Continuing with the theme from the past couple of weeks, let’s look at another hidden jewel. Down along North Plank Road, by Cronomer Hill, are the law offices of Stephanie Donato. I recently chatted with her and learned she had uncovered some of the original building during her renovations. Just to the east of them is a smaller building. Both have recently been renovated and they look wonderful. But, how did they begin?
Going back to when people first began using autos for transportation, entrepreneurs recognized the needs of early drivers to service these newfangled inventions. Fuel and lubricating oils were routine needs as well as repairs. Tires back then were nowhere as reliable as the modern versions. Plus they used tubes. Anyone who ran tires with tubes back then quickly learned how to patch a hole and usually carried a simple repair kit and hand air pump.
Nothing moved as fast as things do today, and these small service stations cropped up all over. I believe the additional concern was no one had to walk too far when they broke down to get help. So, not even a mile east of Holt’s Corners was the North Plank Road Filling Station. The post card photo, wishing Christmas and New Year’s cheer shows the simplicity of this business. Plus, if you look behind it, you will easily see the home which still appears the same.
In the front, was a small overhang which reached out to the gas pumps. They also sold many items people would purchase on their way home from their day jobs, such as milk, a newspaper, and bread. These were transitional times where many had their own vegetable gardens, even chickens for eggs, and they only did a big grocery shopping trip to the larger stores once a week or so.
As times change, so do businesses. I became acquainted with this business when Ray and Marguerite Coy owned it and it was known as Coy’s Store! Sometimes, when I had been good and riding home with my Mom, we’d stop there and she would get what she needed, and I was allowed to get some candy, a comic book, and even the prized Popsicle during the summer. I missed these icy treats, especially the root beer flavor. The cherry was almost as good.

I chatted over lunch the other day with a gentleman whose family were probably the last ones who ran it as a neighborhood grocery. We reminisced of the owners and people who frequented it. In the future, he may share some more photos and other mementos of its early life.
Things continued to change, the building changed hands and eventually morphed into Whinnies and Knickers, a tack shop with Western themed clothing. A great place which enlarged the structure and modernized it. What about the small out building just to the east? It became the home of Cracker Box Music.
For my musician friends, many of us were saddened by Gary Emmons’ early passing at the age of 49. His warm, gentle personality brought many into his tiny shop where he performed major repairs on many instruments, mostly guitars. He had worked at Steinberger and honed his skills with others. One of the guitars they had specially made, which they were most proud of was the 5150 model for Eddie Van Halen. I believe Jeff B. recently refurbished this guitar for Eddie.
This was a place where many of us drifted in and just sat and chatted for hours. Kind of like the old country store with a wood stove and barrel with a checker board on it. You never knew who might come in, as Gary was quite well known and respected for his skills.
One night, I stopped after work to pick up a guitar I had him do some work on. There was a gentleman inside who I recognized, but just couldn’t put a name with the face. We probably chatted for half an hour before he left with the guitar Gary had serviced for him. When he left, I asked Gary who he was. I said I knew him but couldn’t figure out from where. Gary laughed. He said that’s Bill Sadler. You might remember him as Heywood in the Shawshank Redemption.
Whatever the reason, both buildings exuded a warmth and magnetism which attracted many over the years, myself included. Sadly, progress continued, autos drove faster, roads improved, and these little oasis’s disappeared. And, we’re now seeing the continued disappearance of many small business, due to both COVID-19 and the onslaught of new commerce giants like Amazon.
Where will we be in another 50, or 100 years? I would love to be around to see. But, I also long for being able to stop on a hot summer day and grab a root beer Popsicle, waiting to pay, standing on an uneven wooden floor, being personally recognized by the owner as a friend, customer, and neighbor. Good times and good people.