The first store
in Grenfell was owned by Mr. Routh and was situated on Desmond Street where the
large hardware building still stands. One corner of the store was used as a
post office with Mr. Routh as the first Post Master.
One of the
finest stores between Winnipeg and the coast was owned by Mr. Skrine. It sat on
the corner of Main and CPR streets. His store contained groceries, dry goods,
hardware, boots and shoes, crockery and glassware, men’s furnishings, lumber,
flour, and feed. This was all located on the ground floor. On the second floor
there was a dressmaking department, mechanics institute, a reading room, and
various offices. Large quantities of grain were also handled by the store.
John Love and
Charles R. Tryon formed a partnership and established the firm of Love and
Tryon, which acquired the holdings of the Routh business. Some of the citizens
said that” Love supplied the brains and Tryon supplied the money”.
