Huey’s Cigar Store

The morning paper, fresh donuts, coffee and conversation were part of the daily routine for decades at Huey’s Cigar Store, 330 S. Broadway.

The Huey’s building was constructed in 1858 and is thought to be the oldest business structure in Rochester. It was the first place travelers on the old Dubuque Trail saw as they crossed the Zumbro River coming into town. In the early days, it was occupied by Kelly Dry Goods, ready to supply everything newcomers needed. Fifty years later, Powderly Boots & Shoes, a more specialized retailer, was located in the building.

Carl Huey started his cigar business in 1920 a block north, at 302 S. Broadway. Expansion of the adjacent Olmsted Savings and Loan Association forced Huey’s to move in 1958 to 330 S. Broadway. Over the years, ownership of Huey’s changed hands a few times, but the name stuck. Customers could order at a lunch counter, pick up magazines and out-of-town newspapers, play a game of pinball or pool, and sample cigars from a special humidor designed to keep the tobacco as fresh as the day it was harvested.

In 1985, new owners moved Huey’s to the 300 block of First Avenue Southwest, saying they needed more room. Gretchen MacCarty Designs moved into the building, and was there until the early 1990s, when the Lund & Patterson law office occupied the historic building.

History Center of Olmsted County