The Buford Odom Family - Odom's Grocery

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Pictured are Buford Odom with his cigar looking at the camera and his wife, Bernice (Davis) Odom, with a dry goods salesman. Customers and loafers around and farmers in for a bologna sandwich for lunch, made at the meat counter in the right rear. Cheese, bologna or meat loaf sandwich on white bread for $.10 and a coke for a nickel . Buford Odom owned and operated the largest (at one time) grocery store in REYNO in the 1940's. It was so BIG that on a Summer Saturday, all the Farmers in the country came to town to visit and buy groceries, and mingle in the crowded store while visiting with neighbors. It was so SMALL, that it would fit in the back corner of today's large Super Market. At that time, few people had automobiles, so they were limited to the local Town area. They would walk to town or come in a wagon. Those who walked were later delivered home in the grocery store delivery truck. They had a list of the groceries they needed and would give the list to a clerk who would fill the list and box it up ready for delivery. NO Supermarket yet. Farmers needed to be given credit to carry them through the Summer months until the crops were harvested. In the Spring, they would borrow money to plant their crops, usually from the Gin Company or the Bank or from a friend who had money. In any event, they bought groceries on credit through the Summer. In the Fall when the crops were gathered, they would pay all debts and set certain food item aside for the Winter months. (A lot of debts were never paid.) Some of the items they would set away, would be 100# bag of Beans; a stand or two of Lard (10 gallons); 100 # bag of potatoes; 50# bag of Onions, assuming they did not raise their own. Flour came packed at that time in 25# and 50 # bags. The bags could be used as pillow cases, or other uses around the house, such as dresses or curtains, as they were mostly flower prints. Many families would pack away, 6 to 10 big bags for the Winter. They had Biscuits and Gravy every morning for breakfast, and baked a lot of Pies and Cakes and home made Bread. Many of the Farmers made their own Home Brew and would buy cans of Malt at the store. Canned vegetables were beginning to be used a lot during these years. People raised smaller vegetables gardens now and canned less than their parents, so grocery stores grew and grew. In the 1950's, after the war period, people began to buy automobiles and travel to Corning and Pocahontas and buy their groceries there and pay cash for them. No more need for a credit grocer, so the small town grocery stores began to dry up and go out of business. At this stage of time, the towns themselves were drying up. No grocery stores, no stores at all, but a bedroom community.
Picture and article contributed by
Dr. Cloyce E. Odom



Buford and Bernice (Davis) Odom


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