Charles Gallagher, Who Pioneered Grocery Idea, Dies

The Montana Standard, Butte, 1964-08-29, p.1

Summary

Front-page obituary of **Charles H. Gallagher**, 89, of Butte, a Ballina-(Co. Mayo)-Ireland-born grocer and civic leader who introduced self-service grocery stores to Montana. The most comprehensive single record of Gallagher in the archive — upgrading the CLAUDE.md "structural Butte AOH continuity figure" framing with full birth/death dates, family, career, and affiliations. KEY NEW BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: - Born c.1875 (89 at death), Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland - Came to Butte in **1893** (per this obit; the 1923 marriage announcement gives "came to Butte when 10 years old" = c.1885, a 6-8 yr discrepancy) - National schools of Ireland to age 15; finished at Butte High School and Butte Business College - Started as a clerk for several Butte grocery firms - 1901: opened **Gallagher and Hastings grocery, 320 E. Broadway** - 1902: renamed **Gallagher and Pohndorf** (6 yrs) - 1909: became **Gallagher Grocery Co.** with Gallagher as sole owner - 1922: founded **Wiz-Way Stores** — Montana's first self-service retail grocery chain (copyrighted the name in Montana); six stores at peak: 226 S. Main, 497 E. Park, Harrison Ave., Copper and Main, 422 N. Excelsior (1929) - 1931: sold to **MacMarr Stores**, soon acquired by Safeway - Civic: Montana Relief Commission (depression-era), WWII price-control boards, Butte High School building committee (visited DC at own expense), Butte and Montana Chambers of Commerce (long-time director), highway construction (Butte-Anaconda concrete highway), Montana School of Mines supporter (donated a renowned mineral collection) - Affiliations: **state president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians** (upgrades CLAUDE.md "state treasurer 1912" to "state president" by 1964); Knights of Columbus Council No. 668, Fourth Degree; longtime officer of the **State Merchants Association**; Immaculate Conception Parish - Married 22 Dec 1923 (this obit) to **Laura T. Kelley** (Butte teacher, pioneer Virginia City, Nev. and Butte family) - Survived by widow Laura T.; two sons **Charles Jr.** (Butte and Bozeman) and **Thomas Kevin** (Washington, D.C.); two grandchildren **Kaleen and Karen Gallagher** (Washington, D.C.); a sister **Mrs. Nicholas Hughes of Seattle**; several nephews and nieces - **Originated Butte's grade-school Halloween "honor parade"** custom (no-vandalism pledge in exchange for candy and apples from Gallagher; covered Grant / Sacred Heart / Jefferson schools) - Body at Daly-Shea Mortuary; Rosary Sun 7 pm Immaculate Conception; K of C Rosary Sun 8 pm Daly-Shea; Funeral Mon Aug 31 9 am Daly-Shea → Immaculate Conception Requiem Mass 9:30; burial **Holy Cross Cemetery** - "Died Friday morning in a local hospital" → fixed death date **28 Aug 1964** (Friday before the Sat 29 Aug obit)

People

Charles H. Gallagher (b. c.1875 Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland; d. 28 Aug 1964 Butte, age 89; founder of Wiz-Way Stores; AOH state president)(as printed: Charles H. Gallagher / Mr. Gallagher)
role: subject · family confidence: 0 not family

Also mentioned

Laura T. Kelley Gallagher · widow
Charles's widow; m. 22 Dec 1923 (per this obit; cf. the 1923 marriage announcement which gives 29 Dec 1923 — possible mis-print in obit). Lincoln-school teacher; from a pioneer Virginia City NV and Butte family. Per the 1923 marriage announcement her sister was Miss Isabelle Kelly.
Charles Gallagher Jr. · surviving_son
Of Butte and Bozeman. Living 1964. Not family; record as collateral if he recurs.
Thomas Kevin Gallagher · surviving_son
Of Washington, D.C. Living 1964.
Kaleen Gallagher · surviving_granddaughter
Of Washington, D.C. Living 1964 (presumed living today; is_living for any future person record).
Karen Gallagher · surviving_granddaughter
Of Washington, D.C. Living 1964.
Mrs. Nicholas Hughes · surviving_sister
Of Seattle. Charles's sister.
Isabel Kelley · educational_collaborator
Principal of Grant School in Butte (East Park Street era); collaborated with Gallagher to start the Halloween honor- parade custom. NB: distinct from the Laura T. Kelley/Kelly Gallagher (the widow) and her sister Isabelle Kelly (the bridesmaid per the 1923 marriage piece) — the surname has multiple women in Butte; do not collapse.

Places

Butte, Montana (primary)
Ireland (origin)
County Cork (context)
Silver Bow County, Montana (secondary)
Seattle, Washington (secondary)

Themes

Story threads

Butte Irish-American organisational life — Hibernians, Gaelic League, Erin's Daughters, RELA

Source type

obituary

Related sources

Transcription

transcription: complete · confidence high

# Charles Gallagher, Who Pioneered Grocery Idea, Dies Charles H. Gallagher, 89, who introduced self-service grocery stores to Montana, died Friday morning in a local hospital. A native of Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, Mr. Gallagher, long prominent in Butte business circles and a civic leader for many years, came to Butte in 1893. He attended the national schools of Ireland until he was 15. He completed his education at Butte High School and Butte Business College. In his early years here he worked as a clerk for several Butte grocery firms. Later he built up one of the most prosperous mercantile enterprises in the Northwest. ### His First Store In 1901, with a partner, he opened the Gallagher and Hastings grocery at 320 E. Broadway. The next year the firm name was changed to Gallagher and Pohndorf, and this operation continued for six years. In 1909 the enterprise became the Gallagher Grocery Co., with Mr. Gallagher as the sole owner. In 1922 he expanded the business. Under the Gallagher Grocery Co. he instituted the Wiz-Way Stores, copyrighting the name in Montana, and opening the state's first self-service retail grocery establishments. The first was located at 226 S. Main. A second unit was opened at 497 E. Park, a third on Harrison Avenue, another at Copper and Main, and a fifth in 1929 at 422 N. Excelsior, making six stores in all under his operation. In 1931 he sold his grocery business to MacMarr Stores, a firm which shortly after was acquired by Safeway Stores Inc. It was recalled Friday that Mr. Gallagher, during his grocery store days on East Park Street, along with Isabel Kelley, then principal of the Grant School, instituted the Butte school custom *(Continued Page 5, Col. 6)* --- ## Mr. Gallagher (Continued from Page One) of having grade school Halloween honor parades. Children taking part did so on their honor that they had not taken part in any mischievous vandalism during the Halloween season. Following the parade, children of the Grant, Sacred Heart and Jefferson schools were given candy and apple treats by the grocer. ### Interested in Education Besides being prominent in Butte's business world, he found time, and gave generously of it, to civic enterprises. He was especially interested in educational projects. Before and after serving a term as a school trustee, he gave of his energy to educational projects. He was a committee member on the program to build the present Butte High School, and visited Washington, D.C., at his own expense to help further that project. He served on the Montana Relief Commission in the depression years, and on various price control boards during and immediately after World War II. He took a deep interest in highway construction programs, and as a member of the Butte and Montana Chambers of Commerce, worked with other Butte and state leaders in that field. He was a director of the Butte Chamber of Commerce for many years. He was a member of Butte Council No. 668, Knights of Columbus, and a Fourth Degree member of that order. He was a state president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and was a longtime member and officer of the State Merchants Association. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Parish. ### Boasted School of Mines Mr. Gallagher was a staunch supporter of Montana School of Mines and contributed a renowned mineral collection to that school. In December, 1923, he was married to the former Laura T. Kelley, member of a pioneer Virginia City, Nev., and Butte family. She was a Butte teacher at the time. In addition to his widow, he is survived by two sons, Charles Jr., of Butte and Bozeman and Thomas Kevin, Washington, D.C.; two grandchildren, Kaleen and Karen Gallagher, Washington, D.C.; a sister, Mrs. Nicholas Hughes of Seattle, and several nephews and nieces. The body is in the Daly-Shea Mortuary Home. The Rosary will be recited Sunday night at 7 o'clock in the Immaculate Conception Church. The Knights of Columbus Rosary recitation will be at 8 o'clock Sunday night in the Daly-Shea Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will be held Monday morning. The cortege will form at the mortuary at 9 o'clock and proceed to the Immaculate Conception Church where Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 9:30. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Open questions

Date-of-arrival discrepancy: this obit says "came to Butte 1893" (age ~18); the 1923 marriage announcement says "came to Butte when 10 years old" (= c.1885). 6-8 year gap. The 1923 figure is closer to the source (recorded only 41 years after arrival, vs 71 years for the obit); the 1923 reading may be more reliable. Worth checking against Butte naturalization records.
Mayo is not yet in vocab/places.yaml. Add place_county_mayo + place_ballina_mayo when convenient — Gallagher's Mayo origin distinguishes him from the Beara-dominated Murphy family network and is worth a discrete vocab entry.
"Isabel Kelley" (Grant School principal who co-founded the Halloween honor parade) vs "Laura T. Kelley" (widow) vs "Isabelle Kelly" (widow's sister, 1923 bridesmaid). Three Kelley/Kelly women circling Gallagher; not yet disambiguated.