The first floor of this building at the corner of Main and Depot streets in South Windham was home to a grocery store in the 19th century. Photo by Haley Pal

Since Windham’s very beginning, the people in town have relied upon grocers to provide them with the essentials of living. The first grocer we know of was New Marblehead’s first settler, Thomas Chute, who with his wife Mary kept a small stock of groceries in their home.

In 1769, Jonathan Loveitt, a Cape Elizabeth native, opened a grocery in the Gambo Falls area, and in 1775, Paul Little, a grocer from Portland, moved his business into town. Then, around 1792, Thomas Smith, son of the Rev. Peter Thatcher Smith, established a store on the waterside of what is now River Road. He was a popular figure in the community, known for his kind heart and pleasant nature, and his business prospered until he died tragically in an accident at age 32. Shortly after Smith’s passing, Jonathan Andrew, father of future Gov. John A. Andrew, opened a grocery business in the Little Falls section of town.

These 18th century grocers would have sold mostly dry goods and groceries that were needed for daily cooking such as flour, sugar, spices, coffee, tea, beans and cornmeal. They might have sold some local produce if it was available and possibly some dried meat or fish.

In the 1800s, groceries began to expand in scope. Stores were now called general stores, mercantiles and emporiums. In addition to the traditional dry goods, they were selling sewing needles and notions, fabric and cookware. They often had one large display window and shelving along every wall. Floors were filled with boxes, barrels, crates and tables holding an assortment of goods for sale.

Some of the grocers who would have had a business in Windham during this time were Moses Little, who opened a store in South Windham in 1832. After Little’s death in 1843, Deacon William Bacon converted his blacksmith shop into a general store. After a couple of years, his business grew to the point that he needed to build a larger store in the spot where the Moses Little store had been. In 1845, Jonathan Hanson opened another grocery in the area in the brick building on the corner of Main and Depot Streets.

In Windham Center, the grocer of the time was Alley Hawkes who opened a store in what is now known as the Old Grocery at the corner of Route 202 and Windham Center Road. The Hawkes family ran the store for decades and when Alley Hawkes died, it was said that he was the best known merchant in town.

By the 20th century, more and more goods were being shipped by rail and canned goods lined store shelves. Small amounts of vegetables were kept behind the store counter. Instead of putting your own groceries into carts, the shopkeeper would retrieve them for you. Flour, sugar, wheat and other dry goods were stored in barrels on the floor that would be measured out by the store proprietor. Vinegar was kept in a large barrel and the shopkeeper would pump it into a smaller jar for purchase. Pickles were found in barrels, too.

In 1912, the first A&P opened and a whole new model for grocery stores unfolded. These were more like the stores we know today. In South Windham in the 1920s and 30s, the A&P was a popular place with the local kids because the owner allowed them to roller skate in the aisles. Later in the decade, an IGA, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Walmart came to town, and North Windham became the hub of the community. These days we’ve come to realize just how much we depend upon these businesses for our necessities. We thank the many workers who are on the front line for us on a daily basis. We appreciate all you do. You truly put the “super” in the word supermarkets.

Haley Pal is a Windham resident and an active member of the Windham Historical Society. She can be contacted at haleypal@aol.com.