The outer walls of these buildings would be covered in metal signs advertising Red Crown Gasoline, Octagon Soap, Luzianne Coffee, Dictator Flour and Lucky Strike cigarettes and such. Before entering the store a customer could purchase gasoline by the gallon from gravity-flow pumps. A glass bowl container was mounted on top of the pump and lined marks indicated the amount of gasoline inside the bowl. A handle on the pump allowed the storeowner to hand-pump the desired amount of fuel a customer wanted into the bowl. Gravity allowed the fuel to flow from the bowl into a gas nozzle placed in the tank of a customer’s automobile. There was a huge demand for kerosene – also called coal oil – which was stored on the store porch in a square, metal tank with a pump on top. Not only was this fuel in oil lamps, it was also used as an early disinfectant to treat cuts. Customers would provide their own glass jug or metal can to transport the kerosene back home. If someone lost the cap off the spout of a metal can, the storeowner would push a small Irish potato over the opening to keep the fuel from spilling.

Drink up Soft drinks were sometimes referred to as soda water or a “dope.” Coca-Cola became so popular that nearly all soft drinks, especially dark-colored ones, were called “cokes.” Pepsi-Cola, Double-Cola and Royal Crown soft drinks came in 12-ounce bottles and could be purchased for a nickel. Coca-Cola was the same price but came in smaller bottles. There were also a variety of fruit-flavored sodas, most notably the “big orange.” Soft drinks were usually placed in a metal storage container and cooled with crushed ice. The ice was “crushed” by hitting the bag container with a hammer or dropping it on the hard floor. Crackers were often stored in barrels and could be purchased individually or by the handful. They went well with a tin of sardines or a piece of hoop cheese cut straight from the block. And there was nothing like sticking your hand down into the salty brine of a pickle barrel to fish out a sour dill. The lack of refrigeration in the early years prevented storeowners from stocking many fresh vegetables or meats, but a few fruits were kept on hand. A customer could pull a dozen bananas from a large stalk as well as shop for apples and oranges, which were popular items for Santa to deliver at Christmas. Most storeowners managed to keep a few dried items on their shelves. Peas, beans, rice, peaches, apples and coffee were stored loosely in bags or boxes, which would be scooped into a paper sack and weighed on a balance scale to determine the price. ‘Sodie,” sugar and skillets Vinegar was usually delivered to stores in large wooden barrels. The storeowner would pump it through a spigot on the barrel and into a glass jar or jug provided by the customer. Salt and baking “sodie” were always in demand. Salt was primarily used to cure pork. It would be rubbed onto hams, shoulders and middlin’ meat before it was placed in a homemade salt box to cure. Baking soda was a primary ingredient used in baking cakes and bread products. Sugar was available in 100-pound bags and used for canning apples, peaches, pears and blackberries. It was also an essential ingredient in the making of jellies, jams or preserves. In addition, there is little doubt that some of the precious sugar (especially after it was rationed during World War II) was used in the making of moonshine. A large variety of cooking utensils was always stocked on store shelves. Iron skillets of all sizes, as well as single and double aluminum broilers could be purchased for cooking. Coffee pots, sifters, plates, pitchers, drinking glasses, cups and saucers were also in demand. Tinware items included well buckets, dippers, blue wash pans, chamber pots and washtubs of all sizes.

Leather good, dry goods, freebies: Some manufacturers began using free items to entice customers to purchase their products. Flour, guano (fertilizer) and animal feed were packaged in decorative cloth bags. Dairy feeds were packaged in bags made from gingham cloth that came in a variety of colors. The soft cloth from these bags, as well as some flour sacks, was used to make women's clothing; blouses, slips, underwear and dresses (two cloth bags would make a dress). Guano bags were used in making bed linens, pillowcases, men's shirts and underwear.

Other manufacturers joined the trend and began placing "premiums" inside the containers of their products. Mother's Oats placed a drinking cup inside their cardboard containers. A few brands of peanut butter came in glass containers that were suitable as drinking glasses.

"Depression glass" was packaged in some products during the 1930s. Ladies were sometimes reluctant to set this glassware on their table when neighbors or relatives visited since it was almost impossible to comlete a full set, and some wives did not want their visitors to know that they had to use free glassware.

The dry goods section would be located in the rear section of the store. Women had a large choice of products to choose from, including cotton hosiery, bloomers, "outing" for bed covers and "domestic" for sheets. A lady might buy a section of calico or gingham if a matching piece of printed material wasn't available on the flour or feed sacks. (A ready-made gingham dress sold for $1.98) There were also a number of dress patterns, threads, needles, safety pins, rick-rac dress trimmings, buttons and Rit Dye for tinting.

Social centers and changes: The country store was not only a place to purchase needed items, but also a place for men to gather around the pot-bellied stove. These stoves usually sat in a box of sand to prevent fires in case a hot coal fell out. The sandboxes were also a good place to spit their tobacco juice as men sat around the store on empty nail kegs, cane-bottomed chairs or a stack of feed sacks.

Customers often entertained themselves by telling a lot of tall tales and passing along a little dirty joke they had heard. The men would immediately clean up their language, however, if a woman or small child entered the store.

Another popular past time was playing checkers. If all the checkerboards were taken during these "tournaments," another was quickly constructed from a scrap piece of cardboard or wood. Lines would be drawn on the impromptu checkerboard, and bottle caps from empty soft drinks would be used as checkers. The bottle caps would be turned face up for one player and face down for their oponent.

Every now and then one of the players clenched his teeth and spat tobacco juice toward the small triangular-shaped vent in the pot-bellied stove. Their aim often went astray and the spray of juice would emit a sizzing sound as it ran down the side of the hot, cast iron stove.

Electricity made its way into most communities during the 1930s and '40s, bringing major changes to the country store, including modern gas pumps and refrigeration. Refrigeration was good for most country stores since that meant they could sell frozen products. Ice cream was sold in five-cent, 10-cent and 25-cent cups (a whole pint). The cup had a lid with a pull-tab and came with its own wooden spoon. Frozen Kool-Aid and ice cream on a stick became something called Popsicles.

An influx of department and hardware store openings during the '50s hurt the rural business establishments because they could sell many of their items for less than the rural business owner was paid for them. As a result, country stores began stocking fewer and fewer items. The dry goods, hardware, farm implements, leather goods and other lines of merchandise eventually disappeared from their shelves.

Still, country stores remained the center of attention in most rurual areas. Customers satisfied their hunger by eating a sandwich made from bologna (cut form the stick) and a piece of cheese sliced from the block. Abba Zabbas (white taffy with peanut butter filling), Peanut Logs, Jawbreakers, Tootsie Rolls, candy cigarettes, tiny wax soft drink-shaped bottles containing colored sugar water, and Bazooka buggle gum that came with a small comic strip wrapped inside were popular with children.

A new brand of snuff called Topps was introduced in the 1950's. Along with Rooster and Bruton, it quickly became a favorite of customers. Most snuff was sold in short and tall cans, but bottles were still an option. In addition, men would line up to purchase Brown Mule, King B Twist and Days Work plug chewing tobacco.

Farewell to an era By the 1960s and early ‘70s, country stores were almost gone. The few that managed to hang on were only a shell of glory days when a proprietor would hand a newlywed couple a sack of flour from his shelf as a wedding gift and patrons could get a haircut on Saturday. Essentially, they were reduced to the equivalent of today’s convenience stores. And no longer was the country store the community post office or polling place. In today’s modern stores we are waited on by cashiers with matching uniforms who scan bar codes through their computerized cash registers. Some of these chain stores now have more floor space than an airport runway, which they use to entice customers with “one-stop-shopping.” They don’t realize that country storeowners came up with that idea years ago. Still, it seems that the item I need to purchase is never in stock when I shop at one of these “super-duper” stores. Why you should have seen the look on the young cashier’s face the other day when I asked her where I could find a Georgia stock. She scratched her head for a minute before replying, “You might want to check in one of our Atlanta stores …”