I came across this picture today and it sparked a memory of the general store that was in a small village not far from where we lived during my childhood.The general store was a place that we enjoyed visiting. When we stepped in the door, the first thing you noticed was the wooden floor that was oiled to perfection. The shelves were always packed full of anything that you might need to run a household.
In autumn there was a barrel of apples near the front door and often a couple more on the wooden porch in front. The fragrance of every type of spice you could imagine hung heavily in the air. A large ceiling fan hummed during the summer months and in winter, there was a Quebec heater where we stood to warm up after a trek through the snow.
Pickle barrels, a coke cooler, biscuits and a wide variety of food stuffs were available and on the counter stood glass jars of salt water taffy, sticks of candy and licorice. We would press our faces against the glass to view the penny candy that was available. The most we ever had was a dime, but you could buy a Coke for a nickel and black balls three for a penny.
Inside the front door, to the right was a door that lead into a small barber shop. Men could get their hair cut for $2.00 and it was 50 cents for children under 12.
What great memories I have of that little general store. Today, it still stands, but it is no longer a general store. Many of the items available back then are no longer sold. The Quebec heater and the Coke cooler are long gone. The hardwood floor is worn and no longer shines like it did back then.
Things have changed a lot since I was young and the old general store is now a modern facility. Most of the things sold back then have long been discontinued. Still, my memories of the old general store will live forever in my memory.
Wishing everyone a great week.
Thanks for sharing the memory of your General Store, Mary. It made me feel very warm inside.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Mary, you are such a great writer. I could see the store and smell those spices and apples. It sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great memory...thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteLove, Jess
You have great memories of the store. We had a little country store up the holler where we lived. I don't have the vivid memories of it that you have of yours, though. Ours was small and I bought a lot of penny candy that 'Shorty' put into those little brown bags for us to carry them home in.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing stories of your sweet memories. Thank you for sharing them, and I hope you and hubby are feeling much, much, better. Have a good, safe week.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall a 'general store' in my day...but I do remember soda fountains!!! Where you had the little 'juke box' selector at your booth [or even screwed on the countertop at the bar stools]...which you could flip through them and select a song to be played....for a nickle. And the cherry cokes...and root beer floats....banana splits. And now that I'm thinking about it...I can remember a corner drug store that had wooden floors and penny candies along with so many other things a kid could buy and be proud to walk out with the wares. Ahhhhhhh, the good ol' days.
ReplyDeletetoo sweet
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, we had two general stores -of the type you describe in your post -here in this little village. One had begun as the "Company Store" -owned by the mine company back in the day but though it was privately owned in my day, it was still referred to as the "Company Store." The other store -The Cooperative Store -was started as an alternative to people being forced to shop at the Company Store and keeping themselves in debt to the owners of the Mining Company. Today, both of these stores stand only in my memories as both buildings have been torn down several years back. It saddens me to think of what once existed here and is no more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing as it brought long ago memories of our rural store flooding back. At the store we frequented, you could get a bolongna and cheese sandwich made for your lunch. If I remember correctly it was a whole quarter. The coke machine cooled the cokes with cold water and I usually got an RC cola as they were cheaper so I had more coins left for a candy bar. Peace
ReplyDeleteVery idyllic and nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteHaving been raised in the city, I only remember the two corner stores we had up the street and they were pretty much the way they still are today. I wish I had memories like you do of the general store, I could just picture it all in my mind as I read your words:-)
ReplyDeleteHoping and praying that Dwight is feeling better every day! Take care my friend. xoxo
Mary loved reading your memories of the old store.
ReplyDelete