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By Bunny Corkill as featured in Volume 14 of  In Focus

South Side of Main Street
Let us begin our journey, by coming into Stillwater from the west. On the right, or south, side of the road, [near 12300 Stillwater Road] there was once a huge grove of cottonwood trees. They had been planted in such a manner that there was enough space between the rows to allow teams and spring wagons to drive in, thus the people and animals could enjoy the shade. This area was very popular as a picnic spot, and each 4th of July the local residents and guests held a major celebration among the trees. Later, a ballpark was situated near there. The Kent family sold this one hundred acres to Mary deArmond Patterson and her sons on March 24, 1924. The trees became the victims of a receding water table and the Patterson brothers’ saws.

Today, all that remains of the lush grove of cottonwoods is a near-empty lot at
12300 Stillwater Road. Courtesy Churchill County Museum & Archives.

These beautiful cottonwood trees, lining Stillwater's Main Street, are representative of those
trees that once graced both sides of the slough. Courtesy Churchill County Museum & Archives.

Just beyond the trees was the original Ira Heber and Mary Kaiser Kent home. I.H. had come to Stillwater in the spring of 1876. He and Mary, daughter of well established businessman Charles Kaiser, were married in 1879. Their four children, Charles, Florence, Katie and Ira Longfellow were born in this house. Because it was quite small, the boys slept in the water tank-house behind the building. In 1910, Hammie Kent, Charles’ son, was also born in this home. A year later the house burned down, and Charles and his wife Helen built their new home across the slough, north of town.

Jim Richards is credited with having opened the first store in Stillwater. Upon Richards’ departure from the village, I.H. Kent opened his original store in the building next to the family home.

I.H. moved his business into Fallon in 1904, after which time Charlie Kent operated the Stillwater store until 1918. It is believed he then sold the contents of his store to Childs and Ryan but it is not recalled how long they were the local merchants. Nearby was the water tower which provided water for the store and yet another house which belonged to the Kent family.