Hanging out at the Harrell Store, Mitchell County, North Carolina.
These days, we hop in our car and drive a few miles to Ingles, Wal-Mart, or the Dollar General Store when we need groceries for the family or other supplies. But prior to the widespread use of automobiles and the growth of supermarkets and so forth, each community had its own general store, often within walking distance of most households in the neighborhood. The general store was also frequently a communications hub; it might house a post office and, later, one of the few phones in a community.
Mountain families were once relatively self-sufficient, making their own clothing and household items, and only needed to purchase coffee or sugar or other items they couldn’t make. As trains began to transport manufactured goods into the region, however, stores enlarged their stock to meet the growing demand. For example, nails that once had to be made individually by a blacksmith could now be purchased by the sack. Housewives reduced their workload by purchasing tinned foods, household items, and ready-sewn clothing, or at least fabric.
Prior to a cash economy, the storekeeper often took items in trade for “store-bought” goods. Folks might bring eggs, milk, or produce, and even homemade crafts or other items. Families might collect ginseng or galax leaves and bring them to the store for extra income. Old store ledgers may still be seen that kept accounts for local customers, with detailed entries of goods exchanged.
General stores, like the community church, might also be a social center, bringing together friends and neighbors with few other opportunities to socialize. Like those gathered on the porch of Harrell Store in this photo, men took time to “shoot the breeze” after they conducted their business in the store; in the winter there might be a pot-belly stove inside out of the cold – and maybe a checker board. Women purchasing supplies for their families might also glean the local news as they ran into their friends. Kids delighted in the store’s display of candy or toys, especially if they could make a purchase before being shooed outside to play.