Fegely’s General Store in Maxatawny

by Carole Christman Koch

The country store, or general store, started during the colonial period, in rural areas and farming communities.  Some started at crossroads, where mining camps or railroad towns had settled and sprouted.  Many of these places sprang up from peddlers selling their merchandise, in rural communities, once they accumulated enough stock and money to settle down permanently.

            One such store of my childhood, in the 40s and 50s, was Fegley’s General Store, located in the village of Rothrockville (named after the founder, Dr. Jonas G. Rothrock), later called Maxatawny (meaning Bear’s Path Creek), in Berks County, along Route 222.

            The first owner of the store was Daniel Clader.  Although Clader traded in the village for four years, he didn't purchase the store site until 1867.  Other owners were co-owners Stephen B. Smith and Martin S. Croll (1876-1884), and their sons, William H. Smith and William M. Croll (1884-1897).  Under these two men a second story was added to the store and in 1895 the store served double duty as store and post office, the post office having been moved to the store from a nearby inn. 

Later owners included W.M. Smith & Sons (1897-1899).  Harvey F. and John O. Reppert (1899-1915), Menoah A. Fegely and his son, William A. Fegely (1915-1922), and William A. Fegely (1922-1959), who had brick siding placed on the store during the 1940's.  Ada Fegely (wife of William A., 1959-1978), Carolyn Fegely Wiltrout and Nancy Fegely Held, daughters of William A. and Ada (1978-1982) were the final owners.

            Not only did the Fegely family conduct the store business, but the Fegely men officiated as postmasters from1915-1958.  Thereafter, Ernest (husband of Carolyn) Wiltrout, took over the position until his retirement in 1989.  By 1896, the postal service offered Rural Free Delivery, but people in villages still picked up their mail often at these general stores.

            The store was razed in 1982, and postal service was conducted from a room adjoining the garage of the Wiltrout residence, next door to the store. All three children, Carolyn, Robert (prior to his death in World War II), and Nancy, helped in the store until its closing.

            Carolyn recalled that among the various goods sold in the store were “overalls, shoes, tires, linoleum, penny candy, oil cloth, soda, ice cream, tobacco, vinegar, eggs, dry goods, canned goods, potatoes, barrel molasses, and gas from a red gas pump out front, and more.  Local produce, such as eggs, garden vegetables, potatoes came from the farmers nearby.”

            Reaching back to my own memory of the store, I recall that to the left upon entering was a fenced off partition of glass-partitioned boxes – the U.S. Post Office. To the right of the aisle was a showcase with a glass front and the long counter that held ledger books, pads, an old cash register, and a scale.  A long string of twine fell from the ceiling and was used to wrap parcels.  Of course, the storekeeper always had a pencil over his or her ear.  The coffee grinder gave the store a distinct smell.  Inviting benches on the front porch held people who had neighborly chats.  It was indeed a store that seemed to have everything! 

            In conjunction with the store trade, Ada's brother, Stan Kuhns, ran a bakery route daily.  About every two weeks, Kuhns also ran a huckster route in order to sell and deliver some of the store's commodities to the rural homes.  Kuhns states he ran to Philadelphia every so often “taking chickens down and coming back with porgies” to sell on the huckster route.  This route supplied the rural families with flour, sugar, oatmeal, Jello, crackers, fruit and other items.

       My mother was one of Kuhns clients on his huckster route.  It was exciting to see the huckster’s truck coming down our lane and yelling, “Mom, the huckster is coming!”  Of course, Mom only bought necessities such as flour or sugar.  I do recall a scale hanging from a hook affixed to the truck structure.   If we begged long and hard enough, Mom would purchase bananas, which had to be weighed on the scale.

            Today, when shopping at our “modern” malls, I sometimes miss that old time general store of my childhood.