During the Great Depression, Frank Light took his store on the road. Everyone was struggling to put food on the table, and Frank knew he needed to do something drastic if the store was going to stay in business. A man of action, Frank Light didn’t want to sit and wait for ranchers to come to him – he decided to take the store to the people who needed goods. So, he fitted up a paneled truck with his name on the side, and hit the road. Through the years, the tradition continued, with Frank’s sons Olin and Clarence traveling as far as Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the Utah border!
A Modern Store on Wheels
Time change, however. Steamboat is now famous for its champagne powder, and folks come to ski from all over the world. That doesn’t mean that F.M. Light doesn’t go on the road anymore. Early this fall, F.M. Light’s great-great-grandaugther Lindsay and her husband Chris took the store on the road once again.
This time they didn’t travel far – they headed to Beaver Creek, Colorado for the GE Capital Real Estate Deal Maker’s Summit. These folks weren’t able to make it to Steamboat, so we took the store to them, packing up over 300 pairs of cowboy boots and 150 cowboy hats and displaying them with antiques from our store. Check out the gallery to see the setup!
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The days when folks from F.M. Light pack up giant suitcases full of mens’ suits is over. Now, we stick to western wear. We sure do wish we had that old paneled truck equipped with shelves and hangers for our trip to Beaver Creek, though!
Clarence Light standing beside the first “store on wheels.”
