PEOPLES SUPPLY COMPANY

     The Peoples Supply Company of Silverhill opened June 1902, built and operated by Theodore A. Johnson, formerly of Paxton, Illinois, where he was also a grocer. Theodore A. Johnson was not related to Oscar Johnson, Silverhill’s founder.

Peoples Supply Company in Silverhill, Alabama, 1902. The sign seems to read: "This Store Will Be Opened on or About June 15th with a full line of GENERAL MERCHANDISE    PEOPLES SUPPLY CO." Taken from the October 1902 Silverhill News. View the entire paper here.

     Peoples Supply was a modern general merchandise store supplying all of the needs for the local Swedish families such as clothing, shoes, hardware, and groceries, which at Christmas time included Lutefisk, pickled herring, anchovies, and other Swedish favorites. The store owner, T. A. Johnson, was much loved by the early Swedish settlers, and remembered for his generosity. Often a customer would return home to would find a bag of candy at the bottom of their groceries as a treat to the children.

This is a recent satellite view of the town block 20, lot 21 that contains the Peoples Supply, highlighted in magenta. - Click to enlarge.

     Location: This building is on the east side of County Road 55 south of Silverhill Highway (104) near the intersection (town block 20, lot 21). This building still exists today as the United Bank Silverhill Branch Location.

Peoples Supply Company and the Mission Church - about 1907

     In 1928, George Marinos of Loxley acquired the business (but not the building) with C. Leslie Chandler as manager. After 1940, Louise Lundberg inherited the land and the building and the home next door when her mother and step-father Theodore A. Johnson died. In 1947, George Marinos bought the one lot and store building from Louise Lundberg. Leslie Chandler and his wife Elsie Chandler ran the store for many years. When George Marinos died in 1955, he had willed half of the store to Leslie Chandler and half to his step-grandson Walter Havel, who later gave his half to Leslie Chandler.

People's Supply Company - about 1950s

     The Chandler family lived in the store's upstairs apartment until 1954, when they built a new house on Second Street, about four blocks from the store. During this time, the store was referred to as simply "Chandler's". After seventy years of continual service to the area as a general store, competition from larger grocery stores forced Peoples Supply to closed in 1972.

    In 1972, the store was purchased by Homer and Florence Gosnell.

     Homer and Florence Gosnell sold Peoples Supply in 1974 to Creighton C. "Peco" Forsman to run the store in its traditional manner. Mr. Forsman sold it in 1976 to Dwight Bowman.

     Dwight Bowman sold the store to Hugh Kennedy and JoAnne Taylor Kennedy on February 6, 1979. Their daughter, Michelle Kennedy Gonzales, remembers living upstairs in the three beddroom, one bathroom apartment when the family owned the store. Her bedroom was the room in front looking down over the parking lot. She recalls that they survived hurricane Frederick while there and a huge oak tree destroyed the outside stairs leading up to the apartment. Michelle remembers the large lightening rod/weather vane on the roof, an outhouse in the back, and a small sliding window just behind the check counter where people could walk up and purchase items.

     In 1980, Richard E. Beall and wife Glenda L. Beall bought the store and continued it as a general store for the next five years.

     After the Chandlers sold the store in 1972, all of the store's owners tried running the store as a grocery, general store, but outside competition was just too great. In 1985, Peoples Supply Company closed its doors to the public, never to be run again as a general store.

    June 1989, Richard E. Beall and wife Glenda L. Beall sold the property to William R. Bean and wife Sterling Bean. November 1989, Peoples Supply Company reopened with Lowell Webb operating Twinkleberry Pottery.

    March 1993, Joseph D. Spalding, M.D. and wife Lou E. Spaulding purchased, renovated, and opened an antique and furniture business in the old Peoples Supply Company store. Dr. Spaulding added the building to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

     In 2001, United Bank purchased the building from Dr. Spalding. United Bank opened a full service bank in the Peoples Supply Company building while preserving its unique character. Many artifacts are on display in and around the bank, reminiscent of its earlier days.

     PDF of Peoples Supply National Registry - 1996