Gibbons Sons Store, Rebuilding, 1935
Photos taken by Herb Hiers of the reconstruction of the Gibbons store on Granby Road after the December 9, 1934 fire.
Use "Search" to see other photos relating to the Gibbons Store.
1935
Hiers Family Collection
Digital Images: 2021, Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation, Granville, MA>
Gibbons Sons Store Advertising Flyer, Week of June 26, 1933
A large advertising flyer mailed to Granville residents for the week of June 26, 1933. This pre-dates the fire of December 1934 when the store burned to the ground.
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.
26 June 1933
Digital Image: 2024, Mabel Root Henry Historical Museum, Granville, MA. and Granville History https://GranvilleHistory.omeka.net
Marjorie Williams (Webb) Bloomberg (1919 - 2012)
Obituary: <br /><br />GRANVILLE – Marjorie Williams Webb Bloomberg, 93, died September 19, 2012 at the Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitation Home, Wayland, MA. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Memories of Old Granville: <br /><br />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.
13 May 2020
Verna Sadowski, May 13, 2020
Memories of Granville In The Old Days: Marjorie Bloomberg's notes from 2009 Town Hall presentation, copy provided by Donna Fillion, Town Clerk, 2021.
Copyright Verna Sadowski photo, 13 May 2020
Obituary: The Westfield News, 2012
Also see c. 1933 school photo <a href="https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/admin/items/show/137">CLICK HERE</a>
Union Church Proposal, 1903-1907
Two letters proposing that the Granville churches form a "Union Church." The 1903 letter is from David Lyman Kibbe, pastor or the Congregational Church on the hill. The 1906 letter is from Edgar Alonzo Brownell of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which at the time was meeting in the old Universalist Church building.
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.
1903
1906
The Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation
Digital images copyright 2019, the Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation
Gibbons Family History and Letters
A collection of scans made from a large binder of Gibbons family history, genealogy, and letters. Compiled by Muriel Dickinson Leslie and loaned to the Granville Library Historical Room by Darcy Clifford Cooley in 2018.
The documents are sequenced here as they are in the binder.
From the collection of Muriel Dickinson Leslie.
Generously loaned to the Granville Library Historical Room for digitizing by Darcy and Julie Clifford.
"Country Store" Howard Norton Cook Etching of Gibbons Store, 1929
Howard Norton Cook (1901 - 1980) was born in Springfield and enjoyed visiting Granville early in his career as an artist. He spent most of career in the American Southwest and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico.<br /><br />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 <a href="https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/196">CLICK HERE</a>.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />To learn more about the fascinating life of Howard Cook <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Cook">CLICK HERE</a>.<br /><br />To learn more about the Granville Country Store and compare old photos to Howard Cook's etching <a href="https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/149">CLICK HERE</a>. Can you spot examples of artistic license?<br /><br />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 <a href="https://granvillehistory.net/items/show/149">HERE</a>.
Sodom Street 0150 Gibbons House, circa 1800
Gibbons House. presently home of the Rider family (2021).
1923 photo from the Viola Elizabeth Bettinger (1899-1983) photo album. Viola Bettinger was a teacher at the old Granville Village School during the early 1920's. Her photo album was donated to the Granville Library Historical Room. All photos in the album have been scanned and added to Granville History Digital Collection. The collection can be viewed in its entirety by searching on Viola Bettinger.
Second photo 1941, taken by Herbert Hiers.
Granville Library Historical Room, 2021
Clifford Holcomb Gibbons (1852-1918) Alaska Lecture Poster
A poster featuring Dr. Clifford H. Gibbons (14 Feb 1852 - 14 Sep 1918) lecturing on the topic of Alaska. Date of the poster is unknown but would be after his time in Alaska.
Dr. Gibbons was born in Granville and received his medical degree from New York University. He moved to California some time later where according to records he was a physician, coroner and postmaster at various times. He married in 1879 and remarried in 1894, in Utah. By 1900 he was a widow living in Taku Village, Juneau, Alaska with his daughter Maude Gibbons (born 1881).
Taku Village was described as being 12 miles south of Juneau. The photo dates to 1914 and the village appears to be in poor condition.
Clifford Gibbons died in 1918 at Grant's Pass, Oregon.
Poster: Probably some time after 1906.
Photo of Taku Village, Juneau, Alaska: 1914
Original poster loaned courtesy of Maude Dickinson Leslie for digitization by the Granville Historic Image Library, a preservation project of the Granville Library Historical Room and the Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation.
Photo of Taku Village: Alaska State Library
Original Image: Maude Dickinson Leslie
Digital Image: Created by Granville Library Historical Room and Noble & Cooley Center for Historic Preservation.
Photo of Taku Village, 1914: Alaska State Library
Granby Road, 0011, Gibbons Store (AFTER 1934 FIRE)
Gibbons Store, various dates.
Various
Postcard contributed by May (Hunt) Nobbs.
1941 photo from Herbert A. Hiers.
Store window photo taken summer 1998 by Paul Jensen, image used here with permission.
2020 Aerial Photo: Giguere's Photography, image used here with permission.
01 Feb 2021 Photo: Martin Kulig, used here with permission.
Sign Photo: Danny Nason, used here with permission.
Granville Public Library Historical Room and/or:<br />1998 Photo: Paul Jensen photo. No permission granted by the Granville Historic Image Library for further image use. Contact the photographer. <br />27 Dec 2020 Aearial Photo: Copyright Giguere's Photography, used here with permission; may not be downloaded or used further without express permission of <a href="https://gigueresphotography.com/">Giguere's Photography</a><br />01 Feb 2021 Photo: Copyright Martin Kulig, used here with permission.<br />Sign Photo: Copyright Danny Nason, used here with permission. <a href="https://dannynason.com/">https://dannynason.com/</a>
Granby Road, 0011, Gibbons Store Fire (09 DEC 1934 FIRE)
Ruins of the Gibbons Store after the catastrophic December 9, 1934 fire.
09 December 1934
Images contributed by:
May (Hunt) Nobbs, 2018
Mrs. Raymond Pendleton (date unknown)
Granville Public Library Historical Room
Main Road, 0474, John Murray Gibbons House, c. 1860
John Murray Gibbons House, c. 1860, 474 Main Rd. MACRIS Inv. #GRN 79
First 3 Photos: Memorial Day, 1923. From the Viola Elizabeth Bettinger (1899-1983) photo album. Viola Bettinger was a teacher at the old Granville Village School during the early 1920's. Her photo album was donated to the Granville Library Historical Room. All photos in the album have been scanned and added to Granville History Digital Collection. The collection can be viewed in its entirety by searching on Viola Bettinger.
1923
1941
Granville Library Historical Room, 2021.
Main Road, 0462, Fred Gibbons House, 1890
Fred Gibbons House, 1890, 462 Main Rd., MACRIS Inv. #81.<br /><br /><span>First picture 1923, from the Viola Elizabeth Bettinger (1899-1983) photo album. Viola Bettinger was a teacher at the old Granville Village School during the early 1920's. Her photo album was donated to the Granville Library Historical Room. All photos in the album have been scanned and added to Granville History Digital Collection. The collection can be viewed in its entirety by searching on Viola Bettinger.</span><br /><br />Photo of Fred Gibbons' signature found on the underside of one of the cellar step boards, and a single shoe found in the house. <br /><br />For a photo of Fred Gibbons <strong><a href="https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/144">CLICK HERE</a></strong>
Built 1890
Signature and shoe photos courtesy of Shirley Elliott Edbrooke, 2019.and 2020.
Granville Public Library Historical Room and Massachusetts Historical Commission. See <a href="http://mhc-macris.net/macrisdisclaimer.htm">MACRIS disclaimer.</a><br /><br />Signature and shoe photos: Copyright 2019 and 2020 trspectively, Shirley Elliott Edbrooke.