Stone Mountain Store: Center of the Bethel Community, North Carolina
Story Narrative:
Thomas Lawrence talks about what it's like to run the only store in the Bethel community in Watauga County, North Carolina. This documentary was created as part of the Stories: YES program for Bethel School in Bethel, North Carolina, made by Anna, Bailey, Grant, Tilli, and Lula. It was made with the support and assistance of Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Adam Sheffield with Appalachian State University Digitization Services, storyteller Sherry Lovett, and Beth Davison with Appalachian State University Documentary Film Services.
Thomas Lawrence (00:14): My name is Thomas Lawrence and I was born in right here in Boone 1949, February the third. I know I never contributed till I was grown and gone, well I did help my dad. He was a builder and I helped him some through high school, but he was a builder and a part-time farmer as most people were here. Mother was just a housekeeper. They was seven in my family, so it took a lot of time. We run the store here and I farm part-time. We've been here 33 years.
Thomas Lawrence (00:53): I was on the road quite a bit, traveling with the jobs that I'd had, and I wanted to be here. The kids were going to school here and just want to be here and had the opportunity to buy the store. And I always like to being outside farm too. And you know your neighbors here.
Thomas Lawrence (01:13): Product lines have changed probably more than anything. All companies keep expanding their flavors and this and that and the other. Mine has switched a lot from small farm, like fertilizer and feed, more to convenience items, milk, bread, soft drinks, convenience type stuff.
Thomas Lawrence (01:34): Typical work day: I come in at seven o'clock and open up and then later my wife comes in, and I go do my feeding, or farm work, or whatever for a while. And then I come back and I usually close in that evening by 6:30.
Thomas Lawrence (01:53): You got to know your math. You got to do your percentages on your profit. And then there's a lot of bookkeeping, record keeping, tax purposes and that sort of thing. So, math's probably a good thing.
Thomas Lawrence (02:06): By living here and knowing most everybody kind of had an idea. And then you would just have to be a people person. Waiting on the public, it's rewarding, but sometimes it can be challenging, because everybody don't always come in with a good attitude that day. We all have bad days, I guess.
Thomas Lawrence (02:31): I watched my three children go to school here. And if we live, we'll see eight of the grandchildren go through school here. So, it's always a pleasure to look out and, whether they're mine or somebody else, see kids playing on the playground. It's kind of special.
Asset ID: 2021.12.02
Themes: Agriculture, farming, The Way We Worked, general stores, economy, jobs, market, retail, community, grandchildren, neighbors, generations
Date recorded: 2017
Length of recording: 03:04 m
File Type: Video
Related traveling exhibition: The Way We Worked
Sponsor or affiliated organization: Bethel School students, in collaboration with Blowing Rock Art & History Museum and Appalachian State University Digitization and Film Services
More information: https://museumonmainstreet.org/blog-node/students-traverse-mountains-get-know-their-neighbors