HAGAMAN - Time seems to stand still in the old general store. There's still a
hitching post flanking the weathered wooden porch, a turn-of-the-century meat
counter and products -- such as men's stiff shirt collars--that you'd be hard
pressed to find anywhere else.
This general store was opened in 1881 and
is still owned by the family of the original proprietor C. C. ROBINSON. C. C.
ROBINSON worked on the railroad. He used three mules and a scraper to move the
dirt. He was paid $1800, and used it to build the store. "That's what they did
then (railroad companies) -- contracted local people every few miles to help build
the railroad" according to his granddaughter MARY SMITH of Hagaman.
Hagaman had three grocery stores in the early days, two railroads running four
routes each day, a depot, a warehouse, a town hall, a busy hotel and a church.
About 30 or 40 people lived in the town, with a total population of 93 if the
surrounding area is included. Three creeks provide ample water for the town.
The population today had dwindled to 10 and almost everything is gone,
except the town hall, the church, the general store and the three creeks.
Merchandise in the store is from the '20s,'30s and '40s and earlier. Antique
horse collars hang on the walls, udder ointment in its original tin cans. Hit
Parade cigarettes are advertised as well as "vegetable butter tonic". You will
not find electric lights and heat is from an old wood stove which replaced the
original large potbelly stove.
The store has a dry goods section where
there are antiquated hats, shoes, long underwear known as union suits and
suspenders. Stiff men's collars are available, made primarily of some kind of
paper material. Most of the clothing is in its original boxes.
When C. C.
ROBINSON died his son J. L. ROBINSON inherited it, who upon his death gave it to
his cousin J. B. ROBINSON. After the death of J. B., the store closed in 1962.
The stock was left in the store with no heat for 13 years.
It was
purchased in 1976 by descendants of J. L. - BILL, and CHARLIE JACOBY. Today it
is owned by BOB son of MARY SMITH. It was reported as a meeting place for
neighbors to visit with lots of stories being told, fights instigated on
Saturday night that would occur on Sunday morning.
The two railroads were
Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis; Litchfield, Carrollton & Wester Train (renamed by
residents as "Look, Cuss & Wait"). They were shut down in early 1940's. It
provided an access to Carlinville.
Most famous town story concerns the
WRIGHT brothers (ORVILLE & WILBUR), who are said to have spent two weeks during
two winters trapping and coon hunting in the area. Story goes that after their
visit, they wrote back asking a number of people to loan them $1,000 as an
investment for an airplane they were working on. Some people didn't believe this
was true.
The general store also housed a post office. The old postal
slots are still in the store. Every few years paint is thrown on the old store,
which doesn't "hold paint too well". They have also put on a new roof, but no
other changes have been made in the store.
This General Store has been on
the National Historic Registry since 1980.
Contributed by Mary Ann Stewart Kaylor
Macoupin County ILGenWeb Copyright
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Templates in Time
This page was last updated
07/01/2022