Racket Stores
Racket stores were individually owned and operated retail businesses carrying a large assortment of merchandise not unlike that of a country store or, later, a five-and-dime store. Racket stores offered shoes, dry goods, groceries, hardware, tableware, pots and pans, washtubs, ladies' and men's ready-to-wear clothing, and other merchandise at low prices. The earliest known use of the term was in Asheville, where an establishment called the Racket Store opened in 1887. In May 1888 William Henry Belk opened a store in Monroe called the New York Racket. "New York" was included in the name apparently to suggest class. There were also racket stores in Charlotte and Statesville; these stores apparently closed before 1929, but the one in Asheville was in operation as late as 1937. Racket stores appeared elsewhere in the South, but there seem to have been none in the North.
Additional Resources:
Emerson, Charles. Chas. Emerson's North Carolina tobacco belt directory. Raleigh, N.C.: Edwards and Broughton. 1886. p. 575 and 645.
Image Credits:
North Carolina Agricultural Society. Premium list of the Twenty-Ninth annual fair of the North Carolina State Agricultural Society. 1889. p. 49. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,221902 (accessed September 24, 2012).
1 January 2006 | Powell, William S.
Comments
I grew up going to "The
I grew up going to "The Racket Store" in McConnellsburg, PA. The store closed slightly less than a decade ago but was in continuous operation for over 100 years. They celebrated their 100 yr anniversary in 1997.
Add a comment
PLEASE NOTE: NCpedia provides the comments feature as a way for viewers to engage with the resources. Comments are not published until reviewed by NCpedia editors at the State Library of NC, and the editors reserve the right to not publish any comment submitted that is considered inappropriate for this resource. NCpedia will not publish personal contact information in comments, questions, or responses. If you would like a reply by email, note that some email servers, such as public school accounts, are blocked from accepting messages from outside email servers or domains. If you prefer not to leave an email address, check back at your NCpedia comment for a reply. Please allow one business day for replies from NCpedia. Complete guidelines are available at https://ncpedia.org/about.