Leavitt's: In Sisters for decades

It has been a longstanding tradition that every town in the American West must have a Western store selling cowboy clothing, boots, and everything else with a Western theme. Since 1977, Sisters has enjoyed such a store in Leavitt's. However, the store carries much more than the usual Western gear and the owner, John Leavitt, has had a lifetime of experience as a real cowboy.

Located at the corner of East Cascade Avenue and North Elm Street, Leavitt's will soon be starting its 37th year as one of the oldest and most successful businesses in Sisters, attracting shoppers from throughout the Northwest and many from around the world. Visitors to the store find the usual Western clothing worn by real cowboys and cowgirls, but also high-end decorative items for the discriminating shopper.

John's family has had a long history of ranching. His father and uncles grew up on his grandfather's ranch in Utah. When the grandfather was injured, he was advised to move to a healthier climate. The family moved to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, where they owned and operated Leavitt's Freight from Springfield, transporting long loads and laminated beams. The company is still operating with more than 100 trucks, and often driving through Sisters. John was born in Eugene, and when the family later purchased a ranch in the Lakeview area of southeastern Oregon, he began his life as a cowboy.

John attended his first rodeo when he was 8 years old, the first of many. John graduated from Lakeview High School and became a rodeo performer working in all rodeo events except bull-riding. He often worked as a pickup man in rodeos, and the family sold many horses for this use. This experience led to John participating in a very unique role.

As a 24-year-old, he was invited to join the Rodeo Far West Tour, organized and sponsored by Wrangler, Coca Cola, and Ford Motor Company. It presented a Wild West show similar to the Buffalo Bill shows in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like the Buffalo Bill shows, this tour traveled to Europe. John was invited to join the tour as one of nine cowboys. The total tour group included 60 individuals including cowboys, barrel racers, 15 Sioux Indian dancers and livestock.

The boat trip to Europe was an experience he wouldn't do again. A trip that was planned to take 11 days ended up taking 27 days when one boat engine broke down. "It was like being in jail," John recalls. On the tour, a full rodeo performance was presented. During halftime, cattle drives were held with long-horn cattle, and Indian dancers performed. In Rome, they performed in a coliseum, "the new one, not the old one," John is quick to explain. They did 18 performances there before capacity crowds. The tour was scheduled to last longer, but after four months tour managers discovered that arena reservations had not been made as planned, so it ended early.

After the tour, John attended a business college in Reno where he learned how to run a business, and worked for a construction company for five years.

In the meantime, John's father was president of the Leavitt's Trucking Company and usually drove the Willamette Pass route.

One day in 1976, he decided to drive the Santiam Pass route.

Driving through town, he saw a familiar name, Barclay's, on a store building in Sisters.

Harold and Dorothy Barclay had built the building in 1975 and 1976 and had operated it as a Western-wear store for a year.

Because John's family had known the Barclays since John was 12 years old, the father stopped to visit with them and found out the store was for sale.

The purchase was made and John took over the business in March of 1977.

Soon after moving to Sisters, he joined the Sisters Rodeo Association just in time to help keep the Sisters Rodeo alive. He went on to be a performer in team roping and tie-down events. Several years ago, he was featured in an award-winning television advertising for the rodeo titled "Once a cowboy, always a cowboy." It showed John looking out over an empty arena and thinking back to his days as a rodeo performer.

He became president of the Sisters Rodeo Association in 1990 and 1991, and since the late 1990s, he has been arena director. He also is in charge of the annual Sisters Rodeo Queen selection. When his wife Sally passed away in 1999, he initiated providing a $1,500 scholarship in her name and a Western wardrobe to the queen. The Sisters Rodeo Association has since assumed providing the scholarship. Nine years ago he married Kathryn.

Today John has the business for sale, believing it is time to move on to other activities. He is not in a hurry to sell, since he still enjoys working the store and greeting visitors. He owns ranch land in the Lakeview area, but when the store sells, he and his wife would still make their home just outside the Sisters city limits on the east side of town.

In the meantime, he will continue to present top-quality merchandise and decorative items to customers who know that they are dealing with a real cowboy.