Grand Opening at Harold Saltz “super market” on Old Hendersonville Highway in Brevard, 1950.

Grocery stores of the early to mid-1900s
were generally small family run businesses, although there were some large
chains such as A&P and Piggly Wiggly.  These stores typically carried non-perishable food packaged in cans, bottles and boxes,
fresh produce, dairy products and meat.  Miscellaneous
things like pencils and tablets, cigarettes, toiletries, and small hardware
items were commonly available as well.

A town the size of Brevard had several grocery stores.  The 1947 Citizen’s Telephone directory lists
Broadway Grocery, Cash & Carry Market, French Broad Grocery, Home Grocery,
Mitchem’s Grocery, Mull’s Market & Grocery, and Scott’s Grocery all in the
downtown area.  There was also an A&P
downtown and at least four other grocery stores were on the outskirts of
Brevard.

Ray Burgin inside his store.

Burgin’s Grocery Store on old Highway 64 was 20 years old and
the former home of three previous stores when Ray Burgin bought it in 1945.   Burgin moved the store back from the road,
enclosed a porch and added on to the building. 
He sold groceries, fresh produce, dairy products, packaged meats, plus some odds and ends.  In 1962 the store
began operating 7-days a week, with late evening hours.  Burgin’s was the place to get whatever had
been forgotten on the big weekly shopping trip. 
Burgin’s Grocery closed in in the mid-1970s following Ray Burgin’s death
in 1973.

In 1923 M.O. and Myra McCall opened a grocery store along
Highway 64 in Quebec on property that had originally belong to Myra’s
grandfather, John Whitmire.  The store
sold canned goods, candy and a few other general items.  Everyone in the surrounding rural area raised
farm animals and had large gardens so meat, dairy, and produce were not
carried.  M.O. McCall passed away in 1963
and the store closed a year later.  The
building was torn down in 1988.

Inside Cascade Grocery in the Little River community, 1991.

Dozens of other family owned and operated grocery stores were
scattered throughout the communities of Transylvania County where nearby
residents could purchase food and small items and gather to visit with
neighbors.  If you have photographs of
some of these stores that you would like to preserve for future generations
please contact the Local History Room staff at the library.

Photographs and information for this column are provided
by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library
hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional
photographs.  For more information,
comments or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected] or 828-884-3151 X242.