Stories of Iris McFann Woodard

Buying Our Big Home and Building A Large Store in 1917

A house and 12 acres was for sale from Frank LeSage. The cost was $2,700, and Dad purchased it. Carpenters erected a store 75 feet long of tim, plus a ware room and garage in 1917. We were lost with so much room. Large display windows and a large concrete porch in front. The store was erected between the B&O Railroad and the Ohio River.



We had a large delivery truck, a Republic. Now we sold washers, Star-brand dress shoes, and also work shoes. The store had candy cases and thread cases, and an icebox for soft drinks.

Around 5pm on Sunday evenings, Dad would fill his Republic truck-seats on both sides and take anyone interested in going to town (Huntington). The trip was 12 miles, one way, and his fare was .50 cents per person. Those going had the option to see a show, visit the Huntington depot, eat out, window shop, or visit the drug store and have a soda. Dad would leave for the return trip home around 8pm. Mother always went along, and I usually stayed home with the younger children. I was the oldest of 6, three of which were girls. That was the time when we girls would wash and towel-dry our hair.

We didn't have loaf bread. So, every Saturday morning, I would take my long basket and cross the Ohio River to Clark's Store. I would buy 6 long loaves of bread which had been sent by boat the night before from Cincinnati. Each fresh, unwrapped loaf cost 25 cents. How we enjoyed it! We smeared slices of bread with butter, then sprinkled on brown sugar.

Around The Store
At Christmas time, we would have a dozen stalks of bananas, crates of oranges, wooden pails of candy, piles of coconuts, boxes of nuts, rows of dolls, many rolls of wide hair ribbons for long braids, Barretta fancy combs, mittens and fancy pocket knives. All of these things were delivered by train from Cincinnati, Ohio on a packet boat.

Dad Cromley and Mrs. Cromley lived across from our first store in a big long house. He was the blacksmith and shod horses. He was also the station agent. She was a LeSage. She boarded traveling salesmen. What a cook Mrs. Cromley was! She helped our Mom. She baked cookies for us, always gave us Christmas gifts, too.

The store was a place for the community to gather. Men, 'loafers', gathered after dinner to swap yarns, spit tobacco juice in a spitoon. Travelling gypsies would stop for 3 or 4 days by the depot. We were scared. Once we searched for Bernice for hours. Surely the gypsies had her! Here she was curled up behind a bedroom door in a clothes basket, sound asleep.

Buying Our Big Home and Building A Large Store in 1917
Written by Iris McFann Woodard
1986

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