Vintage Photo: Spear’s General Store

Spears General Store circa 1966 (Credit: Susanne Spear (Stevenson) Earnhardt) — Spear’s General Store circa 1966 (Credit: Susanne Spear (Stevenson) Earnhardt)

Every Monday we share a vintage image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia. Do you recognize this Main Street building? Originally it was W.D. Ross Store, but when this photo was taken (around 1966) the building was occupied by Spear’s General Store. It has housed other businesses throughout the years as well, and it’s the Pink Pig today!

The photo was shared with us by by Susanne Spear (Stevenson) Earnhardt and she’d like us to share this note with you:

Hello Essex/Home Folk and Friends!

I grew up in Essex as Susanne Spear… “Dick and Marion Spear’s daughter.” I am really enjoying all the old, and new, photos folks have shared all over the web. It’s really made me homesick! So much has changed but so much appears the same. Still many familiar names…and seeing even more new names!

“Old Timers”… Do you remember Spears General Store? The HUGE old stove, 1¢ candy displayed in LONG glass curved glass top cases, fresh-cut meats, big rounds of sharp white cheddar, fresh ground coffee from a REAL coffee grinder and a lot of other mercantile that seemed much less important from a little girls eyes!

FYI, my parents are both deceased. Richard (Dick) Spear passed in 1996, my mother Marion Spear, RN in 2004. My Mom suffered from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease over 15 years. Alzheimer’s can lead people to do some really bizarre things. Most photos and mementos were destroyed. However I’ll send in any Essex photos as I locate them.

My lack of physical reminders makes everything Essex on Lake Champlain is doing that much more important to me. Thank you for all that you do.

Even though I am blessed with my 3 great “kids”, 33, 37 & 39, 4 grandchildren, a second marriage of 20+ years, 3 great dogs, a wonderful log home in rural Virginia… Essex will ALWAYS be my home!

Sid Couchey is surely missed. He wasn’t just an amazing artist… He was an incredible man, father, teacher and mentor. Among other things, he was good friends with my Dad. I have wonderful family and one-on-one memories with Mr. Couchey.

I’m not much on social media but I do enjoy everyone else’s participation!

I can be emailed at ssearnhardt@me.com if anyone wants to contact me, and although I have a Facebook page, I don’t use it. I’m not being snobbish… Just no time to keep up with it!

Cheers,
Susanne Spear (Stevenson) Earnhardt

What the Community Said About Spear’s General Store

Here’s what the community had to say when we shared this photo last week:

Christine Herrmann: I don’t think I knew this building as “Spears” but remember it as Dick Williams’ General Store in the mid-1940s. The building has had many transformations and is currently the home of Pink Pig!

Mary Wade: nearly 80 yrs ago when I lived in Essex it was Dick Williams store. Grocery’s, clothing, shoes etc. Never forgot how a friend bought a pair of shoes there and was proud to say he got them on sale, but when I pulled off the top price tag, the price had been raised instead. Guess we have all been fooled that way. LOL

Christine Herrmann: No big surprise!

Susanne Earnhardt: I “think” my Father rented the building from Dick Williams. I was young BUT I do remember Dick Williams coming to our front doorstep home to collect the rent As seemed a normal thing. He just walked in after knocking. My Mom was unable to run to the door BUT her Standard Poodles “greeted” him. By the time Mom, my Grandmother and I got to the foyer, Dick Williams had no pants on! Luckily Mom was Head ER RN at Physicans Hospital so she tended the wounds. Nothing to serious I guess… Probably sending him to Dr. Hayes in Willsboro (closest at the time!). My Grandmother’s only concern was shielding my view… She did a GREAT job but it was still pretty funny. Mr. Williams should have known better. He knew the dogs and that they were protective. One of the dog’s name was “Satan”… HERES YOUR SIGN!

Do you have any thoughts or memories that you’d like to share? Leave a comment below.

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (or brochures; postcards; menus; tickets; any artifact) on the blog please email us at editor [at] essexonlakechamplain [dot] com.

Vintage Photo: Union Free School (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Between Essex Inn and Post Office (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Church Street, Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Essex Waterfront (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Snow Champy in Essex Bay (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Main Street Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Editorial Staff

Posts published under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices, and/or they may be first-time submissions from someone/some organization without a byline of their own; if latter, then the author will be acknowledged in the post. To submit your news for publication on the Essex blog please use the Submit a Story form or contact the editors via email (blue button above).