The Iconic Stores of Walton County

Above is the Good Hope General Store. Opened around 1913, this is just about the only commercial enterprise left in the small community which is still operating. Fifty years ago, the crossroads had fifteen or more commercial buildings and this is the only one that remains. The store has a unique history and it has evolved over time from its original operation to include gasoline sales and a lunch counter, but it still reveals its rural roots with its fishing bait and tackle section. Outside the store features a small concrete picnic table. However, its greatest gathering spot is located just inside the door where a half dozen rocking chairs are situated in a circle by the window. On any given day there is bound to be a few old men rocking away the afternoon and talking about the price of cotton way back when and how the world went and got itself into a big hurry.

This, quite literally, is The Store. This local legend has been around since the 1970s. Inside, the store is a conglomeration of retail enterprises...it is a convenience store, a small grocery, a very greasy spoon (they make excellent chicken biscuits for breakfast), and a general hang out for this part of Walton County. The Store comes complete with two good old boys sitting on a bench out front, one of whom will actually pump your gas for you, which is a rare service these days. If you ever stop by, be sure to go inside and cold coke in a glass bottle (that's the way God meant for you to drink it) and don't forget your camo "I shop at The Store" trucker's cap--its always a hot selling item.
This last picture is of a place called Mobley's Store. Located on the opposite side of the highway from The Store, Mobley's opened in the mid-1930s. Inside, Mrs. Mobley sold cold drinks and candy as well as a few grocery items, but the store's main purpose was to sell gasoline. The building's simple, unassuming design and the layout of the site are silent testament to this fact and of a bygone era in retail facilities--before neon signs and flood lights. Mobley's was open until Mrs. Mobley became unable to operate it due to failing health in the 1980s. Highway expansion has largely made the site unusable for much these days, although real estate developers have made some use of the building as a billboard of sorts for advertising their new subdivisions.