My husband took me on a drive back in time today. We barely went 4 1/2 miles off of Rt. 21, but it took between 25-30 minutes to get there. It wasn't bad traffic, in fact we only met one other driver on the road going there. It was a winding, pot hole filled, one lane country road. We have lots of those in West Virginia.
This was our destination:
This old mercantile was built in 1914. Mary Chancey's store up Plum Orchard Road. My husband's family used to go here when he was little and fish in Grass Lick Creek. They drove past the store down to the creek and as he says, 'caught some of the biggest catfish.' They'd spend the day and come up to the store for candy and pop or whatever else they had a yearning for.
The windows and doors are all boarded up now and the porch floor is in bad shape, but my husband's memories of the old store are vivid.
The foundation stones are still there, but they look like they could topple at any time.
We drove down the road a small ways until we came to the creek crossing, where the road goes through the creek. I wouldn't let Charley drive through the creek. The road continues on the other side. The road on the right goes up on the bank where Plum Orchard School used to be. There is nothing left of it now.
This is the view of the store on the way back. It used to be a very popular store in its time. The post office was also located inside the store. (Just like Ike Godsey's Mercantile on The Waltons) A blacksmith shop was across the road from it. I believe the current owner of the store said it fell down last year. He plants his garden there now and he finds horseshoes in the plowed earth. He has them hanging on the fence.
When we travel these back roads in our county, it makes it easier to understand why school gets delayed or cancelled so much in the winter time. I would not like riding or meeting a school bus on these little roads, especially when they are covered with snow. The school bus does travel up this road, there is a sign in front of the store telling you not to park there because it is a turn around spot for the bus.
Hope you enjoyed our little trip back in time.
