Reynold's Market

On March 21, 1925, Frank Reynolds celebrated two firsts: The birth of his son Paul, and the opening of the Glendive store. Frank was a native to Dubuque, Iowa. In 1909, at the age of 22, he came to eastern Montana with his mother and large family of brothers and sisters. Under the Homestead Act, they acquired farming and ranching land.

Frank never lost his love of farming, but for the additional income, he took a job at Douglas Meade Co., a general store in Glendive. He delivered groceries by horse and buggy, and then took a clerk's position at the J.M. Sawyer Grocery and before long he was managing the Sawyers' store in Terry.

Two years later, he decided to go into business for himself and briefly operated a store in Rexburg, Idaho. Upon his return to Glendive, he established the first F.T. Reynolds store on West Bell Street.

In August 1925, Frank formed a partnership with john T. Marman. With his family, John had come to this country as a child from Hungary and had been managing the Sawyers' store in Glendive. Wishing to expand their company, John and Frank started another store in Sidney in August 1925. John managed that store for the rest of his life.

Before long, the F.T.R. Co. had located store in Miles City, Circle, Richey, Terry, two stores in Glendive (one being in the former People's Market on the south side) and Sidney. Stores were also started in Beach and Watford City, N.D.

Several major catastrophes have occurred throughout those 70 years. In 1929, the disastrous flood in Wibaux ruined that store, and it was reopened in Beach. The Glendive store was totally destroyed by fire in 1932. It has been situated in several different locations in town since then, before settling down in its site in west Glendive.

Two young men, Frank Reynolds and John Marman, each with only an eighth-grade education, but with strong work ethics and keen business sense, produced a company that has lasted for 86 years.

"Today, as it has been for 86 years, we appreciated and thank every one of our customers," said company president Jack Reynolds. "We plan to continue doing our best to make F.T. Reynolds Co. your grocery store, where you're always welcome."