The E. S. Taylor Grocer and Shoe Store, a thriving mart of trade in the heart of Pickford, had a competent and hard working crew of clerks.  They were (left to right) Otto Watson (deceased), John Karm (deceased), Edward S. Taylor (deceased), H. M. (Ham) Hamilton, Erma House who later became Mrs. Victor Palmer now living in Mason; Victor Palmer (deceased), James R. Watson (deceased), and John E. Quinnell (deceased).
 
   PICKFORD---  The E. H. Taylor Grocery and Shoe Store was a busy, thriving center of trade back in 1912.
     Located in the heart of Pickford farming country, it served a broad area of customers.  Farmers sold eggs, butter and fresh garden produce and in turn returned home with groceries, boots and shoes.
     The hours were long, the doors of the store opened around 6:45 a.m. and often the last satisfied customer called “good-night” around 9 p.m.
     “The crew at the store was a jolly bunch; we worked hard but managed to have a good time,” recalls H. M. Hamilton on the staff of that early mart and later the owner.
     Saturday night was the climax of the business week and often the busy general store did not close till midnight.  Farmers and neighboring customers came long distances to buy, exchange topics of interest, and to predict the outcome of the current crops.
     If the closing of the store was not too late on Saturday evening, members of the staff were entertained at a social hour at a restaurant down the street.  Laughing and talking over a “merry widow” ice cream sundae with all the trimmings—the toil of the week was forgotten.
     Long before the self-serve super markets, this early grocery was a “full service store,” a meeting place for friends and many times an information center for newcomers.
     The store in its early years was heated by a large box stove which burned maple hardwood.  This picturesque heating method was later replaced by a furnace.
     Other Pickford business places at this time were a hardware, dry goods stores, restaurant and Dr. Cameron’s Theater.
     This pioneer business in 1920 was sold to J. R. Watson and H. M. Hamilton and H. M. Hamilton became the sole owner in 19445.  It now houses the Watson Shoe Store and Douglas and Jean Batho’s dry goods store.