Small-town general stores once served as the center of
commerce for communities around Texas, and those that remain are works of
American art. The tarnished pressed-tin walls and ceilings took years to stain,
while only time could create the oily plank floors patched with coffee cans and
license plates.
Mom ran the cash register and pop was the butcher at these supply stations.
Many of the surviving stores have diversified into other fields like barbecue
and souvenirs, as it becomes more difficult to compete with the Wal-Marts and
Circle Ks.
Precious few of the old-fashioned grocery stores remain out of the thousands
that once supplied Texans; here are a few of the best ones I have found:
Lindeman’s Grocery and General Store served Blanco for over 40 years with the
same family behind the counter. Marie Anna Kneupper and her husband Jerry
Lindeman ran the store until February 1995, but the new owners have retained
the atmosphere of the old store. Their turkey sausage goes great in chili. Open
Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturday, 8am-2pm.
Stuermer General Store in Ledbetter has managed to survive on family pride and
a great location since 1891. On US290 east of Giddings, the store is owned by
the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the store’s founder, E.P.
Stuermer. The pressed-tin covered store is now a museum, hardware store,
convenience store, and ice cream shop. Open 7am-5:30pm, Monday-Saturday.
Rio Medina Store, on FM471 north of Castroville, has all the essentials.
Owned by a new generation of shopkeepers, it still includes the local post
office, meat market, and gas pumps. The hardware store next door was built in
1906 and the grocery occupies the new building — built in 1928. The specialty
is fresh Alsatian sausage. Besides the store, Bonnie and Paul Jaks also operate
a bed-and-breakfast in town. Open Monday-Thursday, 8am-7pm; Friday and
Saturday, 8am-8pm; and
Sunday, 10am-4pm.
The Fischer Store east of Blanco on FM32 is mostly a museum. The store still
serves as a post office, and a Fischer has been postmaster since it was
established in 1876. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
The Hye General Store on US290 east of the LBJ Ranch has served the area
since 1923. Owner Levi Deike claims to have never missed a day of work in over
60 years as postmaster. Lyndon Johnson once played on the Deikes brothers’
baseball team, and while the store still sells farming supplies and groceries,
and it also has a collection of LBJ memorabilia that can’t be matched outside
of a museum.
If you know of others, drop me a line care of The Austin
Chronicle or e-mail me at daytrips@auschron.com.
Coming up this weekend…
Poinsettia Celebration at Ellison’s Greenhouses in Brenham allows visitors to
see thousands of poinsettias in bloom, 10am-4pm, Nov. 18-19. 409/836-3695.
Weihnachtsmarkt is a German Christmas market at the New Braunfels Civic
Center. Along with unique gift ideas will be lots of music and food, Nov.
17-19. 210/629-1572.
Christmas by the Lake in Marble Falls features two tents of booths and free
bus tours. In the evenings the Walkway of Lights on the banks of the lake will
dazzle shoppers, Nov. 18-19. 210/693-4449.
— Gerald E. McLeod
This article appears in November 17 • 1995 and November 17 • 1995 (Cover).
