Barbara A. Martindale- For What It's Worth June 4, 2013
The store is closed today. Yet, its long history as a business location in Caledonia dates back to when the property's crown deed was given to Thomas Bryant on November 19, 1845.
Whether the building dates back to then is uncertain, but owners up to about 1950 are consecutively named as Peter McKeracher, James Mimno, Peter Barnard, Henry Titus, Alexander Wardell, Oliver Hartwell, Horace Old, George Harris, Elgin Harris, Alfred Tweedle and J. Edward Stubbs.
The 1851 census states P.C. Barnard operated a general store.
The location is on Argyle Street North; the third building on the east side from the bridge. For many years, from 1948 to the 1970s, it was Nelles's Dry Goods owned and operated by Mrs. Anderson.
The reason for the Nelles name came from Mrs. Anderson's first husband, Clark Nelles, who had been killed when kicked by a horse in 1946.
Mrs. Nelles and her four daughters sold the farm, moved to Caledonia, leased the building, bought it five years later and the business flourished. Olive Nelles married Arnold Anderson in 1949.
As for business endeavours in the store, they include F.W. Old's Singer Sewing Machine Shop, and his son Horace Old's tinsmith business. Then in 1921, Charles Porter's boot and shoe repair shop.
Gladys Masters operated Cairns Dry Goods in the building from 1923 until 1948, when she gave up the lease. During this time, a large back window was closed and the show windows were modernized. For many years, a residence was in the back, but during Cairns Dry Goods’ occupancy, even groceries were sold at the back of the store when the partition was taken out.
Since the 1970s, there have been a few business occupants in this building, the latest being a café restaurant operated by the Rudlings, which has been closed for some months.
