Matthew Schnells's County Store. [Christian Reference]

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This old time country store was located just about 3/4 mile south of Worrells store in our neck of the woods. An older unpainted wooden structure with a good sized front porch facing east. The wooden floor was about 10" off the ground and set on some flat rocks. The roof extended out past the floor and was attatched to posts affixed to the front of the porch floor. A couple "liars benches" also adorned the porch. Many a problem had been solved, by old duffers, whilst settin there. World problems to local issues were the mainstay but some gossip was also included for good measure. Prices of farm crops were always considered to be right at the top of ALL conversations. In all these hours of intense "jaw'n" many items were consumed by these old duffers. Lots of Prince Albert smokin bakker was smoked, Granger Twist, Red Man was chaw'd and several bazillion bottles of soda pop [ more or less] was also on the list.

This little old country store was just a little bigger than most stores in the area. A wooden structure with the "fake front" made it look and feel like ya'll were walkin right on the streets of Dodge City, Kansas. Lookin back I sometimes wonder if maybe Matthew and Festus were there also. BTW-the name of the store owner was Matthew Schnell! A tall man, straight as a saplin in his younger days but then kinda stooped later on, who always was a grinnin. As I recall he wasn't easily swayed and I never saw'm mad. Easy goin and pleasant to be around. Shut down about 45 years ago the structure lasted a lot longer than ole Matthew. For years it set empty of it's "store stuff" and was just a storage place for the current owners "stuff". I don't rightly remember when it was dismantled but think it was within the last ten years of so.

The structure was on a corner borderin a large ditch on the north and a smaller one on the east. On the south side was plent of parkin for horses and motorized vehicles. I can still remember the pop bottle lids that must've numbered in the thousands, covernin the ground in front of the store. Didn't even need gravel to coat the dirt as these lids did the job quite nicely.

I would describe the inside of the store but it would all be guessin. I absolutely do not remember even one thing about the inside! Anything else would be purely conjecture on my part! What I DO know is --if ya'll have a little country store in ya'lls area it would be wise to take some pictures of it, talk to the owners [if they're still alive] and put'm in a safe place. These country landmarks are fast drawing to a close. Almost anything connected to farmlife and country livin was available at these little stores. No I.D. cards were required to buy ammunition or even firearms back then. Dynamite was also for sale if'n ya'll wanted to "blow" stumps on ya'lls property. If no money was handy that was ok too. Just bring along some farm fresh eggs, garden vegs and maybe even some wild game.

Today we have Wallyworld, Kmart etc etc etc. And we call it PROGRESS! I kinda consider it "DEGRESS!"

Now is the time to start preparing for the coming winter. "Yeah, right--100 degrees outside and me think of winter?" It'll be here afore we're ready I'm sure. Check on older folks and see how they're doin in this heat and kinda "eyeball" their winters wood supply. Ole hoot. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 12, 2001

Answers

Hello Hoot, I found your site this morning after I got to work. This story reminds me of my grandmothers place near Kentwood, Louisiana. There was a large pile of glass "coca-cola" bottles piled up in the old hog pen. My brothers and I use to bust them with B-B guns when I was a kid. I wish now that I would have collected all the good bottles. You see theses bottles had the 'coke' name in the glass itself. The good old days are gone. Have a good day. Jerry

-- JERRY TRAVIS (travis938@excite.com), July 19, 2001.

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