We had 3 dime stores where I grew up Woolworths Kressges and Hesteds woolworth and Hesteds each had a lunch counterit was a hard decision as to which store to spend your allowance in. Kressegs sold a good sized sack pf pretzels for 5 cents and woolworths had snowcones for a dime

There was a dime store owned by someone local. I got my first job there for 50 cents an hour. It had old wood floors. You could buy loose candy by the pound. They had a key making machine and even sold house dresses and blouses. I miss that store. The Wal Marts are getting so big I can't find the small things I want. We also had a drugstore that delivered and it's still there. When i was sick they always delivered my medicine and ice cream to make me feel better. What good days they were.

We had a VERY small (700 sq ft) family owned grocery store - "Julies" - which was operated out of the front of their home and strategically placed next to the public park/pool. Immediatlely inside the front door was the candy counter and the pickle barrel - both my fav's (whether I bought candy or a pickle with my nickle on any given day was a constant guessing game with my friends!). She also had a great deli counter and the usual grocery staples.

When I used to visit my aunt and uncle, there was a general store at the gas station. They had most of what you needed and it was fun to look around. The best thing I remember is buying locally made cheese. We buy some to take home . There, we would leave a big hunk out on the counter and just take some as we went past. Best cheese in the world! Years later, my husband found a pair of sneakers there that he swears was the best pair he ever owned and they cost around $10! Oh, the rest of the town had a church, a bar and some houses, definitely farm country!

I grew up in a very very small town which has a gas station, bank, post office and a locally owned general store. There was only a short Main Street. The school was on the other side of the street but we weren't allowed to leave school and cross the street to shop! The next biggest town was 8 miles away and they had a TWL. It was like a general store with old wooden floors and carried everything you could think of. I remember looking at toys and thinking it was a wonderful place to be. And there was a Western Auto which had the most beautiful bikes!!

Mr. Miller had a little grocery store on the corner in an otherwise all residentual neighborhood. We could run in and buy enough bologna or cheese for one or two sandwiches....no vacuum sealed cold cuts back in those days.

Also loved going into the larger department stores in the DOWNTOWN area.. where my Mother would go for her fabric.
I loved watching them put the fabric through the little measuring machine, click to begin and click again to put a snip when the amount was reached. Don't you just loved reminiscing?

Thanks for the memories....MaryJane

thanks for the memories. MaryJane

Kresge's turned into Kmart. I prefer Kmart to Walmart, but they left our town when they couldn't compete. I have to go 25 miles to find Kmart now.

We still have a BF store and they carry fabric..good for backings and kids quilts...I worked at Woolworths in downtown Grand Rapids when I was junior/senior in high school...one mile to bus stop walking and then ride downtown or catch bus after school LOL that was a long time ago. WOW

Boy, do all your comments match mine! I grew up in a small town in central Texas. We had a main street with all the stores & called it 'downtown'. We also called it "Dragging Main". Now to drive down it is soooo depressing. The town in drying up. No jobs! They haven't for years let anything big come in. I remember a 5 & Dime, its now an antique store.
Now has only 1 big grocery store (lots of convience stores at gas stations), 3 banks & 3 drug stores.
Thanks to all for sharing memories!!!

We had a wonderful Ben Franklin & a Woolworths, which I just loved. We even had a store call Caribou's- they sold fabric along with Penny's & Sears. Oh they were the good old days!