Thronson's General Store, Babb, Montana USA

Hungry Horse News article,
dated January 27, 1983
“One of the oldest businesses along the eastern edge of Glacier National Park is Thronson’s. Hans Thronson and his son, Oscar, leased the original store in 1920 where the Babb Bar is now located. This photo was taken in 1922 of the original store. Andy Christensen, truck driver for William Noffsinger’s Glacier Park Saddle Co., is at right. The pickup is carrying hundreds of saddles and has the Bar-X-6 brand on the fender. The Thronsons built a new store at the present location in 1924.” (The Bar-X-6 ranch had over 1,200 horses used by the Glacier Park Saddle Co. Oscar Thronson worked for them when Glacier Park visitation dropped off during the depression and WWII.)

At left is a photo of Hans Thronson and his wife, Hannah, with their two sons, Oscar & Charles, taken prior to their departure from Baldwin, WI. When Oscar’s son, Harvey, moved back home sometime after World War II, the father-son partnership was renewed once again and continued until Oscar’s death in 1988. Harvey’s son, Mike, took over the business when Harvey and his wife, Louise, retired in 1989. Since then, Mike and his wife, Debra, have kept the family owned & operated business alive - continuing four generations of Thronson family ownership over 80+ years!

If you attend services at either the Catholic or Methodist churches in Babb, you should know they had land for their churches donated by Oscar Thronson. His generosity also sustained many locals through hard times, letting them carry a “tab” for years or negotiating a way for them to work it off by providing the labor for building the many cabins. In addition to the General Store and Motel, Thronson’s also have a cafe and gas station across the street (U.S. Highway 89).