Ardoch General Store

Clarendon Miller Community Archives | Apr 07, 2016

“Memories of General Stores” presented by the Clarendon Miller Community Archives.

Clarendon Miller Community Archives will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on May 14 at the Clar-Mill Hall from noon to 4 pm by bringing back memories of local general stores. Guest speaker, Mary Cook, will provide a historical perspective; a panel of local store owners/operators/employees will describe their experiences; and displays will bring back memories of the local stores in North Frontenac Township. As an introduction for that event, the story of James General Store in Plevna, when Don and Jesse Lavery were owners, was published in the March 31 Frontenac News. The next store to be highlighted is:

Ardoch General Store

Ernest R. Jacobi opened the first store in Ardoch around 1865. He also took over as the postmaster. Up until this time there were Ardoch postmasters but not in the store setting. The store was a social setting, especially on Saturdays, when the men would gather and find their favourite spot on the bench to hear the gossip. Women would often go to the store and get their supplies at this time or visit nearby. In later years, the most popular time was when the mail was due in from Clarendon Station. Many hunting and fishing stories were yarned as they waited. Jacobi operated the store until 1879 when he sold it to Alex Munro.

Some items that were available at the country store in the 1880s were: 6 pair cotton towels ($.50); 27 yards of print ($2.57); 3 dozen soap ($.75); 25 pounds of rice ($.98); 50 pounds yellow sugar ($4.99); 6 shirts and 6 drawers ($2.13).

In 1903 Munro added a franchise to sell farm machinery through his business. Robert Munro took over after his father died in 1911 but sold out to Wallace Clement in 1914. Jim Derue bought the store as well as other businesses in 1918 and had a long ownership. Derue was noted as a strong community supporter, providing work for many, accepting items for barter, and donating to numerous causes. With the use of automobiles there came a need to sell gas as well, so pumps were added.

In 1945 Don R. York purchased the store. He was actively involved in the community and assisted with many activities, such as skating and hockey. It was noted that he purchased a pump for flooding the ice in the bay so children could skate for hours after school and weekends. His daughter, Audrey York, has provided CMCA with photos showing her Dad inside of the store. Such photos are very helpful to CMCA as we attempt to reconstruct the setting in our displays.

On the death of Don York, his widow Margaret carried on alone until 1957. At that time, she remarried, to John McDonald. The store continued for many years with items such as fishing and hunting gear. People travelled many miles to buy footwear from the upstairs department.

In 1977 the store was passed to Margaret's son-in-law Robert Orchard. His brother, Douglas joined him in the business and it operated as a Lucky Dollar Store only for a few years before it closed.