Drive-in theater goes down for new Murdoch's

Local residents reacted with sadness on social media last week as the former Midway Drive-in was torn down to make way for a new Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply store.

The Hungry Horse News posted online a video showing the theater’s screen being pulled down. The video, made by taken by Naturescapes Landscaping of Seeley Lake, garnered nearly 70,000 views and 187 comments.

Most of the comments expressed sadness about the loss of the drive-in, even though it hadn’t shown a movie in several years and had fallen into disrepair. The drive-in was located at the junction of U.S 2. and Highway 40.

“So much history, so many great memories ... who needs another store? Sad,” posted Wendy Smith.

Others took a more tempered tone.

“Anyone would have been welcome to buy that property and get the drive-in up and running again or put whatever you thought was appropriate for that corner if the nostalgia meant that much,” Wendy McCaffree of Columbia Falls posted. “Don’t count on others to create your fun at their expense. It has sat vacant for years. I have many memories of that place, too, but if Murdoch’s thinks it’s a good location, then good for them. It isn’t the ‘60s anymore, like it nor not.”

Davy Good of Naturescapes said the theater’s screen was made of sheet metal and came down pretty easily.

Walker Construction of Bozeman will build the 46,000 square-foot store using local subcontractors, according to Murdoch’s president and chief executive officer, Rick Ungersma. The new store will be similar in size and layout to the Kalispell Murdoch’s store on U.S. 93 in Kalispell, he said.

Developer Gene Cook of Bozeman owns the 10-acre site, a prime commercial corner at one of the Flathead Valley’s busiest intersections.

Ungersma said Murdoch’s has a “build-to-suit lease” with Cook and will lease the land and building on a long-term basis.

Murdoch’s describes its stores as “modern-day mercantiles,” offering a range of clothing, footwear, tools, pet supplies, fencing, power equipment, hardware and garden supplies.

When the Kalispell store opened in 1995, it was called Big R Ranch and Home Supply. The name was changed to Murdoch’s 11 years ago.

The new North Valley Murdoch’s will be the corporation’s 11th store in Montana.

John Murdoch opened his first flagship store in Bozeman in 1994. Today, Murdoch’s has 26 stores in four states and more than 1,100 employees.