8110 Main St. (Business Works) is perhaps one of the most historic buildings in town. It was there that the first telegraph in the area was installed, and the first news of President Garfield’s assassination to reach this section came over the wire. Frank Hopkins, telegrapher, would at times string a line into the old Buckeye Hall to bring in election returns and outstanding boxing matches. He also installed the first long distance telephone in the store.
On July 10, 1867, the first Garrettsville Journal was printed in the basement of that building by Warren Peirce. The old printing equipment and rope pulleys remained in the basement for several years.
C. C. Sprague of Atasdcadero, Calif., a former Garrettsvillian wrote recently (1964) to the Cantells saying that his grandfather operated a general store in the building during the Civil War. As a boy, Mr. Sprague opened the store every morning for his grandfather, and he wonders what ever became of the big brass key that was much too large to carry in his pocket.
This week, (1964) in Cantell’s book store window there is a framed plaque of stamps and script issued during the Civil War, which was sent by Mr. Sprague for exhibit during the centennial. The stamps, he wrote, were found years ago in the basement on letters written to the newspaper.
Mrs. Carrie Pierce, one of Garrettsville’s oldest and best loved citizens, operated the bookstore from 1935-1950’s when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Earle Cantrell. The book store was started in 1910 by her husband, Frank Pierce, and it was after his death in 1935 that she took over the management. A write-up about Mrs. Pierce in an early county paper stated that her hobby was “Young Folks.” Many young people came to her for advice, and many young men, who have since made their mark in the world always stopped to see her when in town. One of these, whom she fondly called “my boys”, was a Chicago University President, Robert Hutchins; another, Dr. Clifford Ryder of New York; and still another, Allyn Vine, then a photographer for National Geographic stationed in Bermuda.
In recent years the store has been modernized but memories of past still linger.
( from The Journal July 9, 1964)
