Inside the old H. Goode Store, 1940.

On the left are Bud Lockwood, Mrs. Goode, and the three Vinson children.  On the right are H. Goode, Bill Hays and Odis Webb.  Till Weddle is seated at counter on right.

Out with the Old...

"Another Corning landmark is slowly disappearing from the downtown area and this time, no one is complaining.  The old H. Goode store building on Northwest First street has been an eye sore and an embarrassment for the past few years and everyone concerned is glad to see it go.

"Vandals had broken out the front windows and it soon became a hang-out for people who were up to no good until the roof fell in offering no shelter from the elements...  some trees even sprouted inside the building and had grown to become quite tall.  It was a fine business building, 50x80 feet, when it was built in 1940 by H. Goode to house his grocery and hardware business but in recent years, business neighbors had voiced complaints more than once to city officials about what they feared might be taking place inside the building.  Even though city officials were sympathetic, their "hands were more or less tied" to do anything because the building's owner resides in California and "you just don't tear down something that you don't own before obtaining the owner's permission.  Mayor Bob Cochran, who has heard nothing but complaints about the building since he has been in office, decided that it is high time to do something about it, and he is leading the tear-down, haul-off crew.  When Mr. Goode retired from the store business, the building was occupied by Adams and Rahm Grocery and Blackwood and Bone Furniture.  In later years it was occupied by Dollar Store, and a grocery store.  The smaller store front on the South Side of the building was once occupied by the late J. Beal Massey who had a seed business but, like the larger room, it was home to a lot of business over the past 50-plus years.  The building being torn down faces the railroad tracks and is next door, North, to the Woods Store building which was built the same year by the late O. L. Woods. mv

Submitted by Danny Moore