There is something about roadside America that highways haven’t completely quelled. Gone are the scenic byways along two lane roads that crossed the country. Automobile travel was an adventure shared by the whole family. Kids in the back would harp about things they wanted to see, parents would look for antique stores and curio shops. Life was carefree if not careless and a nickel went a long way, especially since gasoline was something like 25 cents a gallon.
Undaunted by the cost of living, Hustead’s Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota still brags about their coffee for 5 cents, free for veterans and people in service. Ice water is still free as is the playground, which in fact is the whole shebang. This includes a $3 million western art collection. Original masterpieces can be viewed waiting in line for a buffalo burger, fries and ice cream.
It began just about that way. Ted Hustead came to Wall in 1931. In the car were his wife Dorothy and Bill their first son. They insisted on one thing: a Catholic church, optional was a bank. Electric power was also optional in Wall in 1931. The Husteads bought the optional electricity from a neighbor that had a generator. Ted’s wife Dorothy saw that business wasn’t going to be easy in this dusty place where highway 16 A passed near but not through town. It was hot, as only the Badlands of South Dakota can get hot in July. Traffic could be heard on the highway. Ted Hustead, a pharmacist, used all of his $3,000 inheritance to buy the only drug store in the area but wasn’t getting business.
Dorothy got an idea and urged her husband to put a sign on the highway offering free ice water. They had a soda fountain, enough ice, when the power was on, to make it, and an idea. It was a trough for thirsty travelers. Before Ted got back to the store after nailing up his first sign, customers were waiting. Ted was hooked. One sign led to another then another and now his grandsons Teddy and Rick continue the business today and reckon there are quite a few signs between Minnesota and Wall, maybe a thousand of them, maybe more.
What is certain is that 20,000 travelers come through Wall Drug every day in season. More in fact than visit the nearby Badlands National Park. Some simply by-pass the original art on the walls, assuming it could not be real, maybe color prints of famous artists. It is all real. All by renowned American illustrators. “We have two Dean Cornwell’s, an N.C. Wyeth and 11 Harvey Dunn originals. The second from the end there is an oil Harvey Dunn made of the South Dakota prairie house he was born in,” Teddy Hustead said.
“When my Dad started buying illustrations they were not valued as they are today. It was contract art. Well the great masterpieces are also contract art. We don’t have a farm system to train great artists as they did in the 1920s and 1930s,” Teddy emphasized.
He is justly proud of recent acquisitions that include a $175,000 Harvey Dunn and the Wyeth now valued at over $1/4 million. There are master works everywhere including Benton and Matt Clark, Morton Stoops, Will James and Carl Link to name only a few painters of the 300 originals. Since the art adorns public rooms, as do amazing bronze cowboy sculptures, admission is free. Actually admission is free to everything including their pharmacy museum, traveler’s chapel, water spouting amusement park and back yard. A giant $100,000 snorting T-Rex provides fun for the kids.
There are animated cowboys and a place where kids of all ages can muck through miner’s pans to find gem stones and flecks of gold. There is even a Jackalope. If you’ve never seen one ask Teddy if they are real or not. He says he’s seen two so far, clear-headed on both occasions.
For those interested in western ranching all of the brands from the 1880 South Dakota brand book are burned into dining room walls along with many current brands.
“Since we don’t charge admission there has to be shopping,” Teddy smiled. I bought a pen with a car that floats in liquid and slides along the façade of Wall Drug Store. It was that or a rubber tomahawk. On the idea of shopping there are few places anywhere that has a boot store that stocks 5,000 pairs of boots. There is everything from rare snake skins to industrial strength cowboy boots.
Wall Drug’s Hole in the Wall Bookstore is legendary for their assortment of western books. What may be hard to find any place else is surely on their shelves. Native American history, western adventure and illustrated guides abound. The Hole in the Wall is the place to find hard to get books.
“It’s an accordion season. We go from a staff of 200 in summer to 50 in winter. We give bumper stickers away. They go all over the world. There has never been a conflict since about our founding that a Wall Drug sign has not been up. They were taken overseas by our soldiers in World War II. The South Dakota National Guard put them on their 80 vehicles in Iraq. We have the best collection of Native American turquoise jewelry anywhere. We spent $150,000 wholesale on it just this year.” Teddy Hustead can’t be stilled. His enthusiasm is catching. If he begins with art he brags about the restaurant’s buffalo burgers.
One counter is replete with hundreds of silver dollars. They are under an acrylic coating so as not to be scooped up with change for a cone of Wall Drug’s delicious home made ice cream. The place has sweets galore from home made doughnuts to fudge. One of the best breakfasts on any trip west is to be found at Wall Drug. Their sides of bacon are like no other, lean, generous and tasty.
It is still a drug store and most every convenience imaginable can be found from women’s hair coloring to cough suppressants. People like the idea of a family business. Teddy and Rick are the third generation. They have kept their grandfather and father’s dream alive and have improved on many aspects of the business. Most everything is hands on and free. They only ask not to smear ketchup on the paintings.
For more information visit www.walldrug.com or call them at 605-279-2175. For general information about South Dakota Tourism visit www.travelsd.com or call 1-800-732-5682.
