He created the "Country Store" etching as a young man in 1929. His reference to the view from an upstairs window suggests he probably stayed at the Wilcox Hotel which was located directly across Granby Road from the store. To learn more about the Wilcox Hotel CLICK HERE.

It is also quite possible that his reference to occupied coffins in the basement is true since the Gibbons family owned the store and also served as the local undertakers.

To learn more about the fascinating life of Howard Cook CLICK HERE.

To learn more about the Granville Country Store and compare old photos to Howard Cook's etching CLICK HERE. Can you spot examples of artistic license?

The store depicted in Cook's 1929 etching was destroyed by fire in December 1934 and was replaced by the present, smaller structure. Photos of the destruction can be seen HERE.]]>

The documents are sequenced here as they are in the binder.]]>
Generously loaned to the Granville Library Historical Room for digitizing by Darcy and Julie Clifford.]]>

The 1903 Kibbe letter refers to the Baptist, Methodist and Congregational churches, while the 1906 Brownell letter refers only to the Congregational and Baptist churches.

The third letter is dated 1907 and comments that "the outlook for consolidating of the two churches is rather remote."

There is no evidence that a Union Church was ever formed and there is no reference to this proposal in Wilson's "History of Granville."

The basic issue raised by the pastors in 1903 seems to have continued, with the Methodist church ceasing activity in 1922. In 1937 the need to have a few strong churches rather than more weak churches resulted in the formation of the Federated Church, when the First Church of Christ Congregational (the church on the hill) pooled resources with the Granville Baptist Church.

Neither Edgar Brownell (1875 - 1908) nor David Kebbe (1863 - 1933) lived to see the day when their proposal, made over 30 years earlier, would come to fruition.]]>
1906]]>

GRANVILLE – Marjorie Williams Webb Bloomberg, 93, died September 19, 2012 at the Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitation Home, Wayland, MA.

Marjorie was born February 15, 1919 in Westfield. She lived in and loved Granville all her life. She was a graduate of Westfield High School Class of 1937. She had many jobs, including picking blueberries, Noble & Cooley Drum Shop, Gibbons General Store, Granville Post Office, delivering newspapers, Forbes & Wallace accounting department, waitress at Westfield Hotel and sold Stanley Home Products.

From the 1970s to 1990, Marjorie drove a Granville School Bus. She was a freelance writer and wrote numerous poems and articles that were published in Southwoods Magazine. Marjorie also had numerous volunteer positions, including member of the Granville Historical Society, President of the Woodland Cemetery Association and story lady at the Westfield Care and Rehabilitation Center.

She was an active life-long member at the Granville Federated Church. She married Carl A. Bloomberg in 1941 and was a devoted wife to him until he passed away in 2001. She was the loving mother to Linda DeMars and her husband, Paul of Guthrie, OK and Carlene McGorty and her husband, David of Holliston, MA. She was the cherished grandmother of four grandsons, two great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter. She also leaves extended family members and many friends.

Her funeral will be held at the Granville Federated Church at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 24, 2012. Burial will follow in Woodland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her memory to the Granville Federated Church, 16 Granby Road, Granville, MA 01034 or the Granville Historical Society, 683 Main Road, Granville, MA 01034.

Memories of Old Granville:

Marjorie Bloomberg's notes from a February 9, 2009 presentation at Town Hall, Granville, MA. Copy provided by Granville Town Clerk, Donna Fillion, March 2021.]]>
Memories of Granville In The Old Days: Marjorie Bloomberg's notes from 2009 Town Hall presentation, copy provided by Donna Fillion, Town Clerk, 2021.]]> Obituary: The Westfield News, 2012]]> CLICK HERE]]>

Year of the flyer is based on research by Brian Miller into the Jack Dempsey promotion mentioned in the flyer. Further research by Granville History into the Moon Mullins promotion indicates that was also 1933.

The basic flyer is a New England Stores design with the Gibbons store information at the bottom (Granville phone number 8). The slogan for New England Stores was "For Thrifty People" as shown on their logo.

Times have certainly changed. Today you even have to pay for the bags to take home your $300 week's worth of groceries. In 1933 you could get Jack Dempsey's autograph and a Moon Mullins mask for free! Unfortunately 1933 was also during the depths of the Great Depression so the question wasn't one of cost, it was whether you had the money at all.

Use the Search function to view additional photos of the Gibbons store at 11 Granby Road, Granville, MA. including the 1934 fire.]]>

Use "Search" to see other photos relating to the Gibbons Store.]]>