Tribune Store of the Past

This is some history on another of our old community grocery stores. This picture of the Tribune General Store was shared with me by Sue Sigler Keeling. Sue is formerly from this area but now lives in Peoria, Illinois.

Tribune is located about 5 miles East of Marion on Highway 120. The busy little store sat on the crossroad of Hwy. 120 and Copperas Spring Road. It served all the needs of the people of this area for miles around.

Mr. and Mrs. Willis Towery owned the general merchandise store in 1938. He also ran a blacksmithing shop. In 1938, Mr. Towery sold the store to Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Orr. After Lynn and his wife retired in 1956, their son Charlie Orr operated it for one year. It wasn't the occupation that Charlie cared for so in 1958 he sold the store to Perry and Mildred McDonald. The McDonald's operated the store until 1962. They closed the store and had an auction sale of the inventory of the store. This was the end of the Tribune store.

The old building stood empty and unused for several years and finally got in such bad condition that it was torn down in the late 1980's.