At this general store in the small town of Almo, located near City of Rocks, things don’t change much.
The original cash register rung up purchases from 1894 to 2003. The same scales used by the store’s founders, brothers William and Harry Eames, still grace the counter. And for more than 100 years, folks in Almo have been relying on this historic store for their supplies.
The Tracy General Store is so reliable, in fact, that it is the longest continually operating store in Idaho.
The Eames brothers were early pioneer settlers in Almo who arrived thanks to the Homestead Act. As more and more settlers took advantage of the act, the siblings established the Eames Bros. Store to supply them with the goods they would need for their land. The store proved so popular that the brothers soon planned an addition, making the brick for it themselves. Two Swiss men traveling through offered to help with the brickwork, forever leaving a mark with the distinct patterns they created in the brick.
A second story served as a dance hall, while the general store provided essential goods and postal services (which still continue today). The store received its current name when William Eames sold the store to his daughter, Otella, and her husband, Joseph Tracy.
Today, you can enjoy modern conveniences like an ATM and online payment for your tab on the store’s website, but the old-school charm of Tracy’s General Store never fades.
