Friday, July 17, 2009

The Name is Charming

I grew up in a small town north of Boise, where we went shopping at the "Merc" (mercantile) for clothes, kitchen items, bath items, and furniture, and you could order items from the Montgomery Ward catalog and pick them up at the Merc. In other small towns, I remember the mercantile also sold farm and ranch equipment. This mercantile sells espresso. Times have definitely changed, and the Merc in my hometown is long gone. This "Dry Creek Mercantile" is in the Hidden Springs community in the Boise Foothills.


9 comments:

  1. I'd want to see inside... In French, the word "mercantile" sounds different.

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  2. The building looks to be lovingly cared for. So many brick & mortar businesses are vanishing these days. I remember Montgomery Ward's and may like them.

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  3. Yes, the name is charming but deceiving. If you enlarge this shot you can see inside the door and the inventory in this merc is not exactly what you'd find in the Montgomery Ward catalog.

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  4. There are some very nice reflections in the windows. Nice shot.

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  5. I haven't heard of this! It looks rather upscale...and the name of the neighbourhood also leads me to believe that it is quite out of MY price range. But lovely to visit all the same. :)

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  6. Most of our old-time stores like this have been razed, alas. Downtown is a weird mix of modern big-box construction and boutiques making use of older buildings. My hope is that the next generation will look back on theyr downtown as a place with character...

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  7. Just the word "merc" brings back childhood memories living in Mountain Home. I remember going to the Merc in Mtn. Home, which is now a Paul's Market.

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