Fred Nichols renamed Rangely’s Coltharp store in 1947.
RANGELY | Nichols Store in Rangely is celebrating its 116th anniversary. In 1904 Fred Nichols (whose father Ben shot one of the attempted thieves in Meeker’s thwarted 1896 bank robbery), moved to Rangely to manage the general store owned by H. Coltharp. He was 20 years old.
In 1947, the year Rangely was incorporated as a town with Fred as mayor (he also served as county commissioner for 16 years), he purchased full ownership of the store, changed its name, and continued to manage it until 1963.
Current owner Bill Hume started working at the store in 1966 and bought it in 1974. This year the store is 116.
Rangely native Bill Hume started working at Nichols Store in 1966, and in 1974 Hume and his brother John purchased the business from Bernie Stevenson. Hume still owns and operates the store today.
Happy anniversary to a long-standing local business and here’s to many more to come.
By HT Staff | [email protected]
