Regarding the Henry Store
Henry is around 20 miles north of Soda Springs on Highway 34, and is well worth the trip.
During a normal week, the Henry Store north of Soda Springs on Highway 34 sees ten or so cars stop in during the day. That number increases substantially during the summer tourism season, which happens to be just around the corner.
“Someone put us on an app for tourists from Asian counties awhile ago, and now we sell a lot more jerky than we used to!” Whitney Engeler said. She and her father-in-law Walt live in homes adjacent to the store property, and are the main proprietors of the combination museum, convenience store, working farm, and welcome bus stop for those headed north to the national parks.
Restoration of the Henry School was started in 2014 by Jerry Stoor. The school next sits next to the store in Henry.
The Henry Store is a mixture of relics from the original location, historical artifacts from around the area, modern convenience snacks, souvenir items, Henry merchandise, and products from local vendors. Local artists, writers, food crafters, and creators of all manner of items are represented inside the store.
Some of the intriguing material – a lot of it discovered inside the building, some even inside the walls themselves – has to do with the practical history of Henry itself. The Henry Stampede and Stockman’s Reunion was held from 1917 to 1956 with a break for World War II. The first Stampede was held at Chub Springs, then moved to Henry, and finally in 1928 to Soda Springs. During its time in Henry hundreds if not thousands of people gathered every year, where it became a major event in the region.
The 3-day rodeo and gathering involved all manner of well-known cowboys, and was a huge stop on the circuit. Eventually the size of the rodeo shrank until it was discontinued, but there are plentiful posters, pictures, and artifacts left inside the Henry Store commemorating it.
Remnants of the post office remain on one wall, and a desk next to the potbelly stove inside the store is rumored to have been used in gambling. Whitney demonstrated the intricate mechanical locking mechanism in the drawer that was likely used as a safe.
The store includes a lot of material related to Henry's past - from the Stampede to civic institutions like the post office.
In addition to the museum-level displays inside the Henry Store, the dedicated museum next door is a whole other story. The Henry School was restored by Jerry Stoor and others beginning in 2014 and stocked with an entertaining assortment of donated and discovered materials. The school has been lovingly put back into display shape, and is an afternoon’s worth of entertainment for history lovers.
Whitney Engeler and father-in-law Walt operate the store, which has become a popular stop on the route north.
Whitney, Walt, and Pirmin Engeler have talked about a number of plans for the Henry Store and surrounding area, from a traveler rest area to fuller farm product offerings, to all kinds of other things. Whatever the ultimate form of the Henry Store is, it is already an amazing gem in one of the most beautiful parts of the county, and there is no reason not to stop by!
