Top Dance Hall . Abby made posters to hang around town , put in the newspaper and hand out during the fair . Other than that , they did not advertise the event .
On the big day , over 350 people , including family members from all over , came for the celebration which is more than the population of the entire town .
“ People came from all over to celebrate ,” said Abby . “ It was fun . It was kind of all word of mouth .”
In commemoration of the anniversary , someone made a plaque for Joe titled “ Whiteaker ’ s 90 years .” It says , “ For 90 years through thick and thin you ’ ve kept clothes on the hangers and socks in the bins . For four generations ‘ Shop at Home ’ – Not hard to do . Whiteaker ’ s either has it … or ‘ We ’ ll get it for you !’ ‘ And while you ’ re here , does your watch need a battery or glasses need tweaked ? Perhaps a label engraved for the sports meet next week ?’
“ There ’ s liniment for your animals , saddle blankets , bridles and halters too — thread , materials ; even shoe glue ! For 90 years Whiteaker ’ s hasn ’ t just supported Harrison ; it has been an integral part of our corner of the world . Thank you for choosing to stay ; to share your life , your family and your help in making a more complete community ! ‘ Y ’ all come back now , ya hear ?!! Have a Tootsie Roll !!!!’” At 93 years old , Whiteaker ’ s Store carries on this tradition . “ This store ’ s really unique , and it ’ s fun all the people from out of town that support it . They travel into town , and they make sure one of their first stops is here ,” said Abby .
Jeans , hats and gloves are their biggest sale items . Joe keeps a list of the regular jean customers including their preferences and sizes . Then , he preorders them so they are available when customers come to buy as many as 10 pairs at a time . They even carry a special brand with a waistband that keeps shirts from coming untucked .
For hats , Whiteaker ’ s store has everything from winter caps , to western straw hats , to hand-shaped wool hats . Everything comes in a variety of colors , shapes and sizes . Some popular brands carried in the store are Rodeo King , Stetson and Resistol .
For the wool hats , Joe uses steam to make them pliable and hand creases them . Customers often come in for the sole purpose of getting their hats cleaned and reshaped . Along with this , Joe does engraving , shortens pants and repairs boots . “ He basically knows how to fix anything ,” said Abby . Whiteaker ’ s Store also carries a variety of boots , socks , fencing gloves , western shirts , ties , belts , layered jackets , products to treat leather , bandanas , jewelry , yarn , buttons , fabric , thread , notions , embroidery floss , slippers , western purses , t- shirts , slime manufactured by Joe ’ s grandchildren and so much more .
Displayed above the merchandise are antique shoes , hats and memorabilia from across the generations .
“ We ’ ve got a little bit of everything ,” said Abby . “ If somebody needs something and he ( Joe ) can get it , he ’ ll order it .” Joe ships out call-in orders as well . “ We don ’ t change much ,” said Joe . “ We still have our loyal customers that come in and trade with us , but it ’ s getting harder all the time .”
Abby and Joe estimated that 60 percent of their traffic is from locals and 40 percent is from tourists who come during the summer months .
Whiteaker ’ s Store is located at 265 Main Street in Harrison . It is open from 9 a . m . to 5 p . m . Monday through Friday and is closed during the noon hour . On Saturdays , it is open from 9 a . m . to 12 p . m .
Visitors might see a sign from Joe saying he will be back in 15 minutes , which likely means he stepped out with a few friends to get coffee . They are welcome to join Joe before checking out the store .
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