Helping You Find What You Need Since 1947
At Jerrol’s, we’ve never believed we’re just here to sell products. We’re here to help you find what you need, solve problems, and take care of the people and projects that matter most to you.
For generations, our role in Ellensburg has been simple: show up, be helpful, and keep finding better ways to serve you. What started as a small roadside stop in 1947 has grown and changed over the years, but that purpose has stayed the same.
If you’ve ever walked through our doors or shopped with us online, you’ve been part of that story.
1947
Don and Irene Williams opened Jerrol’s beside their home along Highway 10, the road connecting Eastern Washington to Seattle, now known as University Way. What began as a small soda fountain and convenience store quickly became a welcoming stop for neighbors, travelers, students, and families looking for more than just everyday necessities.
From the very beginning, Jerrol’s was built around simple values: treating people kindly, offering a helpful hand, and creating a place where relationships mattered. The original “Handy Stop” reflected the spirit of small-town community life, where a cup of coffee, a warm conversation, and familiar faces were part of the experience.
What People Came For: cold food, coffee, donuts, comic books
1950s
As Ellensburg grew after World War II, Jerrol’s became part of the daily rhythm of a changing community. Many local college students were veterans building new lives through the GI Bill, and the store became a familiar gathering place between classes, conversations, and long days of work and study.
Coffee was poured fresh, neighbors lingered at the counter, and homemade pies baked by local homemakers were served one slice at a time. In a fast-changing world, small traditions and dependable places still mattered. Jerrol’s continued growing by staying rooted in community, kindness, and the simple comfort of being known.
What Brought People Together: coffee, homemade pie, soda fountain treats, conversation, community
1954
As the community around Jerrol’s continued to grow, so did the store itself. The “Old Store” was built in 1954 to replace the original Handy Stop and became the foundation for the building still standing today. Booths, tables, and a drive-in created more space for neighbors, families, students, and friends to gather throughout the day.
Jerrol’s was becoming more than a quick stop along the highway. It was turning into a place where everyday life happened. A place for shared meals, small celebrations, last-minute needs, and familiar routines. Even as the store expanded, the focus stayed the same: helping people feel welcome, cared for, and connected to their community.
What Filled the Shelves and Counters: hot food, penny candy, lipstick, pantyhose, everyday essentials
1964
Jerry Williams and his wife Annette purchased the store from Don and Irene, continuing a family tradition rooted in service, trust, and community connection. With a new generation leading the way, Jerrol’s began evolving alongside Ellensburg itself. The store shifted its focus from food service to supporting students, teachers, artists, and growing local businesses.
Renamed Jerrol’s Bookstore, the store became a place shaped by curiosity and learning. College students searched for textbooks, children picked out school supplies, artists found inspiration, and community members stopped in for the tools they needed to learn, create, and grow. Through every change, Jerrol’s remained centered on helping people build meaningful lives and lasting relationships.
What Inspired the Community: textbooks, school supplies, art materials, office supplies, music
1970s
As Jerrol’s continued growing with the community, the old Mobil gas station was transformed into a book annex, making room for even more discovery, creativity, and connection. Customers would ring a bell and someone from the store would walk over to help, a small but memorable reminder that personal service was still at the heart of the experience.
During this time, Rolf Williams began working at the store, continuing the next generation’s connection to a business built on relationships and helping people find what they needed. Jerrol’s kept evolving alongside the lives of the community, becoming a place where hobbies were encouraged, curiosity was welcomed, and everyday moments mattered.
What Sparked Curiosity: books, fish and pet supplies, film processing, creative hobbies, everyday discoveries
1980s
The 1980s brought change, uncertainty, and new beginnings to the Pacific Northwest. Even during disruptions like the eruption of Mount St. Helens, Jerrol’s continued adapting alongside the community it served. Michelle Marshall, Rolf’s future wife, joined the store during this decade, adding another chapter to a family story rooted in hard work, relationships, and caring for people well.
Jerrol’s embraced new ideas while holding onto the values that made the store feel familiar and welcoming. The first computer arrived, new departments were added, and the store continued evolving around the interests and everyday lives of its customers. Whether someone came in for printing help, a unique gift, or simply a friendly conversation, Jerrol’s remained a place where people felt comfortable exploring what interested them.
What People Discovered: quick printing services, rodeo belt buckles, used cars, local conversation, new ideas
1988
By 1988, Jerrol’s had grown far beyond its original footprint. The building expanded to 10,000 square feet, creating more room for the books, supplies, and discoveries that had become part of everyday life for so many in the community. The old book annex was removed to make space for parking, reflecting a store continuing to evolve alongside the people it served.
The name changed to Jerrol’s Book and Supply Co., but the heart of the business remained the same. Jerrol’s continued becoming a place where curiosity was encouraged, learning was valued, and thoughtful shopping felt personal instead of transactional. Families browsed together, readers found new ideas, and customers returned again and again because the experience felt familiar, helpful, and genuine.
What Filled the Aisles: expanded book selections, school and office supplies, thoughtful gifts, everyday inspiration
1990s
Rolf returned to Jerrol’s full-time during the 1990s, helping guide the next season of growth while continuing the family tradition of serving the community with care and intention. As Ellensburg changed and grew, Jerrol’s prepared for another expansion by removing the apartment building beside the store, making room for what would come next.
In 1997, Jerrol’s celebrated its 50th anniversary with root beer floats, a simple gathering that reflected what the store had always been about: bringing people together. For generations of families, students, teachers, and neighbors, Jerrol’s had become woven into everyday life through shared traditions, trusted relationships, and the feeling of walking into a place where people genuinely cared.
What People Gathered Around: books, supplies, shared traditions, community celebrations, familiar faces
2000s
The 2000s brought new ways for Jerrol’s to serve both the local community and growing businesses throughout the region. Midnight Harry Potter release parties filled the store with excitement, costumes, laughter, and shared memories, reminding everyone that bookstores could still feel magical and deeply personal.
At the same time, Jerrol’s expanded its office supply and delivery services, helping local organizations, schools, and businesses receive dependable support from people they knew and trusted. The purchase of Pearl Street Books reflected a continued belief that independent bookstores and community-centered spaces still mattered. Even as the world became more digital, Jerrol’s stayed focused on relationships, curiosity, and helping people find meaningful connections through the things they brought into their lives.
How the Community Connected: books, office supplies, local delivery, shared experiences, trusted service
2013
In 2013, Jerrol’s entered a new chapter as ownership transitioned to the third generation, Rolf and Michelle Williams. Following the passing of Jerry Williams, the store continued carrying forward a legacy built not simply on retail, but on relationships, trust, and a genuine commitment to helping people well.
During this season of transition, Michelle Bradshaw stepped away to focus on Pearl Street Books, while the publication of The Unfinished History of Jerrol’s reflected how deeply the store had become woven into the story of the community itself. For decades, Jerrol’s had been shaped by the people who walked through its doors, generations of customers, families, students, readers, creators, and neighbors who believed meaningful places still mattered.
What Continued Forward: community traditions, trusted relationships, lifelong learning, local stories, helping people well
2015
In 2015, Jerrol’s expanded once again with the opening of Winegars, adding another 5,000 square feet and bringing the store to 15,000 square feet. The name was simplified to simply “Jerrol’s,” reflecting what the community had already known for years: the store had become something much bigger than a bookstore.
Jerrol’s continued growing into a place where everyday life could unfold under one roof. Families stopped in for ice cream, businesses explored office furniture solutions, and neighbors discovered unexpected treasures while running ordinary errands. Even as the store expanded, the goal remained deeply personal: creating a welcoming place where people could feel connected, inspired, and genuinely cared for.
What Made People Stay Awhile: Winegars ice cream, office furniture, local favorites, unexpected finds, community connection
2020
In 2020, life changed almost overnight. Jerrol’s closed its doors for 60 days as the community faced uncertainty together, but the focus quickly shifted to finding new ways to help. Phone orders, online ordering, and same-day local deliveries became lifelines for families, teachers, businesses and neighbors trying to navigate an unfamiliar season.
Deliveries of toilet paper, sidewalk chalk, ice cream, and everyday essentials reminded everyone that even small acts of care could make a difficult time feel a little more human. THrough challenge and change, Jerrol’s remained grounded in the same purpose it had carried for generations: helping people feel supported, connected and less alone.
What Helped People Through: local delivery, comfort items, records, RC vehicles, small moments of joy.
2023
In 2023, the next chapter of Jerrol’s began taking shape as Amy McClelland, Don and Irene’s great-granddaughter, joined the team with plans to continue the family legacy into a fourth generation. More than seventy-five years after the original Handy Stop opened beside the family home, the heart behind the business remained remarkably unchanged.
Jerrol’s continued growing not by chasing trends, but by staying rooted in relationships, curiosity, and care for the community it serves. Each generation has helped shape the store around the lives of real people: readers, families, students, creators, businesses, and neighbors looking for a place that still feels thoughtful, welcoming, and personal.
What Continues to Inspire Creativity: Blackwing pencils, meaningful tools, thoughtful gifts, creative expression, community connection
2024
In 2024, every item in Jerrol’s inventory became available online through Jerrols.com, creating new ways for customers near and far to stay connected to the store they know and trust. What began as a small roadside Handy Stop in 1947 continues to evolve while holding tightly to the values that shaped it from the beginning: helping people, building relationships, and creating a place where thoughtful living still matters.
Jerrol’s has never been only about what sits on the shelves. It has always been about the people behind the counter, the conversations between neighbors, the excitement of discovering something meaningful, and the comfort of returning to a place that feels familiar and genuine. The story remains unfinished because the community continues helping write it every day.
What Connects the Story Today: trusted service, thoughtful shopping, meaningful discoveries, local connection, lifelong relationships
