Old Trade Right Store of Richwoods Township

​​(Published 31 Dec 1997 in the newsletter ---- SEEKING 'n SEARCHING ANCESTORS)​
​(Printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', Nov. 8, 2001)
​(Printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', March 15, 2012)
 

In 1927, Fred Hannah operated a country store in northeast Richwoods Township and called it “Trade Right”. It was located a short distance from Mt. Gilead Church and the Berry school was not far away.

I was fortunate to read some of the old ledgers from this country store recently (in 1997) and most of the farming community around the store, including citizens from both Miller and Maries counties, traded at Mr. Hannah’s store.

Most of the staple goods were available: sugar, salt, coffee, flour, dress materials, thread, shoes, nails, coal oil, stove pipe, stove black and polish. Later, Trade Right store offered gasoline and oil for the cars that passed by the old country store.

Some of the customers of the old Trade Right store were from the families of Alexander, Baker, Berry, Blankenship, Bolin, Crismon, Clayton, Cross, Crane, Copeland, Cottrell, Dake, Donaldson, Duncan, Fritchey, Hannah. Hale, Humphrey, Healey, Helton, Hickey, Irvin, Jones, Kee, Keeth, Lee, Lawson, Morrow, McKee, Machon, Moss, Pankey, Prater, Pendleton, Patterson, Rowden, Roark, Rollins, Skaggs, Strickland, Sherrell, Sooter, Shelton , Slone/Sloan, Thompson, Veasman, Vineyard, Watkins, Wilson , Wiles, Wallis, Whitaker, and Yoakum.

Frederick/Fred Hannah was the oldest son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Simpson) Hannah who were natives of Pennsylvania . Benjamin was born c/1830 and Elizabeth in 1841. They married in Miller County on 7 June 1870. According to marriage records, her name was Hannah Elizabeth Simpson so it is understandable why she was called Elizabeth Hannah, not Hannah Hannah ! ! Fred was born in March 1872 and had two younger brothers: John Franklin Hannah b. 1874 m. Ida M. Wilson and James Albert Hannah b. 1877 m. Grace E. Phillips. There may have been other children I did not find record of.

Fred Hannah married Alcena Jones in October 1896. She was a daughter of James W. Jones and Frances Bowlin/Bolin, who lived in the same community as the Hannah family. In 1927, when Fred was operating “Trade Right” store, he was 55 years old. He died in January 1966, almost reaching his 94th birthday and was buried beside Alcena at Brays Union Cemetery . She had died 14 years earlier in 1952.