Page 12 - FINAL EARLY SPRING 2019 SWHS Newsletter

Julia Mackie Brixner Cross’s
Maxwelton Store

In 1917 Julia Mackie married Myron
Bixner (a logger at Maxwelton) and
started a family. Unfortunately, her hus-
band died in 1929 and as a widow with
three young children, she was faced
with finding a way to support them.
In 1931 her father, Maxwelton pio-
need P.H. Mackie, built Julia a small
store called the Sea Shell next to her
house to sell produce, milk, butter,
and eggs from his farm. She also sold
chickens and salmon and baked bread
and pies to sell to summer visitors.
When customers called Julia on the
phone and ordered salmon, she would
paddle by canoe out to the fish trap at
Maxwelton to pick up the salmon. Back
then a whole king salmon sold for 75
cents, a coho (silver) for 35 cents, and
only 10 cents for a pink (humpie). The
store was expanded and named Cross
Julia Mackie Brixner Country Store in 1936 after Julia mar-
was a young widow ried Ray Cross.
who ran a small
grocery at Maxwelton It was sold in 1947 and changed
in 1931. When she hands several times before closing in
married Ray Cross the the late 1990s. Julia died at age 95 in
Circa 1940s store was enlarged. 1989, still living at Maxwelton.

P. H. Cookson’s Mutiny Bay Store
Pleasant H. Cookson and his wife,
Serelda, came to Austin about 1910
when he built and operated the Mutiny
Bay Store just up from the dock in Austin
(now near the public boat ramp.)
He was postmaster at Austin from
1915 to 1940. He died in 1946 at age
82. The store was a hub of activity for
the beach area, even as it transitioned
into a fishing resort location.

Photo courtesy Joy Fisher
pThe store was located near the corner of
Mutiny Bay and Lancaster Roads and was a
gathering place for local residents. p .H. Cookson ran the Mutiny Bay Store at
P
Austin for years.
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