Staff Favorites
Of course the staff at Buck's Store Museum love all the artifacts within C. B. Rowe & Son, but everyone has a favorite. Scroll down to read about which items the William & Mary Summer 2020 interns picked as their favorites and why.
Old School Supplies
Most of these school supplies were produced by Mallard Pencil Company, a company which began in Georgetown, Kentucky, in 1945 (1). Its founder, E.S. Mallard, began the company after leaving the military (2). As seen in the photo, Mallard Pencil Company expanded beyond pencils, producing school supplies like eraser heads, drafting instruments, and crayons. Since these school supplies were displayed in Buck's Store within their brand's box, it can be assumed that students and/or adults picked up educational supplies from Buck's Store.
Dr. Sharon Zuber, GHA board member and advisor to Buck’s Store Museum 2020 summer interns, stated that these items were her favorite because “next to book stores, stationery stores are my favorite to browse. I have fond memories of picking out school supplies and getting my pencil case and book bag ready for the start of school.”
Musket Stock Forearm
This musket stock forearm was dated to the Revolutionary War and was found in the York River near the “area of Cornwallis’ sunken ship/s.” The musket was a common weapon used in the war; however, they were known for their inaccuracy in hitting a target and had a short effective range. Muskets were often used at close range to bring as much damage to opposing troops as possible (3). As this musket was found near Cornwallis’ ship(s), the musket stock forearm may be British in origin.The Land Pattern musket, or “Brown Bess,” was the common design of musket used by British soldiers from 1722-1860 (4). Most other muskets during this time besides the Land Pattern musket were handmade, so the musket stock forearm in Buck’s could be an original design (5).
Grant Wong, a senior at William & Mary working with Buck’s Store Museum to produce a history of American general stores, stated that he loves this item because "this object stood out to me for the fact that it was not a piece of general store merchandise, but a display piece with a very real sense of historical value. Right here in Bena, we have in our possession an item bound up in the history of the creation of the United States. The fact that this item was even displayed in Buck's, complete with a display description, also speaks to the uniqueness of the general store as a space . . . I'd argue Buck's Store may very well have served Guinea as a museum long before Buck's death."
"Survey and Division of the Land of John Dobson dec. Guinea"
This hand drawn map, titled “Survey and Division of the Land of John Dobson dec. Guinea” shows the land that John Dobson inherited from the Dobson family land grants. John inherited 1637 acres of land in total, including the land that would become modern-day Bena and most of Guinea. John Dobson served in the state militia during the Revolutionary War, and his son, John Dobson, Jr., died in the War of 1812 (6).
Hannah Sanner, a William & Mary senior working with Buck’s Store Museum to create its docent manual, stated that she loves this item because John “made provisions to equally split the entire acreage between his widow and children. This history greatly excited me, as it's so rare to see equal inheritance granted to the remarried widow and three daughters and not just his single male heir.”
Havana Ribbon Cigar Box with War Rations Inside
This Havana Ribbon cigar box comes from Bayuk Cigars, Inc. The company began in 1896 in Philadelphia, and Havana Ribbon was one of five cigar brands they created. The Great Depression forced Bayuk Cigars, Inc. to lower their cigar prices to five cents, as seen on this box (7). The war ration coupons inside the box were from World War II and were made out to a resident of Yorktown, VA, named Eva Liguor (as far as we can discern) (8).
Julia Gibson, a William & Mary junior working with Buck’s Store Museum on its digital media, stated that she loves this item because “the war ration coupons show just how long Buck's Store has been around--2020 makes it a hundred years!--and war rations are a particularly interesting snapshot of what a general store would have to deal with WWII in terms of supplying the community with limited resources.”
US Postal Guide
Buck’s Store served as the local Bena post office from 1947-1977; this US Postal Guide, published in 1943 provides evidence of this fact (9). The USPS has served as a vital connector to localities across the country; in fact, the USPS is the only mail provider required by congressional mandate to deliver mail services at a flat rate to all households and localities, no matter how far the route or how rural the address (10). The USPS currently employs over 7.3 million Americans, and in his day Buck Rowe could be counted among those numbers (11).
Emma Eubank, William & Mary junior working with Buck’s Store Museum to create their online exhibit space, Buck’s Online, stated that this item was her favorite because “this USPS Postal Guide showcases how essential the United States Postal Service has been to Bena. Buck Rowe handled Bena’s USPS mail for thirty years, which could include everything from mailed medications to letters to Santa; that’s a lot of responsibility that Buck carried on his shoulders! This postal guide embodies the local delegation that occurs from the USPS to people like Buck Rowe to ensure this federal service continues to provide for communities such as Bena. I would love to flip through this guide to see how USPS regulations and standards have changed!”
