The general store

Remember this story from Little House in the Big Woods? 

"Pa said that as soon as he had the crops in, they would all go to town. Laura and Mary could go, too. They were old enough now. 

"They were very much excited, and next day they tried to play going to town. They could not do it very well, because they were not quite sure what a town was like. They knew there was a store in town, but they had never seen a store." -chapter 9 "Going to Town"

What a far cry from this modern day, when there's a store of some kind on every corner. Instead of one "general store" that sells all kinds of merchandise, we have a separate store for every type of good we could need! 

So what exactly is a general store? Wikipedia says, 

"A general store, general merchandise store, general dealer or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general goods. The store carries routine stock and obtains special orders from warehouses. It differs from a convenience store or corner shop in that it will be the main shop for the community rather than a convenient supplement.

"General stores often sell staple food items such as milk and bread, and various household goods such as hardware and electrical supplies. The concept of the general store is very old, and although some still exist, there are far fewer than there once were, due to urbanization, urban sprawl, and the relatively recent phenomenon of big-box stores."

General stores were prevalent in the small towns Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in growing up. One example is the Loftus Store, which still exists in De Smet, South Dakota. The storefront is pictured above. You can visit the Loftus Store website to see what they're all about. On the site, they recount the history of Mr. Loftus and talk about visiting De Smet, which is mainly a destination for Laura Ingalls Wilder fans these days. 

Have you ever visited a small-town general store? 
Elizabeth
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