On Mother’s Day Kiowa Junction, the historic intersection of the Looking Glass Highway and Highway 89 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was something it hasn’t been in a very long time: It was busy.
Busy with tourists looking to get a bite to eat and make a pit stop between sites in Glacier National Park. Busy with locals looking to have some fried chicken and a huckleberry bear claw for dessert.
The new Kyiyo Mercantile had just opened and it was full as the line wound through the store, nearly to the door.
The Kyiyo Mercantile (pronounced kee-iyou, it is the Blackfeet name for bear) is the brainchild of Polebridge Mercantile owner Will Hammerquist. He was first attracted to the property on a trip east of the Divide a few years ago to go climb Mount Cleveland in Glacier National Park. The old store at Kiowa Junction was in bad shape and it turned out the property was for sale, so Hammerquist eventually purchased it.
About a year ago, construction of the new mercantile began in earnest, Hammerquist said, with the building modeled after the Polebridge Mercantile, but with some modern amenities, like a brand new kitchen, steel siding, and ornate woodwork.
Become a Subscriber!
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber?
Login
