By Scott Shephard
I mentioned a while back that locations and subjects sometimes seek me out to photograph them (“Shouting Out in Whispers”). On the same day I photographed the old farm you see in that post, I also stopped to photograph this old building along the main road through Polo, SD. I’m glad I did because I noticed a few days ago that the building no longer exists.
If my Polo friends are reading this, perhaps one of them can give me a little history on this building, which I’m guessing was some kind of store. To me it was a curiosity. But to those who lived in Polo, I would guess it was much more than that.
Canon 5DIII 1/500s f/9.5 ISO200 99mm
Hi Scott!
The Polo store was first opened in the 1940’s by J.B. Miller. My Grandpa’s brother, Henry Venjohn, bought the store some time in the ’50s I think. It was open and supplied the town nicely until around 1985. It was a favorite candy stop after school for my cousins and a wonderful summertime outing for me – Grandma would send us down to the store for Lemon drops and Juicy Fruit gum. Your neighbor, Maxine, would love to have tea and give you many more details of her youth in Polo. I was sad to see the building torn down, but my folks and many others felt relief that it would no longer pose a danger to anyone, etc. I guess time goes on …..
Karla
PS- Uncle Henry was notorious for falling asleep at the counter – patrons would just wake him up to pay for stuff. Turns out, my naps in your class were hereditary and couldn’t be helped! 🙂
Thanks for the picture Scott. I think we have had many conversations about Polo. This place was a community gathering point for many years. General store, gas station, meat locker, lumber yard and feed store all rolled into one. The owners of the store actually lived in the back of the building. I have many fond memories of the store and the fun we had there. I would be happy to regale you with these stories over a beer sometime if you have the heart.
Passionate Polo Store Patron
Shane Ortmeier
I born raised couples miles south west of polo and I was born in 1989 and the store was closed then well was getting used as a feed store. But before that I think it was there grocerstore.
It was the old General Store I remember running up to at lunch as a kid during school to buy a laffy taffy & play a quick game of pinball before rushing back to class. Good memories.
Yes, you are correct it was a grocery/hardware store, home and so much more. As a child growing up in Polo it was a gathering place for young and old. You could go by your treats after church and then go in the basement and play pool and listen to the juke box while you parents visited upstairs.
Used to stop at this little store after church years ago. We would get candy bars. Pool tables in the basement, gas station out front, not a lot of groceries but a few. Had a bar in it.
Always felt like Home, Had my First n Favorite Devils Food Cookies there as a Lad, there was an old Pool Table in the Basement that im sure if it could talk it would & how it got down I’ll never know, men would play alittle pennie annie at a table on the main floor across from the short Bar, an old Wooden Cooler kept Bottle pop n Beer Ice Kold, the old Cash Register always had a pile of coins on the sill that my Uncle rarely put away, was always a Leather Cup on the Bar with 5 er 6 White Dice ready to tumble, Wooden Floors & Wooden Porch & on the Store Corner a Really Old Gas Pump the kind where ya could see da Gas in the site Glass. Lastly it was always 1st Stop after Sunday Morning Services, I do wish I could go Back to:)
"Polo General Store & Hardware"
I lived in Polo in the 70’s the general store was just that, it had a little bit of everything, Henry and Mildred Venjohn ran the store from the 50’s until closing…the stores ambiance was incredible…all wood floors, shelves and coolers. The register was a huge black monster that always amazed me that it worked…
The basement has a couple pool tables, foosh ball, pinball games and a jukebox….it was definitely the ‘hangout’ spot back then for us kids…Henry and Mildred were awesome people…I always loved going there and have very fond memories of the whole community
Betty Mitchell Dinger