Mieyr’s Tea and Coffee Store
John Mieyr came to Great Falls in 1888 from Michigan. He started out working at the smelter before working for the Grand Union Tea Company store in the Todd building at the corner of Central Ave and 2nd Street. He began grinding his own coffee in the back of his home in 1898. In 1906, Mieyr decided to open his own store, Mieyr’s Tea, selling coffee and tea. They advertised as the only store in Great Falls that handled strictly fresh roasted coffee, selling their special “Elk” and “Electric City” blends. Among the stores earliest customers were the Russell’s and Josephine Trigg.
Great Falls Tribune, October 6, 1906
Great Falls Tribune, December 29, 1906
Great Falls Tribune, December 28, 1906
Also in 1906, John’s wife, Mary passed away in childbirth, and the newborn girl, Theodora, was sent to be with his sister-in-law. John’s youngest son Clarence began working at the store when he was 14, driving a delivery route.
“Aunt Mavis Hill took Theodora, our sister to her home and our grandmother was our housekeeper. Our brother, George, was always my idol and he worked in the store and on the routes. And I would ride with him whenever I could. […] We had several routes in Great Falls and also in Sand Coulee, Stockett, Belt and later Lehigh.” - Clarence Mieyr, May 16, 1984
Mieyr's Tea and Coffee Shop at 327 1st Ave South, about 1910s. Left to right is John Mieyr, J. K. McDonald, Bill McManus, Maggie Johnson and Hazel Moon. [2004.142.0002]
Sadly, George Mieyr died in a timber accident in 1912. John passed managing the store on to his son Clarence in 1930 but stayed president and a partner in the firm until he passed away in 1946.
Telegram to John Mieyrs informing him of the death of his son George in the Iron River, Wisconsin. [2004.142.0007]
Over the years the store expanded its inventory from Japanese green teas and coffee to include black tea, spices, and brewing equipment. Nearly 3,000 different replacement pieces were kept in stock, so the store could supply any part for any coffeemaker they ever sold. They also had a complete repair shop to quickly fix and return the makers. One oddity they carried was green coffee. Most frequently the green coffee was sent as a gift from Great Falls residents to relatives or friends in Europe. It was not uncommon for customers to leave a package of gifts at the store to be shipped with the coffee from the store itself.
Promotional colorized postcard of tea loaded onto a boat for John Mieyr’s tea at Shimizu. [1993.050.0032]
Promotional colorized postcard of a Japanese woman in traditional dress for tea ceremony: “A cup of tea for you, Compliment by John Mieyr, Great Falls Mont.” [1993.050.0034]
Promotional colorized postcard of a woman picking tea in Japan for John Mieyr. [1993.050.0033]
Promotional colorized postcard for John Mieyr of men working in a facility: “Firing TOGO TEA at Shizuoka, Japan.” [1993.050.0035]
Great Falls Tribune, October 8, 1932
Great Falls Tribune, December 8, 1943
Ad printed in Great Falls Tribune, January 5, 1956
Great Falls Tribune, February 21, 1957
Ad printed in Great Falls Tribune, July 16, 1953
Ad printed in Great Falls Tribune, July 15, 1954
By 1953, the store was supplying between 30,000 and 40,000 cups of coffee a week to Northern Montana. Mieyr’s Coffee and Tea became Mieyr’s Inc., a restaurant and bar supply business which was sold in 1957. Clarence’s sons, John and David formed Mieyr’s Distributing Co., representing the Continental Coffee Co. not long after. Based on city directories, it appears that the company had ended business in 1971.
Page from the Great Falls Tribune, February 1, 1953