Stories surround store's 100-year history

From left, Rae Ann and Michael Stoecker and Kelly Willis handle the day-to-day business at the jewelry store in downtown Mountain Home. Photo by Brian S. Orban

After 100 years, it's the stories that keep the conversation lively for the Stoecker family. It becomes a bit of a game for the family as they piece together a century of history that helped shape a business that weathered hard times, near tragedy and bad luck.

Their discussions help relive a tale of a century of history that helped shape a family run store into a fixture of Mountain Home and one of the city's longest-surviving businesses.

The story begins with the state gold rush that continued into the early 20th century as people moved to the state and built communities in the mountains north of Mountain Home. Among them was John W. Rowett, who arrived in the mining town of Rocky Bar in 1886, according to his family's history.

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