Business Spotlight: Experience the Old West in a new way at Eagle Mountain Trading Post

Toni Thompson has long had a love for the American West and its history. It shows both in the decor of her retail store and in the building she rents.

Thompson, owner of Eagle Mountain Trading Post at 110 S. Curry Street in Carson City, said she couldn't be happier running her business out of the historic structure that once served as a freight depot, livery and Overland Stage stop back in the early days of the Nevada state capital.

"I stumbled across this store because it was called the Great Basin Art Gallery and Framing at the time, and I happened to have a painting that I needed framed," she said. "So I found this business and I fell in love with the building the second I saw it."

When the 1,100 square-foot space came up for rent in October 2015, Thompson jumped at the opportunity to move her retail store there and be part of Carson City's historic west side. Eagle Mountain's first location in town was at a shopping center on North Carson Street next to the Grocery Outlet.

"I wanted this space so bad that I just kept coming by and checking on it," she said. "Then one day in October, lo and behold, it was available."

After the property owners performed some renovation of the interior, Thompson moved her retail operation in on Jan. 2 of this year and opened two days later.

Thompson said the decision to move into the space at the corner of South Curry and Second streets was both coincidental and by design.

The structure -- its history as well as its look -- fit quite nicely with the country western concept she had designed her store around. The fact that it had become available just five months after she and her husband moved to Carson City was proof enough that things were meant to be.

"I just fancied that I would one day have my own business and it would involve the sort of things that I find interesting, which is rustic type decor; country flavor, western flavor, that sort of thing," she said. "That just seemed to fit together."

The store name, too, is complementary to the area. Carson City is also known as the Eagle Valley, so a business called Eagle Mountain Trading Post seems a natural fit.

"My husband loves eagles, and it's just ironic," Thompson said. "When I was naming the business, I threw some ideas around and the only one he would let me use was Eagle Mountain. Then we end up living in the Eagle Valley. All signs pointed to it."

Thompson and her husband relocated to Carson City from Simi Valley, California, in June 2015. Thompson said she tried to open a retail store there at first, but she could not find the right location.

That's when she and her husband decided to move from Southern California.

On a trip to visit family in Reno, they decided Northern Nevada would be the next place they would call home.

"It just made sense to us to consider Reno," she said. "So we came up here to look around, and we just fell in love with Carson City. Once we got the bug, that was it."

Thompson said American-made products are important to her, so most of her inventory is produced in the United States.

From transparent Mylar window shades made in Nevada and manufactured in California to artwork from nationally acclaimed artists, salsas and sundries, Thompson tries to stay as true to "made in the USA" as she can.

Even the "Old Guys Rule" brand of t-shirts she carries are printed in the Golden State.

But locally produced arts and crafts hold a special place both in Thompson's heart and in her store.

She has even reserved a space at the front of the building called "the front parlor," where the works of local artists are featured monthly.

Thompson said her store hosts monthly meet-and-greet events for each featured artist. The parlor space is free to the featured artist for 30 days, she said.

"This is something I am especially proud of," she said. "Once a month, we have an artist meet and greet, and the whole room is set up to display their art. They have the space for a full month, and they don't get charged a fee for the room."

Besides framed or canvas paintings and photography art, Eagle Mountain Trading Post carries an array of arts and crafts produced locally.

There is yard decor and yard art -- ranging from bird houses to wine barrel strap sculptures -- as well as hand-made jewelry, carved birch candle holders, and much more.

"I think Carson is a rich community of artists," Thompson said. "Most of the arists I have in the store, I just met by happenstance. And so on it goes, by word of mouth."

Beginning June 4, Eagle Mountain Trading Post will host a weekly arts and crafts fair on its property every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through September.

The fair is for local artists and crafters only, Thompson said.

"I've got room for about ten vendors, and I'm currently looking for more," she said. "I have about five spaces left for each Saturday. The only requirement is that they be local artists and crafters, and have a sales tax permit."

Thompson said her business participates in the monthly Wine Walks through downtown Carson City, and the feedback she has gotten from participants has been very positive.

"It just reinforces that I'm doing the right thing," she said. "I'm so proud to be living here and being a business owner in Carson."

Eagle Mountain Trading Post is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit the store web site here, or find Eagle Mountain Trading Post on Facebook.