WEST CLARKSVILLE STORE
BY Charlotte Gessel
The original store owned by George B. Keller burned.
The West Clarksville store located on Rte. 305 and near County Rd. 40 has been remodeled many times during my life time.
I have been told the following operated the store at one time- Shear and Lewis; Doc. Young and Minnie Stryker. Mr. Dewitt run store for Dr. Young. (Dewitt was Harvey Mc-Intyre’s brother in law.) The Post office was in the store- Minnie Stryker did the Post office work for M.M. Congdon who was Post master. According to Marie Fitzgerald P.H. Jones bought the store for Charles Jones and he had it for a short time; Frank and Hose Windsor; James and Ida Windsor about 1917-20; Albert Bowler from Canisteo; Leo D. Meacham ( His brother in Law dward Hurler helped in the store) Windsor and Lewis 1925-32; M.W. Lewis from 1932-46; D.H. and Lillian Chamberlain; Harold and Cal Weidemann; Wagoners and Barnes Deli opened August 3, 1983. Pizza is their speciality. We wish them a prosperous and successful business. It seems good to be able to buy a loaf of bread or quart of milk or ice cream without going to town. With unexpected company you can have their speciality, chicken fingers, shrimp or fish or most any kind of sandwich. During deer season they open early and breakfast is available for the hunters.
The upstairs of the store is now the home of Larry and Sharon Barnes. Through the years the upstairs or hall was used for voting, Home Bureau, Minstrel shows, Medicine shows, Talent shows and dances.
Thelma Lewis wrote me that when she was a little girl the Jones had the store. Thelma's grandfather Frank Windsor had the Post Office and a small store in the building by the Grange hall. That building burned. Thelma's grandmother Rose Windsor made bread and sold it in the store. When Thelma's grandfather had the store they had square dances there. Thelma thinks Riley Bradford and wife Rose played the fiddle and organ for the dances. Thelma wasn't allowed to !o to watch them but one time she and Dorothy were at Grandpa's and watched under the crack of the door.
Vivian Murry Keller writes that her grandmother told her about the dances that were held in the upstairs over the store on Saturday nite. Neither the 1st Baptist Church nor the U.B. Church were then built so Church services were held there Sunday morning. However the organ in the hall was not used for Church services because it had been played Saturday night for dancing. Dancing continued for sometime.
Before the U.B. Church was a Grange hall the grange meetings were held in the hall, and dances were held at that time.
I remember when I was a little girl we lived on what is now the Van-DerLinden farm and I would ride, with Debt to the cheese factory. At that time the store opened at 6 am. to accommodate the farmers.
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A Kindergarten teacher had a terrible time getting a pair of galoshes on one of her pupils. Finally after she had tugged them onto his feet she told the boy how hard they were to get on. "That's because these arn't mine." answered the young student. In despair the teacher strained and pulled until the galoshes were off again. As soon as they were off,the boy volunteered,"They are my brother's but I wear them ' cause I don't have any." So teacher tugged and strained to put them on the boy again. "But Mom said he should wear them today 'cause he has a cold," the youngster then volunteered."
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