Country comes to town as old store finds new home at park

The F.M. Hogan General Store was moved from the Woodlawn Community to the Lincoln County Historical Park Thursday, September 20. The 100-year-old store will remain on its trailer until the historical society can build concrete block piers to support the structure. Plans are for the store to be up and running in time for Pioneer Day, which is set for Saturday, November 17.

One hundred years of history rolled down the road as the F.M. Hogan General Store traveled from the Woodlawn Community to the Lincoln County Historical Park Thursday, September 20.

Perched on a tractor-trailer, the 24 x 34-foot structure garnered quite a few stares as it made the eight-mile trek down Leathersville Road, the Thomson Highway, and Elm Street to the historical park on Lumber Street. The trip took approximately 45 minutes.

Hogan's Store was donated to the historical society by Elizabeth Walton Mize, Frankie Walton Barton, and Robert Ellis Walton, grandchildren of F.M. Hogan.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last May to pave the way for the park's newest addition. Over 60 people, including representatives of the Hogan and Harper families, were in attendance. Members of these two families operated the store during its lifetime.

When Hogan's Store got stuck, Lounette Reese saved the day with a bucket of lard and a spatula.

In order to prepare the historic building for the move to town, workmen used hydraulic jacks as well as railroad jacks (used to pick up boxcars) to raise the store off of its piers to the point where Beggs Contracting could assemble the trailer underneath.

According to Nelson Brooks, historical society president, "The store was sitting on brick piers, stumps, and stacks of bricks. The loose bricks were put in to reinforce the floor at the spot where the old ice box stood many years ago."

Members of the historical society likewise dismantled the store's chimney because it would not have survived the move. "There was evidence of at least two fires in the attic," said Brooks. "We also discovered that the chimney had been mortared over in 1983 - we know the work was done by Leon Cox and two others because they wrote their names and the date in the mortar.

Beggs Contracting, members of the Lincoln County Historical Society, and others are shown attempting to straighten Hogan's Store, which became wedged between the well house and an oak tree during a tight turn en route to its final resting place in the historical park. In an attempt to solve the problem, workers put two sheets of plywood under the tires and squirted dish soap and water on the planks but to no avail. It was then that Lounette Reese, a long-time member of the historical society, exclaimed, "If I had a spatula and enough lard, I could slide it over." And with the help of a backhoe, she did.

"Originally, the chimney was set using a little bit of cement and creek clay. After all of these years, the mortar was the only thing holding it together. We took the bricks out one by one. As it turned out, they were made at a brickyard run by the Murphy Family decades ago on land that is now owned by Rae and Rabbit Stribling on the Thomson Highway."

The historical society was able to salvage 200 whole bricks from the chimney. The bricks will be used to build steps leading up to the store or perhaps even a patio at the park.

As for the roof, it was made of tin, with Savannah, Georgia, and Hogan's Store stenciled on the underside. "When we were tearing off the roof, we found huge wasps, along with thousands and thousands of dirt dabber nests," said Brooks. "But nobody got stung."

In other comments, he noted that the original structure was expanded right after the turn of the century. The right exterior wall was extended about 10 feet and a new row of footings and piers was added.

"Over the years, the store had settled, and there was a hump in the floor where the old wall had been," Brooks explained. "The floor joists had also begun to separate from the original outside sill at this point. Steel cable restraints and a 4 x 4 plywood internal bracing system, designed by Jerry Stone, were installed by historical society members to ensure that the store would not come apart during its trip to Lincolnton. When the store is set in place on piers, the new foundation will take care of the settlement and the hump."

With everything secured, it was time to move the building. All went well until the store arrived at the historical park.

"We cut across the grass between the Groves-May House and the Lincolnton Baptist Church pastorium and passed between several trees, some of which we only cleared by the thickness of a sheet of paper," Brooks said. "However, it was the turn between the well house and the blacksmith's shop that gave us the most trouble. We cut several limbs off of the oak tree beside the blacksmith's shop, but the turn was still too tight - the store was trapped between the oak and the well house."

In an attempt to straighten the rear of the store, the workmen put down two sheets of plywood to slide the tires on and squirted dish soap and water on the planks but to no avail. It was then that Lounette Reese, a longtime member of the historical society, exclaimed, "If I had a spatula and enough lard, I could slide it over."

Brooks obtained a tub of lard and a wooden-handled spatula from the kitchen at the Groves-May House. "Miss Lounette smeared the lard on the plywood and the trailer tires, and using a backhoe, we were able to straighten up the store. After putting down blocks of wood to tilt the trailer so the store would miss the roof of the well house, we were able to squeeze the structure through the gap."

The well house's tin roof did get a little bent in the process, but it was "just some minor crimping," said Brooks. From there on out, everything was clear sailing. The store was backed over its new foundation near the Lewis Family Pavilion and will rest on wooden blocks until historical society members can lay piers of concrete blocks. A tarp will serve as the roof for the time being.

Considering that the store lies under 100 years of dirt, cobwebs, and grime, the society plans to pressure wash the building, inside and out, at some point in the near future.

The re-location of the vintage treasure to the historical park was made possible with a $5,900 grant from the Watson-Brown Foundation's Junior Board of Trustees, a great deal of sweat equity, donations from friends in the community, brick mason Danny Byrd, and a special discount from Beggs Contractors.

Beggs Contracting delivers Hogan's Store to the Lincoln County Historical Park.

According to Brooks, "We selected Hogan's Store, with its Woodlawn marquee, to represent all the country stores in the county that served to meet a vital need in their day (circa 1800 to 1950). We looked at other stores, but Hogan's Store was in the best shape structurally, and it had not been converted into a residence like so many of the others had. It was still a store."

In further remarks, he pointed out that several people in the community have promised to donate fixtures from other country stores to the historical society. The group already has a glass display case, which made the ride from Woodlawn to Lincolnton inside the store.

"We are looking for a variety of items, including signs, scales, display cases, barrels, wooden crates, candy and cracker jars, an ice box - anything from an old store," Brooks said. "These items will be treasured by the historical society and kept in mint condition for future generations to enjoy."

A workman trims limbs on a oak tree to make way for the 100- year-old store.

The team leaders or store keepers are Nina Albea and Carol Reese.

Commenting on the society's annual Pioneer Day festival set for November 17, Albea said, "With only two months left until Pioneer Day, our store will be a work in progress. Nevertheless, we will be open and selling items such as canned fruits and vegetables, cakes, pies, chocolate candy, fresh syrup, honey, fresh meal, tables of 'yard sale' items, and kindling. We also hope to have some written history and pictures of old stores on display, along with various items we remember from our childhoods."

All of the proceeds from the country store will be used to enhance the historical park.

Those willing to donate old fixtures and/or furnishings to Hogan's Store are asked to contact Nina Albea at 706-359-4300 or Carol Reese at 706- 359-4483.

Calling this a tight squeeze is an understatement. Wooden planks tilt the tractor-trailer, making it possible for Hogan's Store to clear the well house at the historical park.