American Store Employees

American Store, April, 1946

Here’s a picture of employees posing in front of our American Store on Bohemia Avenue and Second Street. It’s the same building that is now our Town Hall. The people, L to R: Betty Jean Needles, Tillie Blendy, Kathleen DeShane, Olive Spear, Anna Merchant, Dorothy Downs, Wilber Needles (manager) Walter Bennett, Harry Potter, Hazel Hessey. Missing from photo: Frank Bristow and John Dwyer. Photo courtesy of Betty Jean Needles Watson.

Two Old American Stores

Inside Two Old American Stores

First photo: This is a picture of the inside of our first American Store in 1926. It was located across from the Bayard House, right on the corner of where the fountain is today in Pell Gardens. At left is Mark Alcorn and next to him is Lewis Collins, Sr. Mr. Collins would later open a fine grocery store on the North Side’s Biddle Street. We can thank Lewis Collins, Jr. for this very special photo.

Second photo: Here’s a circa 1945 picture of the inside of our American Store on Bohemia Avenue and Second Street. It’s the same building as what is now our Town Hall. I remember running around this store in the late forties. My mother took me and my brother in here when she bought her week’s groceries. At that time, more recently, the meat counter had been moved to the back of the store. The man in the middle is Frank Bristow (a “colorful” town character) and at his left is Nelly Reed.

Sawtelle’s Drug Store on Bohemia Avenue

Here’s a south view of Bohemia Avenue, with Sawtelle’s Pharmacy at left. At one time our post office was in this building. The house next to it was the residence and office of our dentist, Dr. Smithers. I never had the pleasure of being his patient, but an older resident told me that Doc Smithers once drilled his teeth by working a foot pedal. He had his practice when I was a young boy, and I remember him very well. He was a tall, slim man who used to take daily walks down East Second Street on his way past Borger’s Wharf, Stone Bridge, and Bethel Road. I recall his long strides, aided by his long, ever-present, walking stick.

Bohemia Avenue

North View of Bohemia Avenue, circa 1920

Photo 1: Here is Bohemia Avenue and Second Street, with the canal in the background. When I was a boy the Charles Tatman family lived in the upstairs apartment of the building at right. Mr. Tatman owned a grocery store on the ground floor. I remember his sons, Gary and Bruce, very well. At the time of this photo, however, the building housed the Laws and Laws pharmacy. Dr. Law’s son in law operated the drug store, and later Dr. Mewither and his wife had a pharmacy here before moving up across from Reed’s General Store on Bohemia Avenue. Towards the middle you can see Ralph Rees’ car agency, with the two gravity-fed gas pumps. The building later became the American Store and is now the town hall. The large building next to it was the Rees home and is now the Inn at the Canal. Franklin Hall can also be seen in the distance at right.

Photo 2: Respected Chesapeake City physician, Dr. Laws

South View of Bohemia Avenue, circa 1920

This is a circa 1920 view of Bohemia Avenue. At far right is a sign reading “MEAT,” indicating that the building is Hager’s Butcher Shop. Next to that is the Victorian Lady, which still stands in its stately beauty. The house next to it still stands and still has the same type of chimney. At left are some old cars, parked next to what is now the Inn at the Canal. In the 20s the building was owned by Ralph Rees, who had a car dealership near that location. Mr. Rees also sold gasoline there (note the dome of the gas pump just visible above the car). You can see, also, how different the street and sidewalks were in those times.

Chesapeake City's Butcher Shop

Henry Hager’s Butcher Shop, circa 1915

This is an early photo of Henry Hager’s butcher shop on Bohemia Avenue, with Henry leaning against the post. Older residents told me that Mr. Hager was a big man, and that he used to deliver meat to residents of the north and south sides of Chesapeake City. At left is where the building called the Victorian Lady was to be built; it was a Sears and Roebuck building and stands today across from the Back Creek General Store. The site of the building at right is now a vacant lot, but in the forties and fifties I remember a small building where Mr. and Mrs. Mewhiter had a very popular drug store.

This second picture is of Henry Hager in later years.

Queck’s Bakery (Today’s Taproom), circa 1925

 

First photo: This a view from Bohemia Avenue of Queck’s Bakery, located on the site of what is now the Taproom. The Quecks were related to Vaughans. My father told me about when he, John Sager, and other boys used to play marbles in the alley next to this bakery. What he remembered most was the tantalizing aroma of the baked goods emanating from the building. He also said that the boys were able to keep warm against the building when they played during the winter. Notice the hitching post.

Second photo: Here is bakery owner, Bill Queck, holding his horse, Lollypop. They’re probably on their way to deliver some baked goods to north and south Chesapeake City.