Life 101: My grandmother’s general store

My grandmother Ferguson owned an old general store in Townley. It was a one-story weatherworn clapboard building that sat close to the Southern Railway line. On the outside of the old store was a round Merita sign as big as one of the old satellite dishes. The five steps to the store were foot worn from years of patronage by the folks of Townley. I spent many summer afternoons sitting on those rickety old steps counting train cars as they rocked by.

The inside walls were covered in old advertising, including seed and feed companies and calendars from years past that no one bothered to take down. The old store smelled of chicken feed, heart pine, popcorn and Marita loaf bread. She had an old metal cash register that had a hand-cranked lever on the side, and it made a loud CHA-CHING sound when she rang up a sale.

On the counters were glass jars full of cookies, candy and peanuts. She sold hoop cheese that she kept in a glass front cabinet. When the grandkids visited, most would head straight for the penny candy and bubble gum, but I loved that cheese. She’d cut me off a big ol’ hunk and open up a fresh pack of saltine crackers. In the corner was an old drink cooler from which she’d let me pick out a soft drink. This was a difficult decision for me because she sold all my favorites. I often settled on a Nehi Peach that went down well with the cheese and crackers. In the back room she kept the feed. Most people had chickens
and other critters in those days and they got their feed from her. Often when you’d go back into the feed room you would hear rats scurry for cover. I’m not talking about mice…I mean rats…gopher rats as big as a full-grown Chihuahua.

We didn’t spend a great deal of time in the back room. Mamma Ferguson had thirteen kids. She lost one of her sons, Marvin Lee, at Pearl Harbor in the first few moments of the attack that put America into World War II. My mother was the middle child and she said Marvin Lee’s death hit Mamma Ferguson hard. Mamma Ferguson passed away in the late 60’s and the old store closed. Thinking back to all the old fixtures, signs, pictures and containers, I’ve wondered what happened to all that stuff when the store closed. I’m guessing most was thrown away or hauled off long after the rats left. There was one thing in there that I would have loved had- a bubble gum machine shaped like a rocket ship I have never seen one before or since. I’m thinking that stuff would have brought a small fortune on eBay.

Awhile back I drove through Townley where the store once stood. It has long
since been torn down to make room for newer buildings. You rarely see stores
like hers these days, but when I pass one that has survived the steady march of
progress I always try to stop and soak up the sights, sounds and smells. I keep
thinking that one day I might get lucky and find one that sells hoop cheese and
a Peach Nehi.