Hill’s has changed over the years, but it has always been a place of family and friends. Dates are approximate on some of the pictures. If you have pictures of the store and your family, please send us a copy! We would love to include it.
The Early Years (1927-1949)
The original building was built in 1927. In 1947, a new, larger building was opened. Oscar was about 5 years old. Wolverine Boots and Shoes had their salesman visit and there was a contest to guess how long it would take for a large block of ice to melt (inside the block of ice was a Wolverine “1000 mile boot,” which are popular today).
1950-1979
Oscar grew up, married Barbara, joined the family business. They had Todd in 1963 and Tim in 1969. W.C. & Sarah celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1972. In 1977, Hill’s celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary. There was a big sale, free “co-cola” (as W.C. called it), give-aways, and watermelon “down under the tree.” W.C. interviewed his long-time customers with a hand-held cassette recorder and microphone. Check out the recordings on the Memories page. You may hear a voice from your past!
The 1980s
The 80s were a time of big change for Hill’s. W.O. and Oscar were partners running the business. They sold feed, fertilizer, changed tires, pumped gas, and had a full line of groceries (and in addition to that they were partners in an apple orchard. In 1981, Todd was graduating and he wanted to make grandpa’s store his career. The decision was made to split the business. W.O. would keep the fertilizer and feed business (with his son, Willie) under the name W.O. Hill & Son and would operate out of the building on the north side of the parking lot. Oscar and Todd would run the grocery and hardware store under Hill’s General Store. The floors were tiled (they had been cement), a deli and bakery was added, and a shoe department (in a separate room) was added. In 1988, the shoe department took over, groceries, hardware, the deli, and bakery were closed. The store was remodeled once again.
1990-Present
