Totem Pole Tales-The Annibal and Gillett's Store Submitted by Nute Chapman From Onaway Outlook June 8, 2012

Caption: LOREN MANNING on the right with Wes Chapman (we don't know the name of the child). 



Caption #2: The main floor of Manning's Store.



  Annibal and Gillett's store was in place and up and running with a full line of hardware, hay, feed and groceries by 1901.

  This building was a two-story building on the east side and a single-story on the west side.  Today it is a single-story
building, owned by Ron Rittner.  We will run two articles on the store with several pictures.

  As far as we can find out the next owners were the Mannings.  This week's picture is of the owner Loren Manning and
my grandfather Wes Chapman, who ran the meat department.

  The map was drawn by my father, Nute Chapman Sr., who delivered groceries for the Mannings.  Dad started delivering
groceries for the Mannings in 1924 at the age of 12.  The horses were kept in stalls attached to the back of the 
store.  He would harness one of the two horses and hitch him to a wagon and pull up to the side door and load the orders.

  An order could be as small as a box of tea going to someone on Lynn Street, or a bale of hay going to someone on 
Glasier Road.  He had to be careful not to get the lamp oil too close to the meat or flour that may be on the wagon.

  He sometimes would work from the time school got out until after dark, when he would put the horse back in his stall 
and feed him.  His pay sometimes was only enough to buy his tobacco and papers to roll his own cigarettes.  He always 
said his best pay was a piece of hot pie or cake from one of his customers.

  When you look at the drawing of the store, take note of the two peek holes.  One would have to believe that this system
of keeping track of things in the store would be replaced by a surveillance camera today.

  Most of the readers, today, will remember more about the rest of our information on this building as we try and put a long
history (111 years) together for you.  This piece of Onaway history has stood the test of time.  While you are waiting for 
the last half of this store article, maybe the Good Helper and I will stop down at Starrs Blue Plate Restaurant, and have a 
sandwich.  To be continued.


  -Onaway Outlook, June 8, 2012, p.3. 

Retyped by J. Anderson.