Sunday, December 3, 2017

TIME MACHINE: A Longtime Business Tradition At Market & Clarke

Our Little Corner In Space And Time    
(Reader-friendly viewing of items from newspaper archives)

For decades now the location has been void of any structure but throughout much of Pocomoke City's history it was one of the busy hubs of commerce. 

December, 1910
















Democratic Messenger (Snow Hill)



November, 1896





Peninsula Enterprise (Accomac)


Footnote: After the death of W.S. Dickinson in 1907 the store was purchased by the Smullen brothers (Julius, John, Albert) and Thomas F. Hargis. The business' name was Hargis Department Store when purchased later by M. L. Veasey.  It fell victim to the downtown Pocomoke fire of 1922 and Veasey built a new and larger building for the store's new home. 

As noted in an earlier posting the Veasey Building, at the northeast corner of Market Street and Clarke Avenue, was home to J.C. Penny and Montgomery Ward after Veasey retired from the business in 1928. Those tenants remained until the 1960's when the economic downturn probably stemming from the late 1950's closing of the Chincoteague Naval Air Station resulted in the stores closing their doors. Daniel's Department Store was the Veasey Building's last tenant. After a lengthy period of vacancy Pocomoke City's iconic downtown building was demolished in 1976.

Pictured below is the Hargis Department store, and demolition of the longtime landmark building. 

(Pictures from the book "Images Of America - Pocomoke City" by Norma Miles and Robin Chandler-Miles.)


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .

When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

No comments: