RESEARCH
BUSINESSES 4
Schuck's General Store - Darrtown, Ohio
The following image was copied from an original postcard that Kirk Mee III contributed. Kirk found the postcard among files/records of his parents. Someone wrote "Shuck's Corner" at the bottom of the original postcard. However, we believe the name of the store is "Schuck's General Store," as part of that name appears on the side of the building. While the postcard is undated, we can deduce some things that might help us narrow the time when the photo was taken. See the "observations" listed below the image.
1. Two wires run into the building, above the partially hidden door at left side of building - behind the wooden barrel. These might be telephone wires. According to Patton's dissertation, electricity arrived in Darrtown in 1927. From the clothing and other objects in this image, we presume that this photo predates 1927.
2. Two side doors, at the left, appear to have wire-mesh screen doors.
3. Wooden barrels, with metal (?) bands.
4. Hand water pump (at front-center of this image), with metal piping to deliver water (presumably from a hand-dug well located directly beneath the pump) to the half-barrel.
5. Metal pan hanging at corner of building (perhaps used for washing outside at water pump).
6. Men's shoes have metal hooks for lacing purposes.
7. Mail box on post suggests some form of mail delivery system.
8. Cellar door(s) at left side of building - hinged on the side(s) to open upward and allow access to the cellar/basement.
9. Hand-written signs on the front of the building advertise "Ice Cream Cones, Soft Drinks, Peanuts, Candies, Cigars, and Tobacco."
10. The sign on the left side of the building (behind the man standing on the bench) reads "New Process Makes Refined..." Unfortunately, we cannot read the rest of the message.::
From the above observations, it seems likely that the photo of Schuck's General Store is circa late 1800's...
Additional Information about Shuck's General Store
Observations about the above image that help approximate the date of the photo:
In March 2012, the following information surfaced from the July 23, 1976 edition of the Oxford Press, which was contributed via Ron Wiley, Harry Ogle, and Joanne Rose.
The following statements, excerpted from the 7/23/1976 newspaper article, confirm that Shuck's General Store was located in the building known today (2012) as Darrtown's Hitching Post.
"Abram Darr built a frame house on the west side of the pike about 1817 and began in the tavern business, in the early 1820's. By 1832, he was also operating a stillhouse to the north.
The tavern was later operated as a storeroom by Patterson and Martin, and in the latter part of the nineteenth-century it was a saloon operated by Phil Zimmerman.
During prohibition, the room was used as a grocery [1], operated by Lou and Anne Shuck, and then was enlarged and remodeled for a store and poolroom run by Oscar Irvin and later by Stanley Alston and William Wiley, as well as by Bob Zimmerman."
[1] The reference to the Hitching Post being used as a grocery store, during Prohibition, is confirmed by Ron Wiley, grandson of William [and Pearl] Wiley. See Ron's "delicatessen store" comments on the Businesses 2 page of this website.
Martin's Pallet Service Company
Dick Martin, owner and operator of the Pallet Service Company, is seen in the 1954 image at the right. Rick Martin, son of Dick Martin contributed this photo in May, 2012.
Dick Martin operated the Pallet Service Company, from his home in Darrtown, which was located on the north side of Mulberry Street, where it ends at East Street.
Mr. Martin did not complete the construction of his garage until 1958, so he had to maintain/repair his equipment on the concrete slab, seen in the photo.
Mr. Martin, who hauled gravel to Hueston Woods State Park, during the construction of the Acton Lake dam, operated two dump trucks and a front-end loader.
The Pallet Service Company featured a machine that cleaned steel pallets (forms), which were used by concrete block companies to create/shape concrete blocks.
After so many thousands blocks were made from a pallet, a concrete deposit accumulated on the pallet, which made the pallet thicker.
When that happened, other blocks made from that pallet came up short. The inconsistency in size caused problems when laying the blocks. The concrete block company could solve that problem by purchasing new pallets. However, most block plants had thousands of pallets and buying new pallets was a costly option. So, cleaning the pallet machines was a cost-effective option.
Webmaster notes regarding the photo shown above:
East Street: Beyond the concrete slab, see East Street, when it was an unpaved roadway.
Race Track: The vacant field behind East Street was (in 1957) part of the Baumann farm. Previously, this field was owned by Hugh D. Kyger and was the site of the race track where the great trotter, Kit Curry, trained (see Lawrence Baumann's Recollections). Today (2012) this land is occupied by the homes that line Shannon Drive and Darr Drive.
Seen on the Horizon: The highest part of the horizon (slightly to the right of the photo's center point) shows white objects, which are the house and barn on the farm that is located on the north side of Scott Road, approximately 1/2 mile east of Darrtown. The farm is accessible by a nearly 1/4 mile-long lane that runs north from Scott Road, east of Darr's Run. During the mid-1900's, that property was owned by Granville and Georgia Wills.
1992 newspaper article offers perspective on life in Darrtown
The following article, written by Dave Bennett of the Hamilton Journal News (and the photograph, below) appeared in the local newspaper on March 15, 1992.
"Small-Town Flavor Peppered With Modern Convenience Suits Darrtown Residents
Red Huber passed away 10 years ago , and his successor, George Brockman, hopes to sell the Hitching Post soon, so that he can retire.
Walt Alston is gone, too, and the Dodgers now play in Los Angeles. The West Coast, for Pete’s sake. George Bush is president now, and he doesn’t even have a nickname, at least not one suitable for a family newspaper. We can’t go to war with the Soviet Union, because there is no Soviet Union anymore.
While the world has changed dramatically since the 1950’s, Darrtown has been able to do the impossible - keep up with the times and still retain the old-fashioned charm enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
Since 1959, Don Beckett has owned a general store, appropriately named Don's Carry Out, right on Darrtown’s main drag. While customers still stop on for a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, Don now rents videos and sells sports memorabilia as well. 'This is a nice, little, quiet town,' Beckett said. 'Everybody knows everybody, and it’s still out in the country.' Beckett takes great pride in a photograph of Alston and himself, taken in front of the store about 30 years ago. He said that despite Darrtown’s close proximity to Cincinnati, not everyone cheered for the Reds when he was growing up. 'There were still people who rooted for the Dodgers,' he said. 'There have been Alstons around here for years, and a lot of people had grown up with Walt.'
The Hitching Post, with its vintage furnishing and friendly atmosphere, remains a popular hangout for both younger and older crowds. The tavern is the oldest one in continuous service in the state, according to Brockman, whose son, Gary tends bar there.
'I’ve been trying to sell for 30 years,' the elder Brockman said. 'There’s just so much history here. This is the original floor, and those ice cream parlor chairs over there are all more than 100 years old.'
Darrtown's location, between Oxford and Hamilton, appeals to Estill Pendergrass, a Talawanda Middle School teacher whose wife, Mary, teaches at Wilson Junior High School. The couple have lived here for 10 years and are raising two children. 'Darrtown is a nice, little place to live,' Pendergrass . 'It’s real quiet and it’s not that far out. I think we’ll stay, even after the kids are grown.'
Beckett likes Darrtown’s location, too, but he added another reason for his own staying so many years. 'There’s a whole lot of nice people in this town.' ”
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Click the following link for news about Shuck's General Store being sold at auction.
BUSINESSES 2. The Hitching Post (plus, links to Darrtown/Milford township tavern history).
BUSINESSES 1. Reeb's store; Bufler's grocery, another Bufler store; Stevens' grocery, Francis' gas station, Wyckoff's grocery; Dees grocery and gas station; Glardon's grocery; and Don's Carry-Out.