Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-06-03

store was sold to w. II. Hardesty.
/ His nephew W. III. Gray clerked Ct
am not sure but think Mr.. Gray
lowned an interest in the business)
Next came Shipley and Bowen--W.
! A. Shipley, c. II. Bowen. Then Lee
Carroll.
! Let us correct an error of the
Meigs section Of a few weeks ago.
In giving the names Of former mer-
chants we omitted the name Of Mr..
Bowen. Then Lee Carroll, F. B. Tor
bert, Lawrence & Wilson, (Dan c..
Lawrence, Samuel l.. Wilson,, Web
ster Anderson. At this time S. w.
Sheridan had been conducting a
store in his residence now the home
of c.. L. Swallow, and family Then
he purchased the upper store and
combined the stocks in the upper
building. About this time Guy
Smith started up in the old Paxton
residence which at that time was
owned by his mother-inlaw, Mrs
Tillie Mcconnell. After a short time
he remodeled barn on his fathers
lot into store building, and NOV
ed there, where he continued until
after few years Sheridan purchas-
ed the Smith stock and moved to the
Smith building where he continued
until the fall Of 1918, when he sold
to Fred Radcliff, who continued in
the Smith building until 1923,
when he bought the Gallon property.
razing the dwelling and shop and
erecting the present building which
has been used as residence and
store room up to the present (spring
of 1870. Another store we have
not mentioned was conducted by the
Paxton sisters and VIM. Sprague in
the Paxton residence. Taylor Gun
ningham who owned the lot now
owned by C. L. Swallow, known to
old timers as the DR.. Williams-Roy
property, started in small way in
the building now used by Mr.. Swal
low as garage. At first he conduct
ed meat shop and restaurant-lat-
er adding a stock of groceries and
notions. He continued until the
time of his death.
In the early days Dr. Kirk and
wife conducted a drug store and res
taurant at their home-now the
home of Raymond Belts. In former
writings we have told of .Finger
beer" The Kinks were the only
members of the society of Friends
that ever lived in Bristol. Their story
was told in the Meigs cemetery
story After Sheridan vacated the
Lindimore building Mr.. Lindimore
carried a line of groceries, but did
not continue long.
In our childhood and up until the
road was improved, it took all day
and sometimes into the night to
make a trip to the county seat with
load of produce and bring back a
load of merchandise. Now McCon-
nelsville, six miles, is only as far
away as you care to step on the gas.
With the closing of the village store
a great change is wrought. The
store was not only a place to pur-
chase goods, but to hear the news
buy, sell and trade. Some of us who
had been in the habit Of meeting
there felt like bird acts when their
nest had been torn down. Mrs. Mat
tie Allen of McConnelsville, with
her first husband, w. A. Shipley,
had much to do with the store busi-
ness. During the summer, Mrs
Shipley-Allen carried on the store,
while Mr.. Shipley farmed, teamed
and SO on. We are most sure We
do not have these folks in their or
der. We hope not. eve always
hear more comments when we make
mistakes). We feel we should tell
you before we quit that Mrs. Eliza
beth Paxton, wife of Jas. X. Pax
ton, killed by a stroke of lightning,
July 20, 1S87.-C. B. Ray.