Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Soto Brothers & Renaud



Thirty-some years ago, when on a date with my now husband, I passed through the front doors of this old general store.  Upon entering the double doors, it was easy for me to pretend that it was 1894 and that I was on a trip to town for flour, sugar, salt, dry goods, and tea.  Creaky wooden floors, worn and scuffed by dozens of cowboy boots and high-top shoes, formed the base for displays encased in glass and topped with worn, wooden counter-tops.  Oak barrels filled with ice and jars of soda pop stood by door and counter.  Shelves filled with staples for the kitchen, dry goods and trims, candles and lamp oil, and more were out of reach, making one depend upon the clerk to assist in finding exactly what was needed.  Farm implements, lumber, and mining supplies filled the corners and the yard.  A general store, this Soto Brothers & Renaud merchantile met the needs of many in this once busy ghost town.  Gold no longer brings people to the mine on the hillside across the street, but a myriad of visitors still grace its steps and stoop, seeking the opportunity to step back for a moment in time.  

Although the Pearce General Store is no longer open to the public, I feel blessed that I was once able to visit it at a time when it was still a functioning general store.  Sharing a soda with Brent, we were able to share in a moment that took us back in history.  In surroundings such as this, it wasn't difficult to imagine we were living in the gold rush days.

Pearce General Store, Pearce, Arizona

5 comments:

  1. what a shame that this gem is no longer open and functioning as a general store...it must be quite something inside! I just love history.

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  2. Thank you for taking us back in time with your perfect description of the store. I can almost hear the activity of the once booming business! Glad you got to go there.

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  3. Yes - no Walmart here in this photo.
    Such a reminderof a gentler time.

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  4. What a great place! And this is exactly how I feel about my corner's General Store. I love the smell of the wood floors and the stuff arranged without a whole lot of thought. Great place for wandering and dreaming.

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  5. Hello La Tea Dah....That store reminds me of the one in Little House on the Praire. Gosh, I'm beginning to think you live in Arizona! Do you tell? Sincerely, Susan from writingstraightfromtheheart.blogspot.com

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