On April 16, 2015 the Historical Davis Grocery Store was torn down. Location is the corner of Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Shenandoah. Our before picture was taken in 2007. Photographs by Shenandoah Newz cohost Amos Thomas.
Several years ago, Mr. Grunewald built a house on the lot and converted this building into a storage building. It could no longer be a residence due to zoning ordinances. Mr. Grunewald has since sold the property. The realtor opted to tear down the building prior to closing with the new owners.
This article was updated February 23, 2020 with history and pictures from Wendy Mathias. Scroll down to view article and pictures she posted to her blog.
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Below is the history of the Davis Store as written by Wendy Mathias on her Blog. Wendy is the great granddaughter
to Walter B. Davis (1867-1934).
(https://jollettetc.blogspot.com/)
Article and pictures posted with permission from Wendy.
52 Ancestors - PROSPERITY: Surviving the Great Depression
The Great Depression as presented in my high school American History class left me picturing the world in grey. I thought EVERYBODY stood in soup lines. I thought EVERYBODY was out of work. I thought the sun never shone.
As a child my mother had clothes and shoes unlike one of her good friends who would arrive at school barefooted. Momma also took lessons in piano and tap. That sounds like a luxury to me.
What did the Davis family do differently that allowed them to be witnesses to the effects of the Depression rather than victims? Maybe it was because they were self-starters.
My great-grandfather Walter B. Davis (1867-1934) spent most of his adult years as a carpenter like his father. He operated a planing mill and also built numerous houses throughout the town of Shenandoah in Page County, Virginia.
As early as 1920 he was the owner of Davis and Sons Groceries at the corner of Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, just across the street from where he lived. At various times my grandfather Orvin and his brother Millard were the Sons in that business, managing things while Walter continued building houses.
My grandfather might have been an official manager or owner, but he did not actually work there. Orvin instead had a garage where he serviced and repaired cars. Running the store was my grandmother's job.
I imagine that even when few were building houses, the townspeople of Shenandoah were still patronizing the grocery store. They could count on the Davis Store for staples like coffee, sugar, bread, peanut butter, soap, salt, matches, oatmeal, and potatoes. They could also buy thread, oil, chicken feed, and cigarettes.
Yet shopping for necessities was not easy for everyone. Among the memorabilia that my family preserved for over 90 years is a small stack of receipts paper-clipped together. The receipts came from a family who bought on credit and paid down a little here and there with cash. Sometimes the bill was paid by hauling goods.
Some people left diamond rings at the store in exchange for goods. Sadly, the owners never came back for them. The rings were still in a drawer of my grandmother's dresser when she died in 1990. My mother had a new ring made from the assorted stones.
Whenever I wear the ring, I can't help wondering who gave up her wedding ring to feed her family.
Wendy's Blog post about the Davis Store being torn down:
https://jollettetc.blogspot.com/2016/02/treasure-chest-thursday-flue-cover.html
Davis Store Shenandoah Va, 1920s.
Lucille Davis behind the counter.
Receipts from the Davis Store.
The ring made from assorted diamonds left at the Davis Store.
