Halls General store still stands today, located on the southeast corner of Hazel and Kentucky streets in downtown Gridley.

 

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Built in 1885, damaged by fire 20 years later, W.H. Hall's general store has withstood the ravages of time to stand proudly in downtown Gridley.

And yes, it’s still there today.

Located at the southwest corners of Hazel and Kentucky streets, the red clay brick building is warm to the touch and solid as a rock.

Housed inside the store for customers to peruse were top-of-the-line gentlemen's clothing, boots, furnishings, goods and shoes.

William Henry Hall, born into a family of six to English immigrants, was a native of Ohio and migrated to Gridley in 1886 with his wife, Louvisa. Hall opened the store less than two years later.

In June 1888, his son, George, was born.

The store did well from the outset. Hall was well-liked and trusted by his customers. The hours were long. Sometimes, Hall slept at work.

On one of these nights, a cracking sound near the front door awakened him. Grabbing his revolver, he went to investigate. Hall crept closer to the door and spotted a form pushing on the door. The intruder noticed Hall and took off, scampering down Hazel Street toward the nearby railroad tracks.

Hall's second son, Henry Raymond Hall, was born in 1896.

In 1905, a fire devastated the inside of Hall's store. He worked hard to reopen his business in the new year and added the latest fixtures and most modern patterns. 

Twelve years later, Hall, 62, suffered a stroke. His illness forced him to sell his beloved store a few months later.

Hall and his wife moved to Oakland in 1918. He died there two years later. Louvisa Hall passed away in 1931.

Halls General store still stands today, located on the southeast corner of Hazel and Kentucky streets in downtown Gridley.

Son, George, served honorably in the United States Army during World War I. He received his medical degree and began practicing medicine in San Francisco, Colfax and, for several years, Sacramento.

Like his father, Dr. George Hall was liked and skilled at his profession.

Younger brother, Henry Raymond, called Ray by his family, joined the Navy in 1918. He graduated from Stanford University and began practicing law in Oakland in 1921.

More than 100 years ago, Hall's General Store was one of the busiest and most popular places in the area. 

Empty of any memories of Mr. Hall's time there, the building sits quietly on the corner now where more than a 100 years ago, local townspeople visited daily.

Proprietor William Henry Hall was always there to greet them with a smile and a hello. His building stands as a testament to the man who once ran it.