MacKenzie, who bought the business in 1984, sold the business to Walgreens, which opened here on May 7. The Haines employees are all expected to work at the new Walgreens.