Davis/Olmstead Store with W.A. Perkins Cole 8 in front
After a year or two Mr. Stillwell sold to Mrs. E. Warren who soon sold it to E. A. Davis. Erwin Arzo Davis came from Royalton and taught school in Bridgewater Village in 1883, married Mabel Wilson in 1886 and went into the store business.
As a lad, Pearl Biathrow (1876-1966) whose widowed mother was a sister of E. A. Davis, came to live with his uncle in the Village. He helped in the store, drove the delivery wagon, got up the wood pile, filled the wood box and did many other chores. In later years Pearl Biathrow said that his total time spent in the school room was less than four years, yet he mastered many subjects, including double entry bookkeeping. He married Lettie Blanchard and they became the parents of Philip Biathrow and Arlene (Biathrow) Nourse.
In April 1888 E. A. Davis advertised: You will find at E. A. Davis store in Bridgewater sweet potatoes at five cents a pound, beef at eighteen cents a pound and tripe at seven cents a pound. He would pay his customers fourteen cents a dozen for eggs they might bring in.
Erle Wilson Davis, son of Erwin, succeeded his father in the store and during his time newspaper clippings of his baseball career were displayed.
After the death of Erle (Bump) Davis in 1965, Mr. and Mrs. Hazen Merriam kept the store until 1970 when it was taken over by Mr. and Mrs. Everett Olmstead who currently operate it (1976).
The store was located on Rt. 4 across from the Bridgewater Inn has since been demolished and the lot now sits empty.
Bridgewater Vermont 1779-1976 Complied by Gladys S. Adam
Bridgewater Baseball team. 1940s
Back row left to rt:
1. Fred Southgate 2. Rob Southgate 3. ? 4. Charles Weeden 6. ? 7. ? 8. Bump Davis 9. Frazer
Front row
2. Dick Thompson
