My, wouldn't it be interesting to have these early day "shoppers" at the Denman country store identified?

Note the barrel, all old stores had barrels. The outhouse and the delivery wagon, at Denman yet! Are those chicken crates to the left?

The sign on the window says "U.S. Post Office" and the one in front of the window says "American Express".

The left-hand door was to the prospective bank and it was here the first joint meeting was held on May 27, 1914 to consolidate school District 41, Buffalo County and District 68, Hall County, with eleven legal voters present.

Gladys Van Dike and Carl Miller run the first store which Pierce Brothers from Shelton owned. Ward Osborn bought the store from Pierce Bros. and took up residence on the bank side. Eli Hugh (Codge) Graham took over the store from Osborn and Orlo Jenkins managed it for him. Jenkins also lived in the bank side, which never materialized into a bank. About this time or 1917, the whole building burned down.

This picture shows the first depot agent, W. M. Rumplets, and his box car depot. The sign on the depot says "Western Union, Telegraph, Cable Office."  Other buildlngs are the back or North side of the elevator, and of the lumber yards. In the distance can be seen the stock-yards and the section houses.

Following Rumplets as agent were Ed Strong and two ladies, Fanny Blue and Essa Godsey. Later a fellow by the name of Fred Pettitt took over and was fired with W. H. Goddard taking command until 1929, when Paul Rogers came. He stayed until 1931, being bumped out by L. M. Leerlay, who in turn was taken out by H. A. Horner who left and was replaced by a fellow named X. O. Porter, who was fired and C. H. Dailey took over. Dailey stayed until l934 when H .H. Goddard returned until 1937. Paul Rogers returned then until 1939 when he went to Riverdale. D. J. McIntosh came in for a short while, also Lee Sargent, Murl Henley, E. B. Harrelson, and John Shonka. Then R. L. Butler came and stayed until the depot was closed in 1942.

Rumplets said of his Denman tenure "I was the first Union Pacific depot agent at Denman."  The date was 1916.

"The U .P. Did not have a depot there at the time so they moved in a made over box car and put it on the right of way." This served for the first depot.

"A second box car was brought in for living quarters, but the community had a real good hotel so I didn't use the other box car for living quarters."

Bill remembers the 10  below zero weather the day a small crew arrived in Denman to set up the depot. The carpenters made the telegraph table out of grain doors and a partition separating the waiting room from the office. Some make shift chairs and a coal caboose stove and he was ready for business.

15
 

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