, 1903-06-17
OLD TIMES IN HOLLY BEACH

The history of Holly Beach and its con.
nection with a store. Charcoal water,
Holly Beach Herald, Wrecked Gospel
Tent and First Baptisms. Hot Baths.
under difficulties.
An interesting "Reminiscences of the early
days.
The history of Mech & Cos store is SO
woven in with the history of Five-Mile
Beach that it takes us back to the begin
ming Of things. In August, 1883, Mrs.
Mech came to Holly Beach with her
aunt, who came to ook at a lot. The
island was one continuous line of woods
with a tangle of underground. There
were four houses in Holly Beach. Wild
wood had not yet been thought of. They
were building a hotel at the Anglesea end
of the island.
Mrs. A. Dubois kept a combined board
ing and apartment house on the Beach.
Mrs. Mech stopped at her house and the
next year rented her parlor to open a
store. 1t was a department store in
embryo. Most of the stock for the first
year was on commission. The drugs were
furnished by DR.. Conwell, of Vineland.
The jewelry department by W. III. Thomp-
son, of Philadelphia. The dry goods by
r. A. Williams, of Vineland, and the
millinery by Mrs. S.. Mitchell, of Vine
land. Besides this there was a fashion
department, which consisted mainly of
patterns for bathing suits. Then there
were ready made clothes, such as aprons,
sunbonnets, mems overalls, &c. A fancy
work department with materials for en-
broidery. This department came of use
the first year, for they organized a fire
company. Mrs. Mech was asked to
embroider the insignia on broad red rib
bons for the officers to wear. A fire horn,
ladder, &C., were done in gold thread
with initial letters.
There was a circulating library, a toy
and GtntfoHaapy dnV.o ,,.a Y.H n11 $3.50
tionery and fruit.
Mr.. Mech had a farm in Vineland
from which fresh fruit wa sent to Holly
Beach. The wild cattle were Their roam
ing the island, and used to help them
selves so literally to the fruit in front of
the store that it interfered greatly with
the profits. The next year, 1885, Mr..
Taylor built a small building on the cor
ner of Taylor and Ocean avenues and Mrs.
Mech rented this for the store. There
were but few wells of good water on the
island and most of the people were de-
supply. Mrs Mech had pure water
shipped from Vineland in cases of apolli-
naris bottles. Each bottle had a piece of
charcoal in it to keep 1t pure and it was
sold at one cent a bottle. There was
quite a demand for it, for DR.. Ingram,
who was the resident physician, pre-
scribed it for his patients. There was no
paper printed IN the island, and the
president of the Holly Beach Improve
ment Co., persuaded Mrs. Mech to start
a paper. 1t was printed in Vineland.
Mrs. Mech had to sit up nights to get the
matter ready to send away so as to have
the paper back to distribute on Saturdays.
1t was called 1.-THE Holly Beach Herald
1t was discontinued at the close of the
season, as the expense of printing it was
far in excess of the receipts. Everybody
advertised in it, but the population was
very sparse.
In 1856 she commenced a furniture de-
partment, n started to hire cots, mat
| ~tresses, &c. These were hired at one-third
Of their value for the season and for a
smaller per centage for a shorter time.
In 1887 MIR. Mech built a small store.
This was directly on the beach in front of
the Sea View Hotel. This year Mrs.
Mech took charge Of the Sea View Bath
Houses in connection with the store.
In 1888 Mr.. Mech bought a lot on the
corner of Andrew and Ocean avenues
and moved the building from the Sea View
to this location. A new enterprise now
engaged her attention; she formed a stock
J association to build a gospel tent, she