Dehue Company Store Closing

Clipping courtesy of Brandon Ray Kirk. Click on the image for a larger view. A transcription is below for easier reading.

Logan Banner, June 30, 1980
By Dwight Williamson

Time, inflation and increasing competition has brought the end to yet another of Logan County’s historic milestones – the company store. The Dehue company store, a part of the community for the past 63 years, was opened and closed the last time Saturday. And for many miners and their families who had relied on the Youngstown Mines-owned store when times got bad, it was a sad occasion.

But for the store’s managers, Lawrence Finley and Maggie Mariano, who had worked at the store for the past 10 and one-half years, it was especially sad.

“It’s a sad feeling”, said Mariano. “I’ve gotten acquainted with so many different people here. I just don’t know what I’m going to do on Monday. Coming to work here was like being with your family every day.”

“We just found out two weeks ago that we were closing,” said a saddened Lawrence Finley. “We’ve been having sales to get rid of most of what we had in the store.”

A look around the store revealed much empty space. Spaces were washers and dryers and other appliances once stood waiting for some miner’s wife to come and purchase them, usually on credit.

“We sold a little bit of everything here,” said Finley “Hardware, gas, groceries, meats, clothes and appliances, they were all sold here.”

Youngstown Mines, which Finely said now employs approximately 300 people at the Dehue min, placed a notice on the window of the window of the front door which said the following: “We have today announced to company store employees that the company store will close permanently, effective June 28.”

“The reason for the closure is unfavorable economic conditions and the increasing competition from area stores. The store will remain open through June 27, during this time we will be holding close-out sales.”

“I hope somebody rents the store,” said Eulla Craft. “I hope somebody put something here so that the store’s closing won’t be so final.”

“They’re just going to leave the building set, as far as I know,“ said Finley. “I doubt if they do anything with it.”

Finley said that about 80 percent of the Youngstown coal miners at Dehue had done business with the store at one time or another. He said most of the business was done on credit.

“It’s sad for the community,” added Eulla Craft. “Those people here at Dehue are really going to miss the store. There’s no other store close by. The nearest store is a market at Three Mile Curve.”

Maggie Mariano appeared to be the most heartbroken of the four employees. “It’s just now getting to me, she said. “I guess I hadn’t thought of it before, but I’ve had eight of my brothers and sister working here at one time. It’s just so sad.”

“If a person worked for Youngstown Steel, he could buy anything we had,” said Finley. “When times were bad for the miners and their families, we let them have just about anything they wanted.”

The large brick building, which looks remarkably well, despite its age, at one time was one of the largest stores in Logan County.

“They started bringing supplies here by rail a long time ago,” said Finley. “I’m really not sure how long the store has been in operation. But I know it has been a long time.”

A few customers, including a few miners just getting off work, wandered into the store looked silently about, purchased an item and then left, probably for the last time this particular Friday evening. And each customer that was waited on received a solemn goodbye from clerk Maggie Mariano.

“There’s only about six company stores left in the county,” said Finley. “I guess someday there won’t be any left.”

The Closing of the Dehue store, much like retiring miner who has just worked his last shift for the company, completes another chapter in the continuing saga of Logan County and its coal mining industry.

See also Photos and History of Dehue.

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