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Elmore family photographs

00-2019-86-0

 File
Identifier: 00-2019-86-0

Scope and Contents

A collection of photographs, including scenes of Litchfield after a fire and interior of Graniss and Elmore store. Ganung and Elmore, general merchandise and grocery firm of Litchfield, Connecticut, was founded by George S. Elmore (1856-1904) and C. M. Ganung in 1880 with stock purchased from a bankrupt company. In 1882, Mr. Ganung sold his interest in the store to Westoen G. Granniss (1855-1940) of Litchfield, Connecticut, and the store was renamed Granniss and Elmore. The firm dealt in general merchandise such as groceries, dry goods, dishes, crockery, carpets, window shades, screens, linoleum, and wallpaper. The firm's motto was “Everything guaranteed as represented.”

Dates

  • Creation: late 1800s-early 1900s

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection are in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown.

Biographical / Historical

Ganung and Elmore, general merchandise and grocery firm of Litchfield, Connecticut, was founded by George S. Elmore (1856-1904) and Charles M. Ganung in 1880 with stock purchased from a bankrupt company. In 1882, Mr. Ganung sold his interest in the store to Weston G. Granniss (1855-1940) of Litchfield, Connecticut, and the store was renamed Granniss and Elmore. The firm dealt in general merchandise such as groceries, dry goods, dishes, crockery, carpets, window shades, screens, linoleum, and wallpaper. The firm's motto was “Everything guaranteed as represented.”

In 1888, Granniss and Elmore's wooden structures were destroyed in a fire that ravaged most of the Litchfield business section. The two partners, determined to prevent such a disaster from reoccurring, constructed a new two story brick building. For its time, it was considered the most modern store in Litchfield. In addition to the standard fixtures found in a general store, such as a potbellied stove and cracker barrels, the new building was heated by a furnace, had large plate glass display windows, varnished woodwork, a fleet of delivery wagons, and both telephone and telegraph service. In 1897, the partners pioneered the use of electricity in Litchfield County by installing an electrical dynamo in the basement which provided power to light forty electric lights in the store. The years from 1882 to 1918 were the store's most profitable, as sales climbed from $33,000 to $64,000.

By 1907, the store was renamed the W. G. Granniss Company. After George S. Elmore died in 1904, W. G. Granniss took on two new partners,Frank Perkins and William Butler. Both were paid a salary plus a share of the profits. In 1919, due to increased competition from grocery chain stores and a resulting decline in profits, Granniss sold his interest in the grocery business to a partnership composed of Jules Chapin and Ernest Birk. Mr. Granniss held onto the dry goods store, but increasingly devoted himself to local politics and other business interests in the area. In 1925, Chapin sold out his interest to Birk, and the store was renamed Birk and Company.

During the 1920s, the store fared badly from competition in Litchfield as well as nearby Torrington, which was easily accessible by car. The store's fortunes sank even more rapidly during the depression years. From 1919 to 1940, the grocery store's yearly sales plummeted from $24,000 to $4,900. When Mr. Granniss died in 1940, Ernest Birk bought out the interests in the dry goods store and purchased the building as well. Shortly after World War II, the business was converted into a self-service food store known as Superior Foods. [Source: Univeristy of Connecticut Library Archives and Special Collections]

Extent

1 folders

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

A collection of photographs, including scenes of Litchfield after a fire and interior of Graniss and Elmore store. Ganung and Elmore, general merchandise and grocery firm of Litchfield, Connecticut, was founded by George S. Elmore (1856-1904) and C. M. Ganung in 1880 with stock purchased from a bankrupt company. In 1882, Mr. Ganung sold his interest in the store to Westoen G. Granniss (1855-1940) of Litchfield, Connecticut, and the store was renamed Granniss and Elmore. The firm dealt in general merchandise such as groceries, dry goods, dishes, crockery, carpets, window shades, screens, linoleum, and wallpaper. The firm's motto was “Everything guaranteed as represented.”

Source of Acquisition

Meredith Elmore Peterson

Method of Acquisition

Gift

Related Materials

Granniss and Elmore Records, University of Connecticut Library Archives and Special Collections

Physical Description

13 black and white photorgraphs

Genre / Form

Geographic

Title
Elmore family photographs
Status
Completed
Author
Leith Johnson
Date
2024 Oct 1
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Litchfield Historical Society Repository

Contact:
7 South Street
P.O. Box 385
Litchfield CT 06759
860-567-4501
860-567-3565 (Fax)