"Shop Local"

Dear Family Trails readers, 

What thoughts does this week's title, "Shop Local," conjure up for you…a trendy new way of looking at how you shop, where your tax dollars are going, supporting small businesses in a world of big-box stores? That's where my thoughts go when I see the banners around town to remind shoppers to support their home-town merchants. It makes sense, and it has helped me change the way I shop, but honestly, I thought this was a new concept in the past 20-plus years. For many years the local farmers' market has sent this message, and I agreed with the farmers…I would definitely want to eat lettuce grown right here in Alabama than some lettuce picked 2 weeks ago and shipped across the country in a truck. But the retail aspect of this….I didn't give it that much thought-not until, that is, my friends began opening their own businesses. Okay, are you asking yourself, "Where is this week's blog going with all this 'shop local' chatter?" Let me connect the dots…

In last week's "Weaver Wednesday" post, Fifty Years in the Merchantile Business, we read about the closing of "C.S. Weaver and Sons" in 1944. This week I am posting another letter written to Grandfather Weaver about the doors closing to his business.

But first, speaking of taxes…..here is a tax certificate that Grandfather Weaver paid in order to sell tobacco. It is dated October 31, 1939 and the cost was $5.00 tax to the state and $2.50 to Talladega County for a one year license. The probate judge who signed it is D. Hardy Riddle, and it is written in pencil. 

I will retype this letter so it will be easier to read. It is dated October 13, 1944 and is written by John B. Chastain of the "Chastain-Roberts Company."

Gentlemen, 
It is with regret we learn that you are liquidating your business. A business that has continued for fifty-two years through depressions, panics, booms, and what not can be counted upon to be managed by honest, capable people.
Since we began working Talladega we have had three or four different salesmen working that particular trip, without exception they have really believed in your firm. Any claim, shortage or complaint of any kind they knew to be just as your pictured it and your word we feel sure was always accepted without question.
We hate to see you liquidate because, if for no other reason, though there are many, there is a scarcity of good independent merchants. We believe and will continue to believe, until the picture changes far from where it is today, that live wide-awake independents can whip the chain stores, the trouble being there are far too few who will operate and merchandise like you and a few other merchants in this territory have been doing.
If at any time we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon us. Please refer anyone at any time to us that you have occasion offer references to.
We want to wish for you good luck and prosperity in whatever undertaking you may decide to follow, with our very best wishes for you and yours for the future and with appreciation for what you have done for us in the past, we are

Yours very truly,
CHASTAIN-ROBERTS CO.
By: J.B. Chastain

Our Weaver family cookbook, Seasoned with Love, by our very own family member, Lucretia Malone Mount Davenport, contains many recollections about Grandfather Weaver's store. In the next few "Weaver Wednesday" posts, we will look at the remembrances written for the cookbook. Past blog posts have featured our cookbook, so if you would like to know more about Seasoned with Love,  please check out Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary and Cousins and Cookbooks.
Seasoned With Love is available online at Lulu.com. You will be in for a treat when you order your own copy of this very special family cookbook.

Before I close this week's edition of Family Trails, let me just say I am sorry that it did not get posted on our traditional "Weaver Wednesday." We are having some work done on our stairwell at home, and after the stairs were all taken out, I realized that my family history notebooks AND my scanner were at the top of the stairs! So …better planning ahead, I hope!
Thank you for checking out the Weaver family's Family Trails this week.
Love,
Mariellan