American history chapters · Around 1865–1914
Main Street
& the General Store.
A familiar counter. A shared story. Explore the shops, pantry staples, small treats and everyday games that connect local communities with a changing America.
1879–1913 · Six moments in a larger story
A changing world at the counter.
Select a moment to explore its story.
Main Street across America · General stores
More than a counter.
A place in the community.
Explore six places that tell the general-store story, from village shops to a trading post and a recreated Pennsylvania country store. Choose a marker or a place below.
Selected story locations on modern state outlines. Markers are approximate, and the map is not a complete directory. Landis Valley is a museum recreation; the other stops tell histories of historic stores or a trading post.
History on the shelves
A few favorites from the counter.
Read each product’s connection: an introduction during the era, earlier product or maker roots, or modern inspiration. Maker and mill dates describe their roots; current flavors and packages may be newer. Games appear as modern versions with their historic connections explained.
24 products in this chapter
The candy counter
The candy counter
Good & Plenty
Good & Plenty has a documented product introduction date of 1893. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$3.70
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Necco Wafers
NECCO Wafers has a documented product introduction date of 1847. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$2.00
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Fralinger's Saltwater Taffy
Fralinger’s Salt Water Taffy has a documented product introduction date of 1885. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$9.50
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Bonomo Turkish Taffy
Bonomo Turkish Taffy has a documented product introduction date of 1912. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$2.00
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Reed's Butterscotch Candy
Reed’s Butterscotch Candy has a documented product introduction date of 1893. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$1.35
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Wrigley’s Doublemint Chewing Gum
Wrigley’s Doublemint has a documented product introduction date of 1914. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$3.14
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Goo Goo Cluster
Goo Goo Cluster — original has a documented product introduction date of 1912. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
Add to a history box
The candy counter
Circus Peanuts
Spangler — Circus Peanuts maker has a documented maker roots date of 1906. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$4.75
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Boston Baked Beans
Boston Baked Beans — Ferrara maker has a documented maker roots date of 1908. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$0.50
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Charms Assorted Squares
Charms Assorted Squares has a documented product introduction date of 1912. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$2.25
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack — brand history has a documented earlier brand roots date of 1896. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$1.00
View product →Add to a history box
The candy counter
Life Savers Original
Life Savers — original brand history has a documented earlier brand roots date of 1912. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$2.19
View product →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Coffee & gathering places
Horn & Hardart Coffee
Horn & Hardart has a documented maker roots date of 1888. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
Price range: $15.00 through $16.00
View product & choose options →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Horn & Hardart Coffee Decaf
Horn & Hardart has a documented maker roots date of 1888. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$17.00
View product →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix
Café du Monde has a documented maker roots date of 1862. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$5.49
View product →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory Decaf
Café du Monde has a documented maker roots date of 1862. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$10.50
View product →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Café du Monde Coffee & Chicory
Café du Monde has a documented maker roots date of 1862. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$9.95
View product →Add to a history box
Coffee & gathering places
Café du Monde French Roast Coffee
Café du Monde has a documented maker roots date of 1862. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$11.00
View product →Add to a history box
The pantry shelves
The pantry shelves
Bauman’s Blended Fruit Butters
Bauman’s has a documented maker roots date of 1892. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
Add to a history box
The pantry shelves
Bauman’s Classic Fruit Butters
Bauman’s has a documented maker roots date of 1892. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
Add to a history box
The pantry shelves
Bauman’s Sweet Tomato Butter
Bauman’s has a documented maker roots date of 1892. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$6.00
View product →Add to a history box
The pantry shelves
Otterbein's Cookies
Otterbein’s has a documented maker roots date of 1881. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
Add to a history box
The pantry shelves
New Hope Mills Old Fashioned Buckwheat Pancake Mix
New Hope Mills — Buckwheat Pancake Mix has a documented historic mill roots date of 1823. This connects the current listing to the food and shopping history surrounding this chapter. The date does not establish that every present-day variety, recipe or package was sold in a particular general store.
$8.50
View product →Add to a history box
Play Between the Chores
Play Between the Chores
Jacobs Ladder
Charles Dickens described a wooden Jacob’s Ladder in A Christmas Tree in 1850. This current tumbling-block toy connects to nineteenth-century play. That British account establishes the toy’s existence, not its popularity on the American frontier.
$7.75
View product →Add to a history box
No products match this view. Try clearing your filters or browse our full shop.
Your history box
Choose a starting mix.
Make it your own.
Choose eligible products on this page or start with a suggested combination. Review every selection before saving.
Saving replaces your unfinished Americana box draft. Completed boxes already in your cart are preserved. Shipping and checkout tax are calculated later.
Life around the counter
More than a place to shop.
Goods, news and neighbors
General stores could be shopping places, post offices and community message centers. Their shelves and conversations connected people to the world beyond their own homes.
Explore a historic store ↗Local exchange meets a wider market
In the Smokies, stores traded goods and served local needs. As cash purchases and mail services grew, shopping changed. Barter, local makers and goods from farther away could share the same counter.
Read about general-store life ↗Whose Main Street?
Communities did not all experience opportunity or welcome in the same way. Race, class and unequal access shaped everyday life. This chapter follows local commerce without treating one nostalgic storefront as everyone’s experience.
Explore the changing cities ↗A little time to play
Marbles, jacks, ring toss and tumbling-block toys connect to older game traditions. Yo-yos and tiddlywinks bring dated nineteenth-century stories. Current sets let families try the games without being presented as original period objects.
Look at a historic toy shop ↗Then and now
History behind the shelves.
A store to explore today.
This chapter follows late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century life. Our illustrated General Store brings those familiar shopping traditions into today’s assortment.
Give a little American history
A story worth sharing.
Pair eligible pantry favorites, familiar candy and classic games in an Americana gift box. Review the available products and packing limits in the builder.
Build an Americana gift box →