The
Buford Odom Family - Odom's Grocery
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Pictured are Buford Odom with his
cigar looking at the camera and his wife, Bernice (Davis) Odom,
with a dry goods salesman. Customers and loafers around and
farmers in for a bologna sandwich for lunch, made at the meat
counter in the right rear. Cheese, bologna or meat loaf sandwich
on white bread for $.10 and a coke for a nickel . Buford Odom
owned and operated the largest (at one time) grocery store in
REYNO in the 1940's. It was so BIG that on a Summer Saturday, all
the Farmers in the country came to town to visit and buy
groceries, and mingle in the crowded store while visiting with
neighbors. It was so SMALL, that it would fit in the back corner
of today's large Super Market. At that time, few people had
automobiles, so they were limited to the local Town area. They
would walk to town or come in a wagon. Those who walked were
later delivered home in the grocery store delivery truck. They
had a list of the groceries they needed and would give the list
to a clerk who would fill the list and box it up ready for
delivery. NO Supermarket yet. Farmers needed to be given credit
to carry them through the Summer months until the crops were
harvested. In the Spring, they would borrow money to plant their
crops, usually from the Gin Company or the Bank or from a friend
who had money. In any event, they bought groceries on credit
through the Summer. In the Fall when the crops were gathered,
they would pay all debts and set certain food item aside for the
Winter months. (A lot of debts were never paid.) Some of the
items they would set away, would be 100# bag of Beans; a stand or
two of Lard (10 gallons); 100 # bag of potatoes; 50# bag of
Onions, assuming they did not raise their own. Flour came packed
at that time in 25# and 50 # bags. The bags could be used as
pillow cases, or other uses around the house, such as dresses or
curtains, as they were mostly flower prints. Many families would
pack away, 6 to 10 big bags for the Winter. They had Biscuits and
Gravy every morning for breakfast, and baked a lot of Pies and
Cakes and home made Bread. Many of the Farmers made their own
Home Brew and would buy cans of Malt at the store. Canned
vegetables were beginning to be used a lot during these years.
People raised smaller vegetables gardens now and canned less than
their parents, so grocery stores grew and grew. In the 1950's,
after the war period, people began to buy automobiles and travel
to Corning and Pocahontas and buy their groceries there and pay
cash for them. No more need for a credit grocer, so the small
town grocery stores began to dry up and go out of business. At
this stage of time, the towns themselves were drying up. No
grocery stores, no stores at all, but a bedroom community.
Picture and article contributed by Dr. Cloyce E. Odom
Buford and Bernice (Davis) Odom
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