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SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE: Design Trends of the Mid-20th Century
By Donald-Brian Johnson
Storing Up Memories: The Good Ol’ Country Store

Supermarkets? Pshaw. If you’ve ever Field’s in Chicago. High-button shoes,
watched an episode of “Little House on overshoes, overalls, and a case of pretty
the Prairie”, you know the place that handkerchiefs and ribbons were always on
really had everything was the country display.
store. From the mid-1800s onward, these “Meetings of all kinds were held
stores offered up a multitude of must- in my father’s office. The city council,
haves, in exchange for cold hard cash (or church, lodge, cemetery association, and
“credit until harvest time”). other gatherings of public interest were
The storekeeper who filled your order held there. My father grew up with the
knew in advance just what you needed. community and knew everyone for miles
Baking powder? Buggy whips? Shotguns? around. He learned there were no better
Sarsaparilla? He had it all and knew people on earth than those right in his own
exactly where it all was. hometown.”
The general store was the hub of the Even after Piggly Wiggly debuted
community. Store hours were designed to the “self-serve” concept in 1916, the
suit busy schedules. Farm wives looked Memories of long ago: “The Shimer Store”, Chatfield, Minnesota, general store endured. In Bridgewater,
circa 1900. (archival photo)
forward to socializing with friends, Iowa, for instance, “Campbell’s
on their weekly “evenings in town”. Department Store” was a hive of
Storekeepers became integral parts of the community, often taking on community activity from 1935-
additional tasks, such as undertaker or postmaster, and making their 1951. The proprietor’s daughter,
facilities available for community-minded endeavors. Sally Hanson, shared these
One such all-purpose gathering spot was “The Shimer Store” in recollections:
Chatfield, Minnesota. Ruth “On Saturday nights, the
Shimer, daughter of the women came into shop. Groceries
proprietor, worked at the store at were sacked, and dry goods
the turn of the twentieth century. wrapped in brown paper and tied
Her recollections were recorded with string. The groceries would
for a 1976 “memory project”: Tobacco products were a big seller at the be put into a cardboard box and
general store. This assortment of tins from
“Mr. C.M. Lovell opened Campbell’s includes the legendary “Prince set in the front window area.
a general store in Chatfield Albert in a can”, subject of many prank Then, the women would find a
around 1870. As a young boy, phone calls. friend to sit in a car and chat with,
my father went to work there, while their husbands visited the
and eventually became the store Let the baking begin! All the basic necessities, ‘pool hall’. The store could not
owner. courtesy of Campbell’s: rolling pin, cookie close until they picked up their
“Groceries were kept in the cutters, baking powder, and a Kellogg’s mixing groceries. Sometimes, it was close
back, with dry goods up front. A spoon. to midnight!
large coffee mill ground by hand “Campbell’s carried
many pounds of coffee. Sugar everything, from handkerchiefs
came in 100-pound bags, and was and aprons, to hosiery, shirts,
dumped into a big barrel, to be blouses, and underwear. There
sacked up as wanted. Eggs were was even wool ‘samples’ to look
brought in 30-dozen cases, every through, for those wanting to
egg having to be ‘candled’ before order pants and suits. Behind
being shipped to Chicago. A big An assortment of Campbell’s coffee and tea that were shelves of jeans and
register from a one-lung furnace tins, plus the store’s coffee bean scoop. overalls. When my sister and I
heated the store. It was around were young, we would crawl in
this that many yarns were told. For a spic-and-span home (and store): an assortment there and take a nap.
of cleaning products including the optimistically-
“One time, a salesman joined named “Rub-No-More”. Ready to do their “Today, the ‘Campbell’s’ building is
patriotic duty: Ball
the group around the heater, and canning jars from still a grocery store, and a young couple
talked about meeting up with an Campbell’s, 1940s. owns it. I hope they have as many happy
American Indian. He grew very 91/2” h.; 51/2” h. memories as I have.”
dramatic, and with much gusto
and waving of arms, told how Happy memories: the calling cards of
the fellow took a big knife and the country store. Its memorabilia still
cut his scalp right off! Grabbing brighten kitchens of the present with the
his toupee, and waving it wildly heart-tugging nostalgia of the past.
in the air, he demonstrated. That
became the yarn for the day. Campbell store items courtesy of Sally Hanson
All photos by Donald-Brian Johnson.
“Ready-to-wear clothes Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann.
hadn’t hit the market then, so All for beauty’s sake: Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous
bolts of yard goods and other framed assortment of hairstyling implements Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including
“Postwar Pop”, a collection of his columns. Please
available at Campbell’s, plus an unopened package
commodities came from Marshall of “Lorraine” hair nets. address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com