The General Store Project
The concept for the General Store came about when Mr. Charlie Bond, a long-time citizen of Farmers Branch, approached the Historical Park about a memorial project honoring his late wife, JoAnn Elliott Bond. Mrs. Bond was the first president of the Friends of the Farmers Branch Historical Park and her family started the Elliott’s Hardware chain of stores in the Dallas area. Knowing that Farmers Branch had several different stores belonging to families such as the Taliaferro’s, Corbett’s, and Smith’s in the 1920s, and that General Stores were the commercial centers for small towns like Farmers Branch, it was decided that the Historical Park needed a General Store to reflect the importance of business in the history of the area.
The General Store is the first exhibit within the Historical Park to offer visitors a chance to see, touch, and even smell items on display. Guests can feel a 50 lb. burlap sack of sugar, look at the types of canned goods offered in days gone by or get a whiff of the camphor in a tin of Porter’s Liniment. To further the experience, the items on display in the store are very similar to items that would have been sold almost a hundred years ago but they are in new condition, just as items would be in any store today.
Through the generous donations of Mr. Bond, Republic Waste, and numerous individual donors, the General Store was built and held its Grand Opening on December 1, 2012. However, a large part of the inventory for the Store still needs to be purchased.
How to Donate
Your generous donation will be used to purchase inventory to help fill the shelves of the General Store. All donations are tax deductible as defined by the IRS Revenue Code.
To donate please print and return the donation card below or contact Kim Jolly Chapman at 972.406.0184 or [at]