5 Former Cheyenne Stores Where I Loved to Shop

The former home of Roedel's Pharmacy now has a nice brick front and pretty blue awnings on Carey Avenue, but they don't have my prescription anymore. They used to be the go-to place for film developing, candy, cards and one-of-a-kind gifts.

They were open for 118 years before they closed their doors in 2007. According to a Wyoming Tribune Eagle article, the store had been at the Carey location since 1967 and before that was on 17th St. in the Knights of Pythias building.

On East Pershing Boulevard in Cheyenne these two stores had about everything you needed. It was the Montgomery Ward catalog in real life; appliances, home furnishings, clothes, sporting goods and more. And Grand Central was one of our favorite places in town to buy toys, they always had a great selection.

Gold's Gym and the Wyoming Workforce Center now occupy these buildings. The original Montgomery Ward building was in downtown Cheyenne, at 17th and Central next to the Lincoln Theatre.

In downtown Cheyenne, on the corner of Warren and E. Lincolnway, was one of the coolest record stores ever. Budget Tapes & Records even sold concert tickets and smoking paraphernalia. I bought my first Bruce Springsteen album there, 'The River.' What do you remember buying there?

This location is where Jimmy John's whips up their freaky fast sandwiches these days.

You know how it is when you shop somewhere and you know exactly where everything is and you practically know everyone who works there? That was how the Pioneer Safeway felt, even the small aisles brought people closer together. I became part of the Cheyenne Safeway family when I started working at the Melton Store on Carlson in 1977 and filled in occasionally at the other stores. It's sad to have a smaller selection of grocery stores to choose from.

Do you recall eating any donuts from the Cookie Jar Bakery on Snyder Avenue near Pershing? We stopped by there regularly for French bread or something sweet. Now the location is Cheyenne's Korean House restaurant.