New grocery store in LaCrosse to open soon

The LaCrosse Community Pride board of directors has announced that long-time Whitman County resident and her family have been selected to open a grocery business in the historic LaCrosse general store building.

Wendy Holliday grew up on her family’s ranch in nearby Benge in Adams County and has worked for agricultural businesses in Whitman County for more than 20 years.

Her parents, Mike and Bonnie, have been long time community supporters, recently completing their annual tradition of providing brushes, curry combs and other livestock grooming supplies and treats to every Little Cow Poke participant at the Palouse Empire Fair.

The LaCrosse Market is opening for business in early to mid-December.

Bonnie plans to decorate the sidewalk with corn stock displays and Mike is focusing on hanging Christmas lights in the store for opening day.

Designed by Pullman architect William Swain and constructed by the Easum Brothers in 1915, the historic LaCrosse General Store building was the home to mercantile and grocery businesses until 2009.

LaCrosse would then face the loss of its grocery store, the destruction of the hardware store due to a fire and the closure of the only bank in town. The town was used as an example of “rural communities in decline” in a regional paper.

Local residents and individuals with deep roots in the region rejected that notion. At the urging of Judy Harder, a neighboring cattle producer and an architect by training, the dilapidated but structurally sound general store building was acquired with plans made for renovation.

A group of determined volunteers formed LaCrosse Community Pride and began the task of making the historic building a community centerpiece. The project was supported by grants, donations and hard work by many with the goal to bring the town a grocery store, a library branch, a medical office, a workplace for high school students honing their business skills and a community gathering place.

Sterling Bank opened for business in July of this year, leasing the once closed bank building across the street from the store. LaCrosse Community Pride, as part of the town revitalization project, had acquired the building earlier.

The Whitman County Library will soon be moving its local branch into quarters in the renovated general store. Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said, “The new facility allows us to enhance this community hub with a Wi-Fi hotspot, increase access to public materials collections, to develop a Rural Heritage LaCrosse exhibit and expand community programs for all ages.”

The remodeling of the general store building is nearing completion with final work underway so the grocery can open for business in December. The store will feature modern amenities while retaining several of the historic features of a remarkable building constructed nearly a century ago.

The LaCrosse Community Pride is continuing to accept contributions by way of the Great Grain Exchange, donations of cash, real estate, vehicles, and equipment to assist in the completion, development and maintenance of this project.

Wendy plans to operate a full service grocery and to be open for business from Monday through Saturday each week from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. close. The Holliday family is anxious to begin serving LaCrosse and western Whitman County.

“I am so excited to begin this new adventure and to become part of the LaCrosse community. I can’t wait to open the doors, I’m going to love visiting and seeing everybody,” Wendy said.

For more information about the project or to make a donation, contact committee members Gary Wargo at 509-549-3894 or Lois Startin at 509-549-3629.