Then & Now: Town's First General Store, Now Doctor's Office and Salon

This was the Slocum-Gore General Store, the first general store in the village area, and it did burn down along with the bank in 1909. What you may not know is that Slocum-Gore sold the business to John Holst in 1908, less than a year before it burned. The Slocum family retained title to the property, so it's not clear who took the greater loss.

One old account says that the old building actually burned down twice, and the fire danger caused the family to rebuild with concrete blocks. That is the somewhat unsightly building that is there today, with a doctor's office and beauty salon sharing the space. For years, it housed another doctor's office and then the Kellam's Department Store. If any of the readers know of other shops that did business there, by all means let us know.

Regarding the Slocum House Restaurant, that never was part of the building. Charles Slocum built the house in the '20s behind the store but continued to live in his old residence just east of the old library and next to his lumberyard until that house burned down in 1930. He then moved into what was to eventually become the restaurant.

But, that's another story.

Original Question:

This old building across from Plaza Park burned down in the early 1900's. Do you remember what it was and who owned it? Better yet, what replaced it?

For more on the history of Fair Oaks, . For even more, check out the Fair Oaks: Then & Now topic page.