CHAPTER VII. STORES OF HOLLAND We have shown how customs have changed in regard to preparation of wardrobe for a household. But no less changes have come in regard to supplying food for the table. In those early days the grocer's wagon, butcher's cart, or fish peddler did not call in the morning bringing their commodities to the door to give the farmers a fresh supply. The farmers' meat was from a barrel of salted beef or pork laid down the fall before except when a beef or pig was slaughtered in the spring with a chicken or fowl according to need. In case the animal slaughtered furnished more meat than he needed, a ready sale for the surplus was found among the neighbors. Fish was caught out of the ponds and streams consisting of trout, pickerel, and perch. These with game from the woods were the source of supply for his table one hundred years ago and more. But Holland in those days was not, as now, without the convenience of a grocery store.* The farmers had a place where they could go and dispose of eggs and butter for molasses and other articles such as their needs demanded. Evert's "History of the Connecticut Valley" declares that Holland's first grocery store was kept on the Eleazer Moore place by a Mr. Jno. Brown in 1788. His stock of goods must have been very limited. A barrel of molasses, a barrel of pork, a barrel of rum and a hundred pounds of saleratus made the grocer wellstocked ready for business. Pork and rum were the usual staple articles for sale, according to most accounts. Alfred Lyon kept store as well as tavern near the reservoir dam and town meeting used to adjourn at noon hour to his tavern after the church was moved on to the plain. If Col. Lyon's motive *Mr. Jno. F. Hebard has recently entered into the grocery business. for change of church site was better field for drilling the militia, it is probable that he also had in mind improved conditions for trade at his store and tavern by having it there. Isaac Partridge also kept a store for a time at his place and also kept tavern for a while after Col. Lyon moved to Brimfield. Chase and Ward kept store (1813) in what now forms the ell to the hotel. Their store was undoubtedly a great convenience to the town, and carried the usual line of goods for country store. Luther Brown succeeded him as proprietor and was prominent in town affairs. Dr. Josiah Converse kept store in the building near the hotel and Sewell Glazier followed him. Clement B. Drake was his successor and was doing business there in 1848. About 1850, Elisha Kinney had a store there a number of years. Orlando Anderson kept a grocery store near Fuller factory in 1833, and enjoyed a reputation for honesty and fair dealing. Lynn and Co. were Mr. Anderson's successors in the same place. About 1847, Willard Weld had a store in Fullers village under the firm title of "Weld & Son," Stephen C. Weld. In 1848, Jonathan Sykes had a store on the opposite side of the road above the bridge, while Rev. John Carpenter kept store on the corner north of the bridge, in 1860, moving the house in which Calvin Frizell had lived (see map No. 48) to that site for his store building, and when it was closed in 1870 for the last time it ended the grocery business as a local enterprise until recently. In fact the local needs and trade would not support one, while the farmers going out of town for a market for their surplus produce could easily stock up with groceries before returning, on better terms than a local store could afford to sell them. When Holland was incorporated into a district, the colonies had just secured their freedom from England. It was natural that they should be jubliant over it. In celebrating an event so significant, so glorious, it was natural that they should celebrate the event not with explosives only, but with that which would tend to hilarity. In colonial times England had kept her colonies well supplied with rum and molasses from her West India colonies, and the grocers well knew what commodity they could sell readily and realize a goodly profit. Testimony is not lacking in regard to the general use of alcoholic stimulants, especially rum, at celebrations, Fourth of July, Cornwallis Day, Election Day, muster, church raisings, and the like, when many of the gathering would be in a condition not strictly sober. Pastors on calling days would return home in a condition which showed that they had taken "something hot," while the adage "like pastor like people" proved too often to be true. But for all this we feel assured that many men looked with disapproval upon its use, and seldom if ever touched it. Holland had its quota of such men. Men, prominent in the church, were against its use as is shown by various discus- . sions and votes and neither pastors nor deacons were exempt from criticism or removal if found weak in this particular. Christian men began agitation in favor of temperance, and instruction in regard to the evils of intemperance has progressed through the efforts of temperance organizations until both public reason and public conscience condemn the use or sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, while most of our rural towns now vote "no license," and the liquor dealer sells it in defiance of his God, his conscience, the best interests of his own family, and the best interests and sentiment of the community. He and his family feel ashamed of the traffic under any conditions, and Holland does well to vote "no license" as a question of finance as well as of morals. |