09/27/2020
Recently, Linda and I had the opportunity to visit one of the oldest general stores in Indiana — the Cataract General Store, located in Cataract, Indiana, a short distance from Spencer, Indiana. It began operation as a place that offered a varied assortment of items in 1860. Surprisingly enough, the store’s exterior hasn’t changed all that much in the past 160 years.
During its existence, it has had many owners but it remains a place where locals and visitors alike are served up nostalgic items from the past along with today’s offerings. Over the years, it has become famous for moon pies, pickles, and 8-ounce Coca-Cola bottles, among many other things such as cookware, home-décor, food, including local jams and honey, and clothes. The list doesn’t stop there, however. It also carries cleaning supplies, canned goods, books, hair and beauty products, and many other items too numerous to mention.
The Cataract General Store is certainly a place that I hope to visit again soon on our travels throughout Indiana. It’s a place where I can walk in, stand among the aisles, close my eyes, and imagine what life was like there when it first opened its doors. I often tell people I meet that I’m on a constant journey seeking peace and that is what it feels like at this store — peaceful. Here is a short (3:25) video containing stills that Linda and I shot and some aerial footage I captured.
One of the oldest general stores in Indiana is the Cataract General Store, located in Cataract, Indiana, a short distance from Spencer, Indiana. It began ope...