118 East Ramshorn
The Dubois Mercantile- The Dubois Mercantile was built in 1913. It was originally 25’ x 75’ with two wings for storage. The business was run as a general store. In 1947 the corporation sold to Wyoming Tie and Timber Company after the timber operations closed at Dunoir.
Tony and Betty Dolenc bought the Merc in 1954 and operated it for nine years. Amoss and Janet Welty worked at the store. It was always an entertaining place to shop.
Paul Hines, Frank Mockler, Franklin Mockler, John Wells and Bob Grubb purchased the store in 1964. Grubb managed the operation. Wells traded his interest to George Letellier. The group moved the grocery department to the current Super Foods location in 1965.
The Mercantile had been remodeled and expanded several times during its life. In the past the building also held Dubois State Bank, the U.S. Post Office and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.
Dr. Wallace Kucera purchased the store in 1974. Wayne Steinert was in charge of the merchandise for 10 years. The Steinerts purchased it in 1986. During this time it was still a general store with horse tack, clothing, shoes, jewelry and an Arctic Cat and Yamaha dealership.
In 2011 it was purchased by Wind River Land & Cattle Co. It was rented and operated as The Main Street Mart, which was similar to a flea market and included several small vendors. The evening of December 30, 2014 it caught fire. The day’s weather had been more than twenty below zero. A wood stove had been tended before everyone left for the night.
Fire investigators suspected that combustible material outside the stove pipe smoldered then ignited. Heroic efforts of the Dubois and other Fremont County Fire Departments saved the majority of the block of down town Dubois. The fire destroyed the Mercantile, Stewarts Trapline Gallery and the second story of the building to the west.
