The general store was a really popular place to go. It was used by regular people who lived close by. You could get some of your food and household goods there, and pay cash or barter goods. You could also get your mail and (sometimes) have your dresses fitted there. A lot of people went to the store to talk and get caught up on the latest news. People could spend most of their days in the general store because the storekeeper always had a fire going, and the visitors would have a bench or two to sit on and maybe drink their morning coffee or tea.

Most general stores were rural, and one of the stores that still exists and is a popular place to go is the general store in Orwell Corner. The general store had everything you needed like butter, eggs, and even candy for the little ones who had just come off the pond from skating or playing hockey.

When working at a store, you would sometimes take the shift all by yourself. The people who worked there were not usually paid salaries, but they were paid off in goods, which they would have spent their money on anyway. Some of the clerks who worked there were women, one of the few jobs open to them then besides teaching.

J. H. Myrick's Store, Alberton, ca. 1900.
PARO, Acc 2320/14-6