Chandler Hopkins built the house in which George Murch now lives, in
which he kept a store, the first in town.
The first store in the village was owned by Isaac Adams, afterward by
Allen Taber. This store was situated where Jack Van Deets now lives.
Elijah Winslow built a store where the L. H. Mosher store now stands,
and traded there afterwards. Allen Taber traded there, as did Joseph B.
Gilkey. It was burned, rebuilt by Josiah Harmon, and sold by his heirs
to Mrs. L. H. Mosher, who now owns and conducts the store.
The store where A. R. Myrick now trades was purchased by him from
Charles Taylor; he purchased it from J. R. Taber, he from Moses Hanson,
he from Hiram Whitehouse, who built it. At one time in the late 50’s
the farmers used it for a union store. Alfred Berry and Moses Hanson
were the agents.
Thomas Snell conducted a store connected with the tannery where F. M.
Fairbanks now lives.
The store now owned by C. Boyce Mitchell, he had from his father, G.
E. Mitchell, he from the heirs of Chas. Taylor, Taylor from J. F.
Parkhurst, he from Nelson Dingley, who built it in 1852. Mr. Dingley
bought the original store from Daniel Spring, who built it. Dingley and
Spring traded in it, also C. Snell, W. R. Chandler, Robert Webb and A.
R. Myrick. This early store was sold to A. W. Myrick and moved onto a
lot adjoining the place owned by Jack Van Deets. Here it was used as a
carriage shop until it was torn down.
The first store on the lot now owned by F. L. Tozier was built by E.
D. Williams, sold by him to James G. Patterson, by him to Mrs. Daniel
Dummer, by her to J. R. Taber, and was then burned. He built a new
store and sold to Josiah and Ansel Kelly, they to Green Carter. This
was burned. The lot was then purchased by Lucretia Moulton from the
Carter heirs. Mrs. Moulton sold to Mrs. H. C. Chandler, she to Mrs. W.
G. Fuller, she to J. P. Libby, he to F. L. Tozier, the present owner.
On the lot now owned by Nellie M. and Vivian H. Taber, the first store
was built by Henry Kelly, and sold by him to G. E. Linkfield. He sold
to Taber & Moulton. This building was burned. The present store, now
occupied by E. T. Whitehouse for store and postoffice, was built in
1880. The original store was occupied by H. B. Rice, Henry Baker, O.
J. Whitten. The present store was occupied for a long period by J. R.
Taber, for short periods by John Van Deets and E. D. Chase.
H. L. Glines had his store from C. D. Connor, he from H. H. Grant, he
from J. S. Bither. Mr. Grant moved it to its present location from
Bither’s Mills. Prior to these transactions, C. E. Mitchell purchased
the old store from Nelson Vickery, Vickery bought of Luther Mitchell.
Henry Kelly, Webb & Call, Augustus Broad, C. E. Mitchell and T. B. Cook
traded in it. This store burned and was rebuilt by C. E. Mitchell. It
was rented by Asa Howe, and at the time of the fire by L. H. Mosher.
The lot is owned by heirs of C. E. Mitchell.
F. A. Whitehouse built the first store where J. A. Adams’ store now
stands, and used it for a time in company with Albert Bacon for the
manufacture of clothing. It was afterward rented by Willard Rand and
Robert Cookson, and then sold to J. A. Adams. It was later burned.
Adams & Knight, in 1904, built the present store now occupied by J. A.
Adams.
Dr. E. M. Soule built his store in ........ The lower part of the
building has been used for the millinery business by Mrs. E. M. Soule
and Mrs. Ethel Whitehouse. On the second floor, Dr. Soule carries on a
large and successful dental business.
Grant & Whitehouse purchased their store at the station from E. E.
McCauslin, he from Frank Rice, who built it. The large storehouse was
purchased from E. E. McCauslin, who built it.
The store now occupied by the Farmers’ Union was built and for some
time occupied by Joseph H. Farwell.
O. J. Whitten moved a shop from the Damon place to the location where
H. L. Truworthy’s stable now stands, for a shoeshop. It was occupied as
a store by N. W. Vickery. F. H. Hunt moved it to the station where the
Turner Center Creamery now stands, and traded there for a time. It was
later occupied by E. K. Adams and by E. T. Walker, and was afterward
burned.
At one time there was a store where the Whitehouse garage now stands,
occupied by the contractors who were building the railroad, afterward
by F. H. Hunt and N. C. Knight. This was burned. A store with two
halls above, which for many years were occupied by the Odd Fellows and
Masons, was then built, but this shared the same fate. Ed. Tolman, John
Van Deets and Asa Howe traded here at different times.
Alfred Clark built a small store at the station, in which L. H.
Whitaker traded. It was burned.
Outside of the village there have been several stores--one at Farwell’s
Mills was owned by Henry Farwell, one at the corner near Esburn Nutts’
was owned by Thomas Cornforth, one near L. P. Foster’s was owned by J.
S. Rollins, and one at Moulton’s Mills was owned by Samuel Hall and Mr.
Lane. Edwin S. Stevens and his brother, Benjamin, had a small store at
one time at Farwell’s Mills.