Page 34 - 2019 August The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 34
overshoes, overalls, and a case of pretty handkerchiefs and ribbons were
always on display.
“Meetings of all kinds were held in my father’s office. The city council,
church, lodge, cemetery association, and other gatherings of public interest
were held there. My father grew up with the community, and knew everyone
for miles around. He had many good friends, and learned there were no better
people on earth than those right in his own hometown”
Ready To Serve
To think I once saw grocery shops with but a casual eye,
And fingered figs and apricots, as one who came to buy.
For in those bygone days I saw no sails above the tea –
Grocery shops were grocery shops, not hemispheres to me.
– Counters, Elizabeth Coatsworth, Compass Rose¸ 1929
By the early 1900s, the concept of the
general store became more standardized, yet
retained many familiar elements. From
1935-1951, Campbell's Department Store
was a hive of community activity in the small
town of Bridgewater, Iowa, just sixty miles
or so from Des Moines. The proprietor’s
Memories of long ago: The Shimer Store, Chatfield, Minnesota, circa 1900. daughter, Sally Hanson, had these fond
(Ruth Shimer collection) memories of life at a country store, mid-
“My father, Frank Woodbridge Shimer, was born in McGregor, Iowa in twentieth century style:
1853. When he was ‘six months old,’ he became dissatisfied and persuaded his
parents to bring him to Chatfield, Minnesota. “My dad ran the store. There were also a
butcher and a checkout person, and my
“Mr. C.M. Lovell came from the east before 1870 and opened a general brother helped out, too. My dad would drive
store in Chatfield. As a young boy, my father went to work for Mr. Lovell. to Des Moines to purchase the groceries; the
When Mr. Lovell married and brought his bride home, my father thought they only car we had was a panel truck. When
should celebrate. So, he opened a can of peaches! Eventually, my father became they first started out, before they had a
the owner of the Lovell Store. house, mom and dad set up housekeeping in
the store balcony. Our store had beautiful
“Groceries were kept in the back, with dry all-wood floors, but keeping them swept and
goods in the front. A large coffee mill ground clean was quite a job. We always had to
by hand many pounds of coffee. Sugar came sprinkle a ‘sweeping compound’ first, before
in 100-pound bags and was dumped into a getting out the broom.
big barrel, to be sacked up as wanted. Eggs
were brought in 30-dozen cases, every egg “Campbell's Department Store had three
having to be candled (looking at the inside RC Cola store display, 1953. ‘departments:’ groceries, meat, and dry
of a developing egg by holding it over a flame goods. We were open daily, plus Wednesday
in a darkened room) before being shipped and Saturday evenings. On Saturday nights,
to Chicago. A big register from a one-lung the women would come in to shop. Groceries were sacked, and dry goods
furnace heated the store, and it was around wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. The groceries would be put into
this that many yarns were told by some a cardboard box, and set in the front window area. Then, the women would
regular natives. go out and find a friend to sit in a car and chat with, while their husbands
visited the pool hall. The store couldn't close until they picked up their
“Traveling men (‘drummers’) brought groceries. Sometimes, it was close to midnight!
samples in trunks by train. These were drayed
(pulled in a strong cart or wagon without “On Saturday nights, my mother would take the ‘overripe’ produce home
Necessities then, collectibles today: sides) to the Medary House (the local hostelry) from the store, and on Sunday mornings we would have sliced bananas in
wooden crates from Campbell’s orange juice for breakfast.
storage originally held Kraft Brick where two sample rooms were used to display
Cheese and Bovril Corned Beef. the wares. “At the back of the store were cold
“One time, a salesman joined the group around the heater and told about storage lockers. People would process
his meeting up with an American Indian. He grew very dramatic, and with their meat and bring it to their locker.
much gusto and waving of arms, told how the fellow took a big knife and cut The keys were kept hanging right out-
his scalp right off! Grabbing his toupee, and waving it wildly in the air, he side the lockers—a real honor system!
demonstrated. That became the yarn for the day.
“In the basement was the vinegar
“Another salesman once came to call barrel. People would bring in their
on Mr. Lovell, who was out. My father empty glass gallon jugs to be filled with
told the drummer that Mr. Lovell was vinegar. Cookies came in square boxes.
very deaf. When Mr. Lovell returned, The lid was taken off, and replaced with
father whispered to him that a very deaf a glass door, so customers could sack
salesman was waiting to see him. When their own. There was a Coke machine
the two met, the hollering was terrific, too – a red one. You just opened the
and my chuckling father rushed out the lid and reached down into that cold Check-out time: Campbell’s counter
back door before they caught on. water to get your pop. The opener was necessities from the late 1940s.
on the side.
“Ready-to-wear clothes hadn't hit the “Usually twice a year, we’d drive to Omaha, (about 80 miles away), to get
market then, so bolts of yard goods and dry goods and clothing to sell. Campbell's carried everything from handker-
other commodities came from Marshall Something to pass the time: among the chiefs and aprons to hosiery, shirts, blouses, and underwear. There were even
Fields in Chicago. High-button shoes, sundries offered by Campbell’s were card
games, such as this one, “Touring.” Continued on page 34
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
32
always on display.
“Meetings of all kinds were held in my father’s office. The city council,
church, lodge, cemetery association, and other gatherings of public interest
were held there. My father grew up with the community, and knew everyone
for miles around. He had many good friends, and learned there were no better
people on earth than those right in his own hometown”
Ready To Serve
To think I once saw grocery shops with but a casual eye,
And fingered figs and apricots, as one who came to buy.
For in those bygone days I saw no sails above the tea –
Grocery shops were grocery shops, not hemispheres to me.
– Counters, Elizabeth Coatsworth, Compass Rose¸ 1929
By the early 1900s, the concept of the
general store became more standardized, yet
retained many familiar elements. From
1935-1951, Campbell's Department Store
was a hive of community activity in the small
town of Bridgewater, Iowa, just sixty miles
or so from Des Moines. The proprietor’s
Memories of long ago: The Shimer Store, Chatfield, Minnesota, circa 1900. daughter, Sally Hanson, had these fond
(Ruth Shimer collection) memories of life at a country store, mid-
“My father, Frank Woodbridge Shimer, was born in McGregor, Iowa in twentieth century style:
1853. When he was ‘six months old,’ he became dissatisfied and persuaded his
parents to bring him to Chatfield, Minnesota. “My dad ran the store. There were also a
butcher and a checkout person, and my
“Mr. C.M. Lovell came from the east before 1870 and opened a general brother helped out, too. My dad would drive
store in Chatfield. As a young boy, my father went to work for Mr. Lovell. to Des Moines to purchase the groceries; the
When Mr. Lovell married and brought his bride home, my father thought they only car we had was a panel truck. When
should celebrate. So, he opened a can of peaches! Eventually, my father became they first started out, before they had a
the owner of the Lovell Store. house, mom and dad set up housekeeping in
the store balcony. Our store had beautiful
“Groceries were kept in the back, with dry all-wood floors, but keeping them swept and
goods in the front. A large coffee mill ground clean was quite a job. We always had to
by hand many pounds of coffee. Sugar came sprinkle a ‘sweeping compound’ first, before
in 100-pound bags and was dumped into a getting out the broom.
big barrel, to be sacked up as wanted. Eggs
were brought in 30-dozen cases, every egg “Campbell's Department Store had three
having to be candled (looking at the inside RC Cola store display, 1953. ‘departments:’ groceries, meat, and dry
of a developing egg by holding it over a flame goods. We were open daily, plus Wednesday
in a darkened room) before being shipped and Saturday evenings. On Saturday nights,
to Chicago. A big register from a one-lung the women would come in to shop. Groceries were sacked, and dry goods
furnace heated the store, and it was around wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. The groceries would be put into
this that many yarns were told by some a cardboard box, and set in the front window area. Then, the women would
regular natives. go out and find a friend to sit in a car and chat with, while their husbands
visited the pool hall. The store couldn't close until they picked up their
“Traveling men (‘drummers’) brought groceries. Sometimes, it was close to midnight!
samples in trunks by train. These were drayed
(pulled in a strong cart or wagon without “On Saturday nights, my mother would take the ‘overripe’ produce home
Necessities then, collectibles today: sides) to the Medary House (the local hostelry) from the store, and on Sunday mornings we would have sliced bananas in
wooden crates from Campbell’s orange juice for breakfast.
storage originally held Kraft Brick where two sample rooms were used to display
Cheese and Bovril Corned Beef. the wares. “At the back of the store were cold
“One time, a salesman joined the group around the heater and told about storage lockers. People would process
his meeting up with an American Indian. He grew very dramatic, and with their meat and bring it to their locker.
much gusto and waving of arms, told how the fellow took a big knife and cut The keys were kept hanging right out-
his scalp right off! Grabbing his toupee, and waving it wildly in the air, he side the lockers—a real honor system!
demonstrated. That became the yarn for the day.
“In the basement was the vinegar
“Another salesman once came to call barrel. People would bring in their
on Mr. Lovell, who was out. My father empty glass gallon jugs to be filled with
told the drummer that Mr. Lovell was vinegar. Cookies came in square boxes.
very deaf. When Mr. Lovell returned, The lid was taken off, and replaced with
father whispered to him that a very deaf a glass door, so customers could sack
salesman was waiting to see him. When their own. There was a Coke machine
the two met, the hollering was terrific, too – a red one. You just opened the
and my chuckling father rushed out the lid and reached down into that cold Check-out time: Campbell’s counter
back door before they caught on. water to get your pop. The opener was necessities from the late 1940s.
on the side.
“Ready-to-wear clothes hadn't hit the “Usually twice a year, we’d drive to Omaha, (about 80 miles away), to get
market then, so bolts of yard goods and dry goods and clothing to sell. Campbell's carried everything from handker-
other commodities came from Marshall Something to pass the time: among the chiefs and aprons to hosiery, shirts, blouses, and underwear. There were even
Fields in Chicago. High-button shoes, sundries offered by Campbell’s were card
games, such as this one, “Touring.” Continued on page 34
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
32
