Archives West Finding Aid

Earl Oswald “Bill” Pike was born on October 27, 1916 in Missoula, Montana to Oswald and Winifred Pike. His father owned Pike Drug Store in Superior, Montana, and Bill, as he was known throughout his life, grew up in the apartment above the store. When he graduated high school in 1934, Bill chose to remain working at the drug store and eventually took over the business from his father. In 1940, Bill married Grace Jackson, whose family lived across the street from the store. For nearly 55 years, Bill and Grace’s coffee shop and soda fountain functioned as a gathering spot for locals and tourists alike. In addition to his role as small business owner, Bill also served as the town’s mayor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a member of the volunteer fire department, a school bus driver, and as the president of the Mineral Country Historical Society. As an avid recreational historian, Bill amassed a large collection of historic photographs of Superior and the surrounding towns, which he frequently loaned out to other researchers and institutions, including the Montana Historical Society and the University of Montana. Earl Oswald "Bill" Pike died on December 17, 2002.