Only nine years after the Civil War and President Lincoln’s assassination, a
little general store came into existence in a rural area of Monroe County,Ohio Parks’ General Store was built in 1874 by Jacob Kochert shortly after her married Elizabeth Knox. In 1899 W.G. (Win) Linda-mood married Jacob Kochert’s daughter Anna and they assumed ownership of the store a few years later. They operated the store until 1920 when Harold, Herbert and Forrest Conner purchased the business. The Conner brothers sold the store to Reason (Reese) W. Parks and his wife Lavina in 1938. Mr. Parks died of cancer in 1942 at the age of 55, leaving his wife, and children. Two sons, Ralph and Harry, were serving in the military during World War II. The youngest son, 18 year-old Walter entered the U.S Marine Corps shortly after his father’s passing. The oldest daughter Mary had married and left home leaving Lavina and her two younger daughters Martyne and Shirley to keep the store operating until after the war.When Lavina’s sons re-turned home from the military, they helped her in the store. Lavina passed away in 1979.Walter Parks married Mary Thomas in 1950 and operated the store with the help of their six children, Julie, Mark, Marla, Bill, Lisa and Kent. Walter died in 2000 at the age of 75. Mary continued to operate the store until September 2007 at the age of 89 when her health forced her to give up the running of the business. At that time Mary’s middle son William “Bill” took over the store and since that time has made several improvements, but nothing has been changed from its original appearance. The inside of the store remains the same with the oak and walnut counters, the large ornate spool cabinet, the Putnam Dye case and the bins that once stored bulk food. Mail sorting shelves were installed when a post office was established in the store in 1880. -It was discontinued as a post office in 1961. Bill uses the sorting shelves in a corner of the store that serves as his office.
You certainly step back in time when you enter the country store.You’ll find everything from a pitchfork and assorted tools, to cereal,canned foods and other staples. The store also sells gasoline, hardware and feed … and delicious chocolates in season. “I sell about 1,000 pounds of chocolate each holiday season,” said Parks. That includes chocolate covered marshmallows and peanut clusters in several filled flavors. Being an enterprising young man,after graduating from Swiss Hills’mechanic program, Bill opened his garage in 1978. He moved his mechanic operation on the berm of the road in front of the general store across the road to an old barn. According to Bill, he sealed off part of the barn with cardboard, laid an old piece of linoleum on the floor to keep the wind from blowing up through the cracks and installed a small pot-bellied stove. Thirty-one years later, he still operates Bill Parks’ Garage with two full time employees Roger Kuhn and Ernest Timms, who has worked for Bill for nearly 20 years. The two employees handle most of the garage operations to free Bill to operate the general store which he purchased in 2007 and his other business ventures. According to Bill, with the barn updated with five service bays, three hoists, rim clamp tire changer, electronic wheel balance and diagnostic equipment, the garage can handle most auto repairs. He also sells all kinds of tires.
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