Halbrook's Store

Halbrook's Store

Halbrooks' Store was a small town store. It was in the first floor of a big two story building in the heart of "downtown" Bluford. There was a sidewalk leading to it from the north or south. It had a covered front porch with a bench, The old men would sit on the bench, in the summertime, and whittle, spit, swap knives, and swap lies.

Inside to the left was the glass enclosed candy cases where we could ponder over how we would spend our penny or nickel, which we had infrequently.

Behind the candy cases were shelves to the ceiling of various canned goods. To the right you came in the front door where glass cases of thread, and sewing supplies, and behind that on the wall was cloth and other household items. About the middle of the store, sat a big ole black pot bellied stove, about the biggest one I ever saw. There were some wooden chairs sitting around it and in colder weather, those ole men had to come in and sit around it to tell their tales, there was a spittoon or two for convenience.

Then on back behind the stove a ways was the meat counter, with meat in the refrigerated, glass-doored case, and a wooden cutting board. There was a big roll of waxed brown paper at either end of the big cutting board area, and also a hand cranked meat slicer and some butcher knives available. There was a big "round" of cheese or two somewhere back there. On the back wall was a big stand up commercial refrigerator. Lunch meat was sliced from a big round or rectangular shaped chunk, then wrapped. It was never pre-sliced and wrapped and ready. They would make you a sandwich of your choice of lunch meat for a nickel. There was usually a cat or two around the store and they might occasionally be on the meat cutting board. But not to worry, they always wiped off the board with a damp wash cloth before using it.