We’ve known for a few weeks the historic Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla, Missouri, would close this fall.
Now we have a firm date: The Totem Pole will shutter for good on Sept. 30.
The Phelps County Focus published a story about the imminent retirement of longtime owners Tim and Alice Jones, who have run it for almost 50 years. The story also revealed the Totem Pole Trading Post’s final day.
Though Tim Jones has owned the Totem Pole for nearly a half-century, his involvement goes back to childhood, when he worked for his dad Ralph at the business.
And the history of the Totem Pole Trading Post goes back further — to 1933, when it was at another location near Arlington, Missouri, along Route 66.
The article does a good job conveying the unique atmosphere of the store:
It’s a bittersweet story of a beloved local business closing its doors at the end of September after 91 years and thousands of passersby stopping to see what wares are available, mostly homemade items created by true craftsmen of the area and traditional Route 66 memorabilia. And some visitors stop to get a glimpse and photograph the original totem pole, or marvel at the famous devil fish remains encased in a shadowbox, the same featured on the show Real People which aired on television back in the late 1970s and early 80s.
For the past few weeks, however, locals and travelers alike have been flocking to shop one last time at a favorite stop on historic Route 66 and visit with Jones before he closes his doors.
The first thing they’ll see is a large sign on the door, “Retirement sale, 20 percent off.”
Not only are there lots of things still to buy, but a visitor could spend an entire afternoon just admiring the décor, which gives the store an air of a place where time stands still.
Jones also talked about the artisans who provided products the Totem Pole offered. That included Clarence and Ruth Wells, who wove 39 types of baskets. Wilbur Simmons made highly collectible pottery pieces. Other Ozarks folk made rocking chairs, walnut magazine racks and salt and pepper shakers.
I can attest to the rustic feel of the place. I fondly remember the sugar-cured bacon and ham it sold, along with jugs of corn whiskey before it became a mainstream thing.
The fate of the property remains unknown. But Tim Jones said he and his wife were looking forward to traveling and fishing.
(Image of the Totem Pole Trading Post in Rolla, Missouri, via Facebook)