This is the older one of two old photos we have found of Kramer's Wigwam, this one likely taken shortly after its opening in 1934.
As old as it looks, this teepee was originally a gas station, built in 1934 as Kramer's Wigwam Gas Station. Initially a Conoco station, by 1950 it had changed branged brands, becoming a Standard Oil station. Later named the Wigwam Café, it operated until the 1960s.
It appears to be built of formed concrete, similar to a later product known as
ferrocrete. Moved shortly after it was built to make way for a new hospital, over the years the teepee has also been a cafe and a coffee shop before becoming Browning's first Espresso Stand in 1998.
Apparently the espresso stand,
browning's first was in the building for many years but appears to have gone the way of the dodo bird. The most recent review of the place, when it was still open, was from 2015.
It's been around longer than any espresso stand you know of.
One of the coolest roadside attractions in Montana is also one of the oldest. For pure, old-school highway kitsch, you can't beat the concrete tipi espresso stand in Browning.
At 50 feet tall, this iconic cone is quite a bit larger than your regulation tipi.
Built in 1934 by Robert Kramer, the tipi was originally a gas station where travelers could fill up their Hudsons, and hungry workers and tourists heading for Glacier Park could pick up a light lunch. Kramer's Wigwam, as it was known, was moved shortly after it was built in order to make room for a new hospital.
The tipi has also served as a café and coffee shop over the years, and eventually fulfilled its destiny by becoming the first espresso stand in Browning. Famed local sculptor Bob Scriver bought the tipi and moved it to its current location, on US 2 near the middle of town.
While you're waiting inside this peripatetic tipi for the kid behind the counter to whip up your half-caf mochaccino, you can browse through a variety of handcrafted jewelry, beaded moccasins, and
other native art.
Just don't ask for a table in the corner.
From Montana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff