Lou Shodair, had an early Grocery store in Philipsburg, with ads dispersed through-out the Philipsburg Mail, stating such things as:”Live and dressed poultry at Shodair’s”; “ Swiss Cheese at Shodair’s”; “ Lindberger Cheese at Shodair’s and “ Green Groceries at Shodair’s.”
In January, 1895 was a notice stating parties indebted to L.W. Shodair were asked to call and settle their accounts with County Attorney Moore and save collection costs. In the same paper it stated Mr. and Mrs. Lou Shodair had left for the coast to spend a couple or more months in California. By December they had returned as Lou was elected to the office of Prelate in the Philipsburg Lodge No. 20, Knights of Pythias, on December 16.
August 21, 1898. the Philipsburg Mail stated Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Shodair went by train to visit Yellowstone National Park.
L.W., was elected to the Philipsburg City Council prior to 1897 and submitted his resignation for his position as Alderman at the May 3, City Council meeting, with Charles Boyd, elected by the Council to serve the remainder of Shodair’s term. The 1897 election, was very contentious, with a lot of verbal insults between the Independent Citizen’s and the Citizen’s Fusion parties. Lou was City Clerk, when he signed the notice stating the annual city election would be held on the fifth day of April, 1897.
A social event sponsored by the Kings Daughter’s of the Presbyterian Church, was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Shodair, to say farewell to Miss Addie Arnold, who was returning to her home in Missouri, according to the December 18, 1897, Philipsburg Mail.
On September 27, 1912, “L.W. Shodair, a former merchant of Philipsburg, was a visitor in the city, Monday evening, having come over from Butte to see about improvements in his building, occupied by the Crystal saloon and lodging house and incidentally, to visit some of his old time friends. Mr. Shodair for some years has resided in Los Angeles, California, coming to Montana occasionally on business during the summer. The recent fire on West Park Street in Butte brought him to Montana this time. He owns a block across the street from the fire and had a large plate glass window broken and sustained other damage, the adjustment of which required his attendance.
On January 3, 1920, The Crystal Saloon caught on fire. The fire was discovered by Chris Larson, who alerted Fay Easterly, the proprietor of the soft drink parlor on the bottom floor. A space about two feet wide saved the Banquet Hotel, along with the iron shutters on the windows. All the furniture from the saloon was removed, except the stove, but the upper floor was a total loss. Mr. Easterly’s loss was about $2,000 and the loss to the building was estimated to be about one third of the building. Louis Shodair owned the building and it was assumed that Mr. Shodair would be able to remove the second story and put a flat roof over the storage room, making the building a one story. In February, L. W. Shodair, sent the Philipsburg Fire Brigade a check for $50, showing his appreciation for their work when the fire damaged his building.
Headlines in The Mail , “L.W. Shodair Makes Donates (sic) to Home”, in February 5, 1937 stated “Of much interest to old time residents in the city is the announcement made this week by trustees of the Montana Children’s Home and Hospital at Helena, that Louis W. Shodair, of Los Angeles, had donated $50,000 to the home. The money will be used to furnish a new unit at the hospital on the grounds of the present unit. Mr. Shodair is a former resident of Philipsburg, having lived here some forty years ago…in the mercantile business.”
This hospital is still in operation in Helena with a multi-million dollars land trust from Shodair and is named Shodair Children’s Hospital.
Louis W. Shodair died after a heart attack in 1940 at the age of 78, in California, with burial in Helena. He had originally arrived in Helena, Montana in 1891 at the age of 19.
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