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Lamartine General Store By: Jake
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Robert Hays and Ellen Caroline Shakley secured two acres of land and built a homestead. Then later in 1875, Robert erected a general store and huckstering business. The homestead is now the residence of Mary Ellen and Harry Couch. Ten children were born and helped with the store and business. Robert and his sons, Fred, William, and Colin dug a pond on the small farm. Each winter it was the boy’s job to cut ice and store it in the icehouse under sawdust. This ice was used for refrigeration in warm weather. It kept in the sawdust until June and July. The three sons helped their father with the huckstering business. The people in the village exchanged eggs, butter, chickens, and other products for staple foods at the store. Robert and one of the boys took the produce to Oil City by buckboard and horse. They sold it at the market and from house to house. When telephones were installed in the village the first switchboard was located at the Robert Hays store. His daughter Orpha Irene Hays was the operator of the switchboard. Also the post office was located at the store for a number of years. After Robert Hays’ father’s death he returned to Ireland in 1892 to visit his mother. While he was in Ireland the country store building burned. With the help of others his wife Ellen, and his sons had the store restored when Robert returned. The daughters married on by one and moved away In 1924, Ellen Hays died. Robert’s daughter Emily then became the chief clerk at the store. After her husband death she moved in with her father, Robert, and continued to manage the store. As years passed, Colin returned to Salem and took over the store. He built a home next door. This store served the community well until 1926. Which is now occupied by Margaret and Floyd Say.
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From left to right Robert Hays, Fred D. Hays, William A. Hays, and Colin M. Hays standing in front of the s tore.
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This is a picture of the inside of the old general store. |
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