Michigan's Vintage General Stores, Part Three: 1900-1950s

I figured it was time I did another gallery of old Michigan general stores.

Just about every Michigan town, city, village, burg, railway stop, postal station, hamlet, port, or borough had a general store...so there is definitely not a shortage of photos.

General stores were just that...they sold just about everything. Whereas we think of them as mostly food sales, general stores were also known for bulk grains, cloth & fabrics, medicine, guns & ammo, tools, farm equipment, saddles, pots, pans, dishes...just about anything you could think of, and anything that would fit.

The old-timer guys could stop by to get away from the wives, play checkers, yak, and chew tobacco. It wasn't just a haven for the men...the town ladies would come in to meet, congregate, and converse.

Farmers would load up a wagon full of their crops to bring in and sell to the store proprietor. Kids loved the stores for their wide selection of sugar sticks and candy, sold in bulk...three or five pieces for a penny.

Pickle barrels, checkerboards, cracker barrels, dogs could come in & out.....and a certain smell; not a bad smell, but a unique one that is missing from today's stores.

Take a look at over sixty more Michigan general stores in the gallery below. Then come back and click these links: the first general store gallery can be found here and the second one at this location!